
Prison Journalism: The day the blue sky disappeared.What it's like to live through a dust storm at a California state prison.
by Prison Journalism Project
23-05-2023 20:08
in Prison Journalism
Sandstorm Photo: Pixabay.
Prison Journalism Project trains incarcerated writers to become journalists and publishes their stories. Subscribe to Inside Story to receive exclusive behind-the-scene looks at our best stories, as well as author profiles and other insights.
--
As I walked to work on a Monday morning it was a bit windier than usual and a little cold. I dodged a few wisps of dust and looked down at my freshly shined boots to keep more dust out of my eyes. I wondered how soon the shine would be gone.
Some time passed in my work office, and I stood up to go outside. But when I grabbed the door handle, I was almost jerked off my feet by the wind sucking the door open.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: Dear Momma': A letter with all the things I should have said
--
The sky started to turn colors, from blue to brown, and the dust spurted across the yard in waves until the sun grew dim. The sky then turned completely gray, the same color as the concrete prison housing units. I remember thinking what an interesting backdrop that would be for a painting.
The blue sky is usually a prisoner's escape, a place you can look to as a symbol of freedom as the birds fly through it.
A haboob is another name for a particularly towering dust storm, and this was the first one I'd seen at California State Prison, Corcoran, where I reside. But any dust storm in California's Central Valley is not just a dust storm. The dirt here can carry deadly spores that cause a disease called Valley fever.
--
According to some experts, reported cases have increased in recent years because of the drought conditions, which can cause the fungus to form into these spores. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 9,004 cases of the disease in California, more than triple the number of cases a decade earlier.
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: Time never defined
Many people experience mild to no symptoms, but the infection can attack the spine, brain and lungs, causing infections, hospitalizations and possibly death in severe cases. When combined with COVID-19, it can make for a grim circumstance.
People with suppressed immune systems at prisons within the hardest hit regions have been particularly vulnerable because they have nowhere to go. Valley Fever is also known to disproportionately impact Black and Filipino people.
Between 2006 and 2012, there were hundreds of cases and dozens of deaths linked to Valley fever, particularly in two facilities: Pleasant Valley State Prison and Avenal State Prison. Both are about 50 miles west of my facility.
As I looked across the yard, I could no longer see the perimeter fence, and officers were scrambling to maintain visibility of the incarcerated people. The officers finally announced a yard recall when visibility was reduced to 10 yards.
We were told to return to our housing units for an emergency count to verify that no one escaped in the storm. As we trekked through the sand, dust filled our ears and eyes, and despite our masks - worn for the pandemic - some still got in our mouths. When I looked up and could no longer see any signs of the sun and everything was in shadow, that's when I felt comfortable to call this a haboob.
My first experience with a haboob was 20 years earlier while working as a first responder in Death Valley, Calif. It was midday and in the distance I saw a dark wall rising, like a scene from the movie The Mummy. When the dust wall was 20 minutes out, it was high enough to block out the sun in an instant. The whole of Death Valley went dark. After it passed, the sun came back and everything was coated brown with sand.
As I crossed the yard during this smaller haboob, I felt grateful for my mask and wondered if I was breathing in any Valley fever spores. I remember thinking it's a good thing I can't catch Valley fever through my ears or I'd be through.
Once I entered my cell, I heard the window whistling, and I realized there was no caulking around its edges. So I stuffed wet toilet paper around it.
Then I looked out the window and noticed small birds hanging on to the razor wire that swayed in the gusts of wind and sand. They, like me, were waiting for the blue sky to return.
Written by Jessie Milo
This article was originally published in partnership with Prison Journalism Project, a national, independent news organisation that trains incarcerated writers to be journalists and publishes their writing.
Do you have contact with a prison inmate who would like to write for The South African website?
If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to get the latest prisoner journalism articles.
How much of a rugby fanatic are you? Answer these 5 simple rugby questions and stand the chance of winning R1 000 in cash!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
22/04/2026
Solid State Logic is advancing its System T platform with a stronger focus on IP...
22/04/2026
From immersive audio to live streaming, Dolby Laboratories is focused on the fut...
22/04/2026
Shallow depth-of-field cameras have taken the industry by storm. Its debut a han...
22/04/2026
Riedel Communications (Booth C4908) announced that Eastern Kentucky University (...
