The B Yard breakfast relay

It is 6:30 a.m. in Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF), and the housing officers have called “chow time, chow time.” We are at the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) on Facility B, a unit where incarcerated individuals who have medical needs are housed. 

I live on Facility C, in a general population but came over to report on this story. The temperature is frigid. Freezing and rain-soaked, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) workers are at it again — the Sisyphean feat of wheeling 47 of their wheelchair dependent peers to the chow hall for breakfast and back. 

Usually, there are only approximately 17 wheelchair-using residents going to chow transported with the help of three ADA workers; it is only when it is a “good breakfast” day that everyone wants to go, like today. 

Now, around 47 incarcerated individuals require assistance to get to chow. There are three ADA workers who have not reported for duty. That leaves only the three ADA workers who live on Facility B and are therefore ready and available to work. The issue here is one of simple math. 

A wheelchair-using resident, Janice Harvey, said, “I feel lost and unseen. I don’t like waiting for so long, and also because the food is gonna get cold.” 

It is completely unreasonable to expect three ADA workers to work at breakneck, unsafe paces to ensure all incarcerated individuals are fed, all to make up for the “unavailable workers.” 

An ADA worker who lives on-site, Tiffany York, said, “I hurt my back often running to keep up to get them to chow on time. The ladies have to eat. They have to get to their ducats on time. If I slow down, the whole program slows down.” 

When invited to comment, ADA Coordinator Associate Warden Michael Dunn had a different take. 

“Claims suggesting that wheelchair-dependent incarcerated persons in Building 505 experience meal delays due to a lack of ADA workers ‘not showing up’ do not accurately reflect the institution’s staffing model or operational realities,” Dunn said. 

Dunn stated that, while “CCWF maintains an institution-wide ADA worker program exceeding 200 trained workers,” workers still may be absent or fail to report to their job assignments. In order to accommodate the needs of ADA residents within the TCU, “ADA staffing in Building 505 is heavily front-loaded and then intentionally tapers as the [shift] progresses.” 

This begs the question: What keeps the workers from showing up? 

In one word, logistics. ADA workers who live on other yards have to navigate their way onto Facility B. They have to be processed through work change to arrive at their destination. Sounds simple enough; however, more often than not, delays abound, and they are unable to make it through the process. And on those days, chaos ensues. 

Delays are inevitable in the dynamic environment of corrections; that is an immutable fact. 

It is also a fact that more can and should be done to ensure the availability of ADA workers during high-utility periods such as mealtimes. 

One way of ensuring said availability would be to change the TCU policy that precludes moving in volunteers, people who want to help, as well as to allow ADA workers who are willing to move into the TCU to be allowed to reside there, work there, and be available, especially during high-volume times. That would certainly solve the current problem. According to AW Dunn, “CCWF continuously evaluates ADA staffing effectiveness and operational practices through supervisory oversight, staff walking tours, and review of CDCR 1824 Reasonable Accommodation Requests.” 

A Peer Support Specialist, Trinia Aguirre, said, “The way the policy is right now makes it hard. We don’t just do peer support work, we also help with cleaning the unit, cleaning rooms, help with canteen, and even with bed moves. Changing the policy would relieve us of some of the burden.” 

The effect a policy change could have would be nothing short of astronomical. Incarcerated individuals would be fed on time and with dignity. ADA workers would be working at a pace that is efficient while simultaneously being cognizant of workplace safety requirements and ergonomics. Because, let’s face it, working at an unsafe pace, in an effort to hurry and make sure their peers are fed, is creating the perfect storm for on-the-job injuries to happen to these hardy, dedicated, and stressed-out ADA workers. 

Here’s another viable option: bring ALL meals to the building. As we all know, anytime we are short-staffed, we are cell-fed anyway, so it is not like it would be a far departure from the norm. This option would certainly alleviate the undue burden placed on our ADA workers while simultaneously allowing our ADA class members to retain their dignity. And finally, the nurses’ union could rest assured that their workload would not increase. This option would be a win-win-win for all the parties who have a stake in the goings on in unit 505. 

When asked about bringing in meals so the residents in 505 are cell-fed, Gloria Mitchell said, “That would be perfect, it would make a huge difference.”