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 ...
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...
21/04/2026
Fox Sports has selected Appear as a technology partner to support the next phase...
21/04/2026
Diversified has appointed Tyler Affolter as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) to lead the company's commercial organisation. The appointment follows the firm'...
21/04/2026
Layercake has formalised the integration of Bitmovin's video streaming infra...
21/04/2026
The International Judo Federation (IJF) has extended its distribution partnershi...
21/04/2026
Glookast has launched the Cinnafilm Tachyon plugin for its Media Producer and Me...
21/04/2026
Eutelsat has entered into an agreement with Cadena Tres, a division of Grupo Ima...
21/04/2026
Dolby Laboratories and TV Azteca have partnered to introduce Dolby Atmos immersive audio to free-to-air television broadcasts. The implementation utilises the A...
21/04/2026
FOX Entertainment partnered with Verizon to overcome significant production hurd...
21/04/2026
Osprey Video has announced its technology showcase for the NAB Show 2026, highli...
21/04/2026
Riedel Communications (Booth C4908) introduced a range of new solutions at NAB S...
21/04/2026
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...
21/04/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the URSA Cine Immersive 100G, an immersive cinem...
21/04/2026
Clark Wire & Cable is continuing its evolution from cable supplier to full-scale solutions partner for broadcast and live production. At the 2026 NAB Show, we s...
21/04/2026
Rashad Frett attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Ricky at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, UT. (Photo by George Pimentel/Shut...
21/04/2026
Five years ago, Spotify arrived in Pakistan, opening a new chapter in the country's music scene. Since then, local listeners have explored across genres, ge...
21/04/2026
Since its launch in 2020, RADAR has been our program for spotlighting emerging artists around the world. This year marks the sixth edition of RADAR Spain, our o...
21/04/2026
Offers compact wireless solution for pedalboards
Taiwanese audio brand Cloudvocal have announced the availability of a new pedalboard-friendly wireless syst...
21/04/2026
Latest hybrid sampling/synthesis instrument arrives
Arturia's Augmented series offerings rely on a mixture of sampling and synthesis, allowing users to ...
21/04/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host Power Electronics Online Conference From Design to Vali...
21/04/2026
MAS and Lockheed Martin partner to establish an F-35 depot in Canada, enabling in-country sustainment and creating high-skilled aerospace jobs....
21/04/2026
Advertising strategies shift as competition grows for a large, active and qualit...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/04/2026
Layercake Deepens Bitmovin Integration to Power End-to-End Media Orchestration w...
21/04/2026
Cobalt Digital Announces Launch of blueCORE at NAB Show 2026: Compact Powerhouse...
21/04/2026
On-Premise AI Suite from Studio Network Solutions Debuts at NAB Show 2026
Melanie Ciotti April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Unlimited processing, no cloud depe...
21/04/2026
London, 21 April 2026 IBC today announced the appointment of Tim Banham as its first Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), a newly created role that reflects the or...
21/04/2026
Motion Design Tools - April 2026
Roland Kahlenberg April 21, 2026
0 Comments
Within 2 days, Maxon and Canva announced pro-level motion design apps - A...
21/04/2026
Chaos and Zero Density to Showcase Real-Time Ray Tracing for Virtual Studios and...
21/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
Prison Journalism: The day the blue sky disappeared.What it's like to live through a dust storm at a California state prison.
