TaxStone Opens Up About Jail Conditions On Rikers Island During Coronavirus Outbreak

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, many believed that prisons would be hit hard by COVID-19. Popular podcaster and Twitter personality Taxstone shared a harrowing personal account of what life is like in jail during the outbreak.

The Tax Season host is currently incarcerated in the infamous prison and has been there since 2017 after following . On Thursday (Apr 2), Taxstone took to Twitter to reveal in great detail what he and other prisoners are going through.

“I’m currently in my grave, with my eyes open, dirt up to my neck, getting dizzy as the world turns. For a month now, we haven’t been allowed visits, legal or social. Understandable, considering what’s going on. But what I don’t understand is how the only people we have contact with on the outside, the correctional officers and civilians, have no protective gear. They aren’t giving us anything to protect ourselves.”

He also touched on the fact that some inmates are being released early because of COVID-19 while pointing out others are not.

“I see head of corrections stating not to release people charged with murder, rape or robbery…like it’s ok for THEM die,”

“The moral code that they have written and are now breaking, goes against all codes of humanity, in the middle of a global pandemic. We’re being raped of our rights of being innocent until proven guilty, and being left on an island to be murdered by this uncontrolled serial killer called Covid-19. They don’t even care about the correctional officers. We’re all just a check at the end of the day, in one of the industries that are still intact during this global pandemic. The correction officers have families too, you think they want to catch something and bring it home to their families? Of course not!”

He even details how an inmate in a cell not too far from his just learned that his mother passed away from COVID-19. To put in perspective just how f***ed up the prison system is, the inmate was jailed for a 3-month parole violation and would have been released, but due to the pandemic was kept an additional month.

This news comes on the heels of JAY-Z and Meek Mill announcing they will teaming up to get 100,000 masks to prisons. Rikers Island will be a recipient of that protective gear getting 50,000 masks, with another 2,500 being sent to Rikers’ medical staff.

Just recently, YNW Melly claims as he awaits trial for murder. Habitual troll and snitch, Tekashi 6ix9ine, was to fears of contracting the virus.

We hope Tax, the other inmates, and correction officers continue to stay safe.

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Photo: EMMANUEL DUNAND / Getty