North Kern State conditions

I am currently housed in North Kern State prison and have been for 4 months and 2 weeks. The yard I am on is a reception yard. I am only supposed to be in reception for 60 to 90 days and then transferred to another prison where I could have a program to better myself while in prison. Well, after being here for 4 months and 2 weeks I still can't go anywhere. We have no access to a phone to talk to loved ones, and I haven't seen the library clerk but once in the time I've been here. The system has cut the means of educating, using the excuse that it is a reception yard. I still haven't found an honest answer if we can have books sent in or not. Most days we run 23 hours in the cell, 1 hour out. Twice a week yard is for 1.5 to 2 hours. Wednesday is 24 hour lock down except 15 minutes for breakfast and 15 minutes for dinner. North Kern State prisons medical situation is horrible. It takes between two and three weeks to be seen if that happens at all.

- a California prisoner, April 2006