Photo: Antonio Sweeney, photography by Alvin Brown
Written by Antonio Sweeney
Adrian Tripplett is an inmate at Richard H. Handlon Correctional Facility. However, despite his circumstance, he is an aspiring artist. Like all of us around the world, this pandemic is hitting all of us in different ways, including those in the inside. He describes his experience as clueless during the early outbreak.
“We didn’t take it seriously at first,” Tripplett said. “They locked us down for a whole day, and they gave us three face (cotton) masks to wear for these months.”
Tripplett is among the many of millions incarcerated that face this virus with only limited resources that will guarantee his health and safety. Adjusting to this new lifestyle with COVID -19 precautions means taking certain privileges away.
“Isolation was never a problem for me,” Tripplett said. “So, I’m used to it. But the newcomers were shocked the normal prison freedoms were taken away like going to work out and using the microwave. Being able to make a phone call to our family can be a challenge now, and having family visits doesn’t look so promising in the future. Things around here are just not the same.”
Despite the limited resources available, inmates have come up with unique ways to ensure their safety.
“Guys in here are using T-shirts, durags and shorts to get on by because our mask quality isn’t that good. Socially distancing isn’t really enforced in these walls. They (the COs ) need to practice what they preach by always wearing a mask.”
Tripplett believes no matter what the virus will still be here, and that is the reality of the situation and has a message to the world.
“We still are entitled to human decency. This virus isn’t going away but we gotta do our best to contain it.”
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