My friend, Travis Christian, has served around seven years in prison because, in the middle of a psychotic break, he stabbed someone he thought was Satan. He was due to be released this year. Several months ago, Travis told prison management he wanted to go off his medications. The prison said that was his right and they would monitor him. As may have been anticipated, Travis’s mental illness symptoms reemerged and he was sent to the prison hospital. Before he was stable again, Travis was returned to the prison and placed in a new cell with a new cellie. With his delusions intact, he thought his new cellie was Satan. Travis tried to choke his cellie to kill Satan. Then, without his physician’s knowledge, Travis was moved to a different prison and put in solitary confinement. Last week Travis was told that the DA is going to bring charges against him for attempted murder and that he could face many more years in prison.
Why was Travis allowed to go off his meds?
Why wasn’t he monitored more closely?
Why was he released from the prison hospital before he was ready?
Why was he placed in a cell with anyone?
Why, after attacking his cellie, was Travis moved to a different prison without his physician’s knowledge?
Why is Travis being charged with attempted murder while being mentally ill?
Why isn’t the prison system being held accountable for prisoner mismanagement and neglect?
Why isn’t someone stepping up to make sure that Travis is granted legal justice?
I received this letter from Travis before we knew that prison visits had been canceled due to the coronavirus.
March 12, 2020
Dede,
I hope you feel better. Not to scare you or anything, but do you think you have the coronavirus? It’s okay that you haven’t visited me. Just take care and you’ll get better. I’ll be looking forward to our visit on March 21. I’m believing you are going to get better.
So I’m excited to hear that your book is a finalist in the Excellence Book Awards. I enjoyed your book. That is great news! I like your blog. I can see why people like it. (I sent Travis a copy of my blog entry about Chico the happy dog. He’d never read my blog before and doesn’t have access to it.) I wanted to write to your readers about how nice you are. Thank you for visiting me when you can. Your support has gotten me through dark times. Although I’m still in the middle of this ordeal, in the beginning, especially, your support shined — a light in the darkness.
I will pray for you that you get rid of that cough.
Thanks for thinking of me. I sometimes get so lost in myself. I don’t think of anything else, or anyone else. Today it seems that all I have the energy for is to watch TV. I have so many books and magazines, but I don’t feel like reading them. I hope that changes soon because I like reading.
I’m feeling kind of down today. I’m not accepting my situation, that’s what it is. I’m uncomfortable with myself. I’m going to go. I hope I don’t bring you down. I’m just being hard on myself.
I love you.
Love, Travis
On March 9, 2020, Travis’s mother sent me a text message: “Dede, I saw Travis yesterday and I couldn’t sleep. He’s not doing well, again. His new med flopped, they’re raising his meds again, and he was told yesterday that the DA is going to charge him with attempted murder. Travis said, ‘I’m having thoughts of killing myself, the devil is attacking me in my dreams, and I wake up punching things thinking it’s Satan.’ If Travis weren’t constantly allowed to be taken off meds and to be changing meds, and if he’d received the right care in prison, he would have been out of prison 2 years ago. I’m afraid he’ll give up, or give in to his satanic thoughts, or someone will kill him. It’s a miracle he’s still alive after the last beating from the guards. Solitary is killing him. My daughter and I were shaken by his lifeless eye contact and his hopelessness. It was a hard visit. I wish I knew what to do.”
Travis counts on his monthly visits from his mother and sister and me. Now, with prison visiting shut down, he’s more isolated than ever. Travis is a conscientious mail correspondent. I was concerned that he’d feel overwhelmed trying to respond to those who write to him, but he reassured me, “Letters are a blessing.”
Travis Christian
BB8099
C-12-242
Mule Creek State Prison
PO Box 409060
Ione, California 95640