San Quentin News

Written By Incarcerated - Advancing Social Justice

Archives for May 2020

Wrongful Conviction Heading for Settlement

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Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt cleared the path for settlement negotiations in a wrongful conviction lawsuit brought by Lamont McIntyre—a man who served 23 years for a crime he did not commit.

“Because we knew there was evidence that was never placed in front of a court—before we just signed off on a claim—-we had an obligation to the new court to collect and review all of the evidence. We’ve now done that,” Schmidt said.

In an Associated Press interview, Schmidt said, ”My office made the decision after reviewing 900 pages of documents from Lamont McIntyer’s attorney that had not been provided previously.”

McIntyre was convicted for killing two men in broad daylight when he was 17 years old. He was sentenced to two life terms in prison, in a trial that provided no motive nor any physical evidence.

“Today’s decision by the Kansas Attorney General goes one step further, by recognizing that Lamonte qualifies for compensation under the Kansas statute,” Cheryl Pilate, McIntyre’s attorney said. She added, “Lamonte is still dealing with the effects of 23 years of wrongful imprisonment, but the funding and other support by the statute will now make his load a little easier to bear.”

Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, who signed the Wrongful-Conviction Compensation Law, apologized to Kansas’s exonerated men and added, “We will make it right.”

Based on the 2018 law, McIntyre may receive $65,000 for each year of imprisonment, attorney fees, health insurance benefits, financial assistance for higher education, fees for counseling and various other social services, the AP article noted.

McIntyre’s settlement claim, which is essentially a lawsuit involving the state, will still have to have its language reviewed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the top eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature before compensation can be allocated. 

CDCR Struggles to Stop The Flow of Contraband

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The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) continues to struggle in its effort to stop the introduction of contraband inside its 35 prisons.

In a recently released Notice of Change to Regulations (NCR 20-01), the Department’s Regulation and Policy Management Branch stated, “Current strategies have been effective overall,” but CDCR still expects that it will expand its search methods.

“ION scanners and low-dose, full-body x-ray scanners as supplemental inmate search options will increase the Department’s ability to discover illegal drugs and contraband that are being introduced into and throughout the institutions,” the NCR’s Initial Statement of Reasons stated.

The CDCR is proposing to amend the California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Section 3287, which governs inspection of property and inmate body searches. It will include ION scanners as search options, according to the NCR.

The NCR stated that the existence and use of contraband inside the state prison system causes death, damages rehabilitation efforts, and facilitates criminal activity within the institutions and the community.

“Without the use of the many layers of interdiction devices and strategies available, inmates will continue to die from drug overdoses,” the NCR said, adding, “Staff and visitors will continue to be compromised by being pressured by inmates to smuggle illegal drugs and contraband into the institutions.”

To underscore its point about contraband, deaths and prosecutions for these crimes, the CDCR released some of its most recent numbers on its findings below:

Type of Contraband Discovered                 2017                            2018

Cellular Telephones                                       13,195 phones             11,715 Phs

Heroin                                                             28.83 pounds              30. 8 pounds

Marijuana                                                       91.77 pounds              131.9 pounds

Methamphetamines                                      43.55 pounds              44.22 pounds

Tobacco                                                          635.8 pounds              527.9 pounds

Data obtained from CDCR’s Office of Research.

Year    Overdoses Resulting In Death

2016    28

2017    39

2018    61

Total   128

Data obtained from California Correctional Health Care Services, Medical Services Division.

Number of People  Prosecuted for Attempting to Introduce Drugs, Alcohol, or Contraband

Fiscal Year     Staff    Visitors           Non-Visitors  Totals

2014-15           6          211                  51                    268

2015-16           7          224                  51                    282

2016-17           9          221                  32                    262

2017-18           4          269                  57                    330

Totals             26        925                  191                  1142

Data obtained from CDCR’s Office of Research.

The importing, trafficking and use of illegal drugs and contraband pose many problems in an institution setting, including an increase in inmate violence, power struggles within the inmate population, the establishment of an underground economy, staff corruption, and inmate death due to overdose.

S.Q. News Photographer Heads Out the Gate

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Javier Jiménez, the San Quentin News (SQN) staff photographer for the last 18 months, ended his eight-year prison journey on March 16 when he became a returning citizen.