22/04/2026
The NAB Show is in full swing, and the SVG and SVG Europe editorial teams are chasing down the hottest stories from all over the Las Vegas Convention Center. He...
22/04/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the URSA Cine 12K LF 100G, a new model in the URSA Cine family adding 100G Ethernet for SMPTE 2110 live production output up to ...
22/04/2026
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, NEP is leaning into hybrid production with the...
22/04/2026
NEP VP, Platform Dan Murphy sits down at the 2026 NAB Show to unpack what NEP P...
22/04/2026
Spotify and the New York Liberty are teaming up to give music and basketball fan...
22/04/2026
New 20-minute documentary explores iconic design The Focusrite Room in Mesa, Arizona, where John Aquilino hosts the Studio Console 005.
In 2025, Focusrite co...
22/04/2026
Offers compact wireless solution for pedalboards
Taiwanese audio brand Cloudvocal have announced the availability of a new pedalboard-friendly wireless syst...
22/04/2026
Latest hybrid sampling/synthesis instrument arrives
Arturia's Augmented series offerings rely on a mixture of sampling and synthesis, allowing users to ...
22/04/2026
Combines three distinct analogue EQ emulations
The latest addition to Acustica Audio's ever-expanding collection of analogue-emulation plug-ins combines...
22/04/2026
Final instalment in vintage-inspired instrument series
Analog Empire: Bass & Lead marks the final instalment in Melda Production's vintage hardware-insp...
22/04/2026
Fuzz pedal joins all-analogue Series A line
Given that Strymons reputation was built on unapologetically digital pedals, it was a little surprising to see t...
22/04/2026
SBS names shortlisted brands for 2026 SBS Media Sustainability Challenge
22 April, 2026
Media releases
National broadcaster also releases its second annual...
22/04/2026
Why Low Band Electronic Warfare Matters...
22/04/2026
The nation unites around football team's World Cup dream
Warsaw, Poland, 20.04.26: Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data, and media intell...
22/04/2026
Warsaw, Poland, 22.04.26: Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data...
22/04/2026
New market intelligence offering gives businesses a clearer view of local consum...
22/04/2026
Glookast Unveils New UX, YouTube and Social Media Connectors, Premiere Panel, Ci...
22/04/2026
Lightcraft Technology to Preview Spark Story at NAB 2026 with Interactive Previs...
22/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/04/2026
22 Apr 2026
VEON's Banglalink to Bring Starlink Mobile to Customers in Bangladesh Bangladesh becomes the third market where VEON and Starlink Mobile partne...
22/04/2026
U have unveiled exclusive first-look images for their six-part police thriller Hit Point, starring Nick Blood (Day of the Jackal) and BAFTA nominee Saffron Hock...
22/04/2026
What can I watch on UKTV and stream on U this week?
This week on UKTV and the free streaming service U, viewers can watch a range of new and returning programm...
22/04/2026
Wednesday 22 April 2026
Sky announces fifth year of WNT Fund with 30,000 bursa...
22/04/2026
Back to All News
This Earth Day, Discover the Sustainable Productions Behind Our Films and Series
Emma Stewart, Ph.D.
Netflix Sustainability Officer
Enterta...
22/04/2026
The move from Retail Media to Commerce Media is about broadening the scope of th...
22/04/2026
April 22 2026, 07:00 (PDT) Dolby and BMW Bring Dolby Atmos to the BMW 7 Series,...
22/04/2026
RT Documentary On One 7-part series breaks US market for first time
RT Programme Sales has announced its first deal with a US distribution partner for its 7-...
22/04/2026
NVIDIA and Google Cloud have collaborated for more than a decade, co engineering a full stack AI platform that spans every technology layer - from performance o...
21/04/2026
Cloud-based production isnt going anywhere, and BitFire is doubling down by prov...
21/04/2026
The topic of artificial intelligence has a stranglehold on the sports-video-prod...
21/04/2026
5G is still a hot topic in live event production, and this workflow continues to...
21/04/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Ed McGivern, GM and President of Appear US, discusses the ...
21/04/2026
Studio Network Solutions (SNS) has announced an on-premise AI suite designed for...
21/04/2026
Suite Studios has integrated its file-streaming technology into the newly announced Frame.io Drive, a desktop application from Adobe company Frame.io. The colla...
21/04/2026
Net Insight has integrated InSync Technology's FrameFormer into the Nimbra E...