This is one of many hunger strikes that have taken place inside of the Merced County Jail facility due to harsh conditions and treatment.
The largest hunger strike took place on September 9, 2016, with over 185 detainee participants and outside hunger strikers.
Family and community leaders are calling on Sheriff Vernon Warnke and jail correctional staff to meet detainee demands.
The list of demands includes; improving the cleanliness and sanitary standards in the inmates’ housing facilities.
Improve medical, provide more education, job training, rehabilitation, and religious programs necessary to reduce recidivism. Expand visitation as detainees went without visits for over 2 years and the jail has reopened with conditions that inmates and visitors must be vaccinated and now children under age 5 are banned from visitation.
In an anonymous letter to family members, inmates at Merced County Jail say they are subjected to harsh conditions and are often mistreated.
Inmates state in the letter that they are subjected to unhealthy and unsanitary living quarters, substandard medical and dental treatment, are denied visitation, and mail that is regularly “lost” both incoming or outgoing.
“Many of you are blind and unaware of the harsh living conditions and scrutinization that is forced upon inmates within this county jail,” the letter reads. “Change needs to be made and we will exhaust our efforts to attempt to have such. We have initiated a peaceful protest, specifically a hunger strike, we will not be accepting any type of food, attending any movements, or accepting any type of medical attention until our voices are heard and our demands met.”