“I never thought my criminality would end—and to get a new start while being at San Quentin, it’s unbelievable,” said the returning husband and father of a son.

Jiménez credits SQN with allowing him to “get back in touch with the passion (photography) I have loved for 23 years.”

Jiménez is an example of CDCR Secretary Ralph Diaz’s new mission statement:

“To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.”

Before leaving, Jimenez talked with the San Quentin News. The self-taught photographer said, “I feel lucky and, just as important, [I] came through under pressure for the newspaper. I was in the right place at the right time. I knew [previous photographer] Eddie Herena was leaving and knew the editor-in-chief, Jesse Vasquez. I put my resumé in, and it, the resumé, only showed my ambition to better myself and the News team hired me.”

Jiminez reminisced about his favorite photo shoot. “My favorite photo shoot was my very first one—The Queens of the Stone Age. The Warden was there, I met Lieutenant Robinson, and someone said, “Here, turn on the camera.” Smiling, he said, “That’s a lot of pressure.”

The staff photographer shoots two to three hundred shots per event. Jimenez evaluated his own work, saying, “I was not good at first, but have gotten much better with more access to the camera.”

From the artistic side, Jimenez leaves words of wisdom for the next photographer(s). “You’ll get thrown in, so read about the basics and it better flow—either you have the passion to improve in any craft or occupation or you don’t. My improvement came from knowing I was working with a national newspaper that was paying me to learn—and I am getting better because I have that passion to improve.”

One of the mainstays in the SQN office, he stabilized the crew with a daily dose of humor and wisdom from “real talk.” Jiménez looked at every day he spent in the newsroom as “comical—like stand-up comedy,” and left a remembrance of each “family member” of the staff:

  • Marcus “Wali” Henderson, editor-in chief, is a “laid back person who loves to write.”
  • Juan Haines, senior editor, is the “smooth argumentative grandpa.”
  • Kevin Sawyer, associate editor, is “meticulously organized and a great writer.”
  • Joe Garcia, the Journalism Guild chairperson, he sarcastically called “the weirdest personal trainer I’ve ever met.”
  • David Ditto, circulation manager, is “always looking at the positive aspects of EVERYTHING.”
  • Charles Crowe, staff writer, has “an undercover sense of humor I love.”
  • Heriberto Arredondo, staff writer,  “will have big shoes to fill when Juan Espinosa leaves.”
  • Anthony Caravalho, staff writer:  “You took a lot of ‘stuff’ from us and you keep coming back—hope to do business with you on the outside.”
  •  Juan Espinosa, layout designer and leader of Wall City’s Spanish edition, he credits as “the most important representative of the 35-45% of incarcerated Hispanic people. “Juan is my genius brother that claims he is not a genius, but I know better.”
  • Richard “Bonaru” Richardson, executive editor, is “my brother with like-minded aspirations who deserves to go home.”

Jimenez’s own aspirations are to live where he can afford to buy land, and to build a nice home for his family while keeping them safe. If he can own a photo studio or fall back on his construction talents upon his return to society, he will be satisfied going home to the family he loves.

Executive Editor Richard Richardson said the news group will depend on Jiménez’s support for photographs from outside stories the group is developing. Currently Jiménez hopes to follow his predecessor, Eddie Herena, who is working with Wall City, while he considers offers to be staff photographer for a local nonprofit called “Through The Bars.”

“To make a living out of my passion (photography) is the most enjoyable thing I was allowed to do in prison, and if I can carry it beyond the walls of San Quentin I would consider myself very fortunate,” said the SQ News photographer. “Hopefully I can continue capturing people’s attention with pictures—that is my goal.

“I remember at DVI eight years ago, I read all about the programs at San Quentin and hoped to get there.” For those aspiring to join the nation’s #1 news outlet on social reform, he added, “I think the paper allows you to hone skills while in prison, especially if you can write. I mean, where else can you be consistently published and be around people who carry weight in the justice system on a daily basis? It’s just unheard of,” said Jiménez.

Monday morning March 16 upon his release, you could have found “Javy” at the nearest taco truck before he went home to continue another passion he has not done for eight years—cooking enchiladas for his family.

