EXCLUSIVE: Airway Heights inmate says he was forced to live with COVID-positive cellmate
December 29, 2020 8:01 PM Katerina Chryssafis
Updated:
AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. – More than 1,400 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Airway Heights Corrections Center.
We’ve shared several stories of inmates telling us what it’s like inside there. On Tuesday, we spoke with one prisoner and his wife about their experience.
Amie Mata’s husband Joe has been in prison since 2011.
“It’s been really emotional mentally. You just get drained,” said Amie.
Joe Transferred to the AHCC in May, right in the middle of the pandemic.
“I can’t help him. I mean I want to, but it’s like, who do I turn to, who do I call?,” she said.
Mon, Dec 21st 2020 3:37pm
Tim Cushing
A controversial shooting that resulted in another controversial shooting is generating even more controversy.
Earlier this year, self-proclaimed antifa supporter Michael Reinoehl allegedly shot and killed far right counter-protester Aaron Danielson during a protest in Portland, Oregon. Reinoehl claimed the shooting was self-defense. Other witnesses claimed the shooting was unjustified. Neither assertion ever had a chance to be proven. Reinoehl was killed by US Marshals four days later an extrajudicial killing praised by President Trump as good and lawful.
“We sent in the U.S. Marshals for the killer, the man who killed the young man on the street. He shot him… just cold blooded killed him,” Trump said. “Two and a half days went by, and I put out ‘when are you going to go get him?’ And the U.S. Marshals went in to get him, and they ended up in a gunfight.”
The Department of Corrections (DOC) says on December 18, an inmate at the Airway Heights Correction Center passed away due to a COVID-19 related illness.Â
This marks the fifth COVID-related death of an incarcerated individual in the custody of the Washington Department of Corrections.
According to a news release, The DOC says it is continuing to following COVID-19 guidelines for  screening, testing and infection control guidelines (pdf)Â
Because of the growing number of COVID-19 positive cases, the facility initiated restricted movement (pdf) to limit the potential exposure of COVID-19 among the facilityâs incarcerated population.
According to the DOC website, 1,261 inmates at Airway Heights have been diagnosed with COVID-19, which is about half the population of the correctional facility.Â
Christopher Blackwell
The Washington State Reformatory, which is a prison that houses almost 800 people, is about to receive federal stimulus checks.
Many people are opposed to this, but prisoners have families too, and deserve an equal opportunity to support them.
Christopher Blackwell is a writer who is incarcerated at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe, Washington.
This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.
The Washington State Reformatory (WSR), the prison in which I live, incarcerates approximately 780 individuals and is about to receive an economic boost close to $1 million., The money is not from our state budget, which is shrinking, but from federal government stimulus checks.
The Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) posted an announcement Wednesday evening regarding the COVID outbreaks in their facilities as well as their response to the concerns of inmates and family members.Â
The DOC says that their staff has been working extended hours to maintain the essential operations inside the facilities.Â
The DOC has a total of 1,777 active cases of COVID-19 among inmates in the jails currently.
911 inmates have successfully recovered. Washington is 29th out of 50 states for amount of positive cases and 36th out of 50 states for cases as a percentage of the population.Â
The DOC outlined information on each facility in their report. This includes outbreaks central to the Inland Northwest correctional facilities, like Airway Heights Corrections Center.Â