NEWS BRIEFS: All Over the U.S.

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Alabama — Since September 2019, the state’s parole board denied 92% of people who sought release from prison, according to a report by ACLU, Smart Justice. In 2018, the report found 4,239 people were released on parole — 2,291 were released in 2019.

Virginia — Two bills designed to prevent corrections officials from strip-searching anyone under 18 and stop the practice of banning visitors who refuse a strip search passed the state Senate unanimously last January, The Virginian-Pilot reports. The legislation comes after a series of stories revealed that corrections officials had strip-searched an 8-year-old girl, several women during their periods and an 83-year-old man, among others.

Colorado — A vote last January has cleared the way for the state to repeal its death penalty, The Intelligencer Feed reports. Colorado is one of four states where the death penalty is currently under an official moratorium issued by a governor.

New York  — The Manhattan District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Program agreed to toss out Rafael Ruiz’s 1987 conviction for sexually assaulting a woman in East Harlem, ABC7NY reports. On April 29, 2009, he walked out of Orleans Correctional Facility. Newly tested DNA evidence did not place him at the crime scene or as the assailant. Ruiz had been eligible for parole since August 28, 1992, but every time he appeared, he refused to admit his guilt to a crime he did not commit.

New Mexico  —  Private health care provider, Corizon Health is refusing to comply with a court order to release settlements it made with prisoners who sued the company alleging poor care, reports the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Baltimore — Corrections officials plan to convert the Brockbridge Correctional Facility into a “comprehensive prerelease, reentry, and workforce development facility” for both men and women, The Washington Post reports. Corrections leaders say it will offer programs to get people on the right track as they leave prison, with a focus on job training, education and family mediation.

Arizona —The Ninth Circuit refused to reverse a contempt order against the Arizona Department of Corrections for failing to improve its prison healthcare. Corizon Health failed to improve the system’s inadequate staffing, substandard care and indifference to prisoners with severe mental health problems at 10 state-run prisons system, Courthouse News Service reports.

Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine announced last January that the state would delay four executions originally set for this year as the state searches for a solution to problems with its lethal injection execution methods, Scene & Heard reports.

Idaho — State corrections officials announced a $28 million per year contract with CoreCivic to house 1,000-plus prisoners in Colorado due to a shortage of Idaho prison beds, reports the Post Register.

Connecticut  —  Department of Corrections use of prolonged solitary confinement could inflict psychological torture on inmates, a United Nations human rights expert said in February. “These practices trigger and exacerbate psychological suffering, in particular in inmates who may have experienced previous trauma or have mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities,” the expert said. “The severe and often irreparable psychological and physical consequences of solitary confinement and social exclusion are well documented and can range from progressively severe forms of anxiety, stress and depression to cognitive impairment and suicidal tendencies.”

Florida — The State Senate on Feb. 26 endorsed a measure granting more discretion to judges when handing down sentences in drug-related convictions, the Washington Examiner reports.

Youth Coaches Told Why They Are So Important

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A team of prisoners met with youth coaches from the San Francisco Bay Area in San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel on Feb. 28. They talked about young people’s understanding of masculinity and the role coaches play in their lives.

Coaching4Life aims to show coaches how to maximize the impact they have on young athletes.

“We believe that youth coaches are the most influential people in their lives,” said Coaching4Life facilitator Brandon Terrell. “You may think that it’s the job of the parents, but 20 million kids are growing up without a father. I’m one of them.” He added, “Sports are in the perfect position to show young boys how to serve others and be committed to a cause bigger than themselves.”

Terrell went on to say that 92% of high school dropouts didn’t play sports, while 95% of Fortune 500 executives played high school sports and gave credit to their sports experience for their successes in life.

Coaching4Life was a one-day workshop that discussed how the definition of “man” changed since childhood, the wide range of teachings that coaches impart on youth, how to teach masculinity and “The Man Box.” The workshop also focused on defining success.

“I loved growing up in The Man Box,” Ronald Carter said. “I got picked first.”

Carter talked about the respect he gained by putting on the “tough guy” persona and how being called the wrong name, like sissy or chump, was serious business.

“If you call me one of those names, I’d go off. I’d want to fight,” Carter said. “Those names take us out of the box.”

Carter went on to talk about how maturity shifted his perspective about masculinity. Today, he says, he’s on a mission to help younger athletes.

“Show me the man you honor, and I’ll show you the man you want to be,” Carter said.

The workshop participants formed small groups to discuss each topic.

Some participants defined success as “being able to ask for help without being ashamed or to say that I love my family.” Others, “setting goals and seeing them through,” “being a positive influence,” “being happy and in a healthy relationship,” and understanding that “coaches are teachers and kids are sponges,” as well as, “coaches are authority figures that young athletes look up to.”

Kevin Sample, one of the facilitators, talked about the time coaches spend with young athletes.

“Each day my mother got 10 minutes with me, that same day my coach got four hours,” Sample said. “So, having coaches that teach life skills is important.”

Sample talked about how young kids pay attention to athletes and model the behavior they see.

He then challenged the audience to connect with the children in order “to change the world,” adding, “Our biggest problem is that we hide our brokenness from children.”

What is success? he asked. “Remember that children just don’t know— help our kids, heal their brokenness.”

The Coaching4Life facilitators have 266 years combined incarceration experience—the youngest, Juan Navarro, 33 years old, has been incarcerated for nine years.

“Nothing like this is happening in any other prison,” said Dwight Kennedy. “The volunteers could be doing something different, but they choose to come and do this.”

When President Obama Hugged Duck Dynasty Star

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Motivational speaker Bob Goff led an eclectic group of celebrities into San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel on Feb. 25 to bring a message of hope and inspiration through “Adventures in Faith and Love.”

Some at San Quentin know Goff from previous visits. Derry “Brotha D” Brown smiled broadly as he talked about the warmth of Goff’s greeting, “He embraces people; that’s what I like about him,” said Brown. “He’s inclusive, not exclusive. The other people [with him] were good, too.”

The other people Brown referred to include the cast of Duck Dynasty, American Idol star Danny Gokey, and Miles Adcox, an internationally renowned rehabilitation leader.

San Quentin’s Captain Escalera opened the program with a brief prayer. Gokey, third-place finisher on American Idol several seasons ago, followed with two inspirational songs, the second of which had everyone standing, clapping, and a few even dancing in the aisle.

The singer then delivered a brief inspirational message before handing the microphone to Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson, who sported his trademark long hair, full beard, and American flag bandana. Robertson is a great storyteller and he shared amusing anecdotes about his experiences as a celebrity.

Robertson has met three presidents, including presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, whom he encountered at an Oklahoma State Fair. Robertson drew a laugh by talking about the crowd at the Oklahoma fair and noting, “That’s my people.”

The Duck Dynasty star also met President Obama at a national correspondents’ dinner, and when the President gave him a bear hug nearby Secret Service agents eyed him closely. He told them, “He’s hugging me. I’m not hugging him.” Robertson’s message was inspirational, but he also evoked a steady stream of laughter with his humorous, Southern-style presentation, and he left the stage to a standing ovation.

Gokey returned to the stage for two more songs before turning the microphone over to Adcox, who related his story with the Southern accent that was characteristic of several of Goff’s entourage. He said that he had been abused as a child, got caught up in an effort to self-medicate, and eventually sought help for addiction and mental health problems.

After achieving his own sobriety, Adcox began to help others work through twelve-step programs. Since his recovery from addiction he has “been turning my mess into my message,” he said. His reputation for helping others recover from addiction grew and he became a regular guest on the Dr. Phil show. At one point, he hosted a talk show on the Fox network.

Adcox was humble about his ability to contribute to others, “I don’t have anything to stand on but my story,” he said. Nevertheless, as blessings accumulated in his life he “realized my dreams were beginning to come true.” Finally, he found his way to his current role on Goff’s team. Adcox finished by noting his favorite proverb that espouses the virtues of twelve-step groups, “Rows inform; circles heal.”

Goff stepped in to wrap up the evening with a word of encouragement to the audience. “You’re our church, too,” he said. Then he asked the three women in his troupe to come to the stage. Korie Robertson, Jody Luke, and Dae Eriksson each promised to keep the audience in prayer and offered hopeful words to San Quentin’s residents. Korie Robertson said, “You’re in our hearts.”

“Bob Goff is a kindhearted and loving person and the people he brings in are cut out of the same cloth,” said San Quentin resident Kenny Rogers, nodding and smiling enthusiastically. He added, “All of them are loving Christians that believe in helping people.”

Gokey returned to the stage to close “Adventures in Faith and Love” with a final song. A line of San Quentin residents formed to seek autographs from the celebrity visitors and to offer their thanks for the visit, bringing a close to an evening of laughter, tears, cheers, and inspiration.

Kairos Continues Its Remarkable Tradition

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Kairos is a Christian, spiritually-oriented program that sponsors a four-day retreat in San Quentin designed to enhance self-realization. Forty-two men from San Quentin recently joined the ranks of individuals who have completed Kairos, which conducts the retreat twice a year – usually on Presidents’ day weekend and Labor Day weekend. The most recent retreat, Kairos 54, took place February 14-17th in the San Quentin Garden Chapel.  

Sponsor David Takeuchi said, “It’s a great blessing to see how these men walk in their spiritual journey. These men help me more then I help them. I’ve been doing this for the last six years.”

Forty sponsors from the outside community spent Valentine’s Day weekend in order to be a part of Kairos 54.

Ben Henry, a Kairos 54 lead sponsor, explained, “The Angels (wives of the sponsors) help with cooking, organizing, and keeping the retreat on track through the weekend. I am involved in this (Kairos) to get a sense from the incarcerated that are ready to return as to how they are worthy to get involved and build community within the prison. This program is based on our faith and belief in Christ; however, it is welcome to all. We have had all religions attend Kairos. We are not here to convert anyone.”

“Honestly, Kairos has been an eye opener,” said San Quentin resident Anthony Davis. “ I’ve heard some things preached that I’ve never heard before in church. It is nice to talk with people with similar backgrounds. A sponsor that came in was locked up for 27 years. The prayer list is amazing. At one time there were 10 people praying for us, brothers from the outside. It has also been fun and every minute each day has been filled with exciting activities. Not only has this program restored my faith, but also it has restored my faith in people. I have just experienced more love in the last 24 hours then I have in a long time. Kairos taught me to make a friend, be a friend and bring a friend to Christ,”

The candidates praised time spent  with Kairos.

“My experience with Kairos was excellent! My current role is a lead man, which entails organizing the candidates and servers for each Kairos event,” said inmate Luis Figueras.

Months of preparation go into the organizing of each Kairos event.

Lead sponsor Ben Henry said, “This is my first time as a lead man of Kairos, which only happens once. It is a lot of work we do. We do team member recruiting in our community to bring in new volunteers. We try to bring in new volunteers each cycle; we try to bring in a one-third of the people new. We have 16 meetings on Saturdays, preparing for this event and the environment of the prison. We try to create team building before we come in, that way we are bonded before, that way we know who we are as people and as a Kairos, and there is never one that is the same. Every one is the best one, especially for the candidates. We try to organize the talks and meditations in a sequence that makes sense and gives the candidates the best experience. It is always a different experience, but the same message: the message of Kairos is that the Holy Spirit always makes its way through and helps us make it happen for the men involved. It is about family.”

Sponsor Dick Tiff said, “Kairos is always good. I have been involved with Kairos for 20 years at different prisons. We find out through this experience that we are all ordinary men; we all have faults and we all should be forgiven for our sins. It’s great to come back and see all these transformed men.”

The responses of the participants reflect many different approaches to self-realization:

— “This has been very educational; it opens my mind to coping mechanisms that I’ll be able to use when I get out. I get out next summer and plan to use some of the tools that I have gained through this spiritual experience. The men that come in treat you like human beings. They do not push anything on you. However, they lead you to water and let you know it is good to be thirsty. The free coffee and cupcakes are great also,” said candidate Kenneth Wilkerson.  

–“The reason I’m attending Kairos is because many friends told me to attend; they wouldn’t tell me what was going to happen. However, they told me that I would experience the love of God. I have come to know that these people do care and they want us to know that we are worthy human beings, worthy of God’s love and that we can change for the better, that we do not have to stay within our previous mold. I ask God to take my addiction to drugs away from me, and so far I have been clean for a year. I’ve been in prison for seven years and I’ve never felt the love that I’ve felt this weekend,” said candidate Marc Radfcliffe.

 –“Kairos is a true blessing; these volunteers do not have to be here. The commitment that they give to us ­‑- four days with us, they eat the same food as us, stay away from their family and all for us. Coming to the Lord, that is what it is all about. We’re in here with no Correctional Officer. Something could pop off; however, it doesn’t because of our love for the Lord,” said San Quentin inmate Drake Walker.

Kairos is a family affair; one of the sponsors was introduced to Kairos as a youth and is still involved today.

“Been volunteering with Kairos since age 21,” said outside sponsor Joseph Hughes. “My stepfather brought me into helping with Kairos. My wife is Christian and supports my involvement with Kairos. However, it was a little harder this time since I have a 10-month-old. I do strength and conditioning at Pittsburg High School and one of the people in Kairos 54 is the father of a kid I coach. This is the first time I have given a talk at a Kairos event — the talk was called ‘You are not alone.’ The groups here at San Quentin are now more open to this experience since the prison has transitioned.”

 “To me it’s a gift that my husband is serving God; that’s the best Valentine’s Day gift. The love that my husband has for God is amazing,” said Marilyn Hughes, Joseph’s wife.

On the final night, the candidates passed between two lines of clapping supporters cheering them on, and they entered the chapel where the final remarks were made.

 “Go Light Your World” was sung to complete the program.

When New Year Arrives For Native Americans

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“Rich in Culture, Rich in Tradition” read a blazing red banner at San Quentin’s annual Spring Pow Wow. The February 28 event was to celebrate the incoming Native American New Year.

“When the flowers begin to blossom it signals to us the New Year has arrived,” said Hector Heredia, SQ Native American chaplain, beaming with joy.

In North American indigenous cultures, the New Year is at the end of January or the first part of February, based on constellations and moon phases, according to a Manataka American Indian Council website article. The New Year is the time to celebrate the return of the sacred foods. According to some tribal tradition the first food that was created was the salmon and the second food was the deer.

Family, guests and prisoners filled San Quentin’s visiting room for the festivities. Indian sun, hoop and fancy dancers twirled and stomped around the visiting area to bless the event, as the scent of sage purified the air. The coronavirus scare and its associated deaths were not lost on the large crowd’s minds. The native elders chanted the “Black Wolf” song, a sacred prayer to honor the medicine men and ancestors, as the colorful tribal dancers moved around the pounding ceremonial drum.

“It’s the ceremony of life and death,” said Michael Paul Littlevoice, a visiting fancy dancer. “The drum and song is to honor our medicine people who are dwindling.”

Littlevoice said he’s from the Ponca tribe, but the “Black Wolf” chant comes from one of the oldest clans of the Choctaw tribe. Littlevoice, dressed in colorful rainbow regalia and eagle feathers, travels around the country performing the traditional buffalo and horse dances. The dances are for purification and healing as the steps are intended to banish evil.

“I don’t dance for entertainment,” said Littlevoice. “I dance for you all and your families’ healing. Dance is prayer and prayer is the key to life.”

Lee Planco, 82, a visiting elder, spoke about Native Americans’ struggles to institute religious services and to uphold Indian rights within the nation’s correctional systems. Examples are: sweat lodges, opposing grooming standards  (cutting off their hair) and performing sacred rituals.

“We have to honor the ones who have fought for these things,” said Planco, who is a veteran, retired correctional officer and chaplain. “It took us seven years to get a sweat lodge in a Nevada prison. I had to tell their administration that I fought for this country and that includes the freedom of religion. They thought about it for a second and said OK,” reflected Planco.   

Planco and Heredia, both military veterans, have a have a long history of Indian advocacy work. They both were a part of what they call the “Longest Walk.” In 1978, Native Americans walked from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. to protest 11 bills that were before Congress at that time. The bills would have limited rights to tribal government, hunting, and fishing. They also would have restricted access to social services by closing Native American schools and hospitals.

The 3,000-mile march started at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco. The marchers were a mixture of non-native and Native Americans. The group of more than 2,000 would stop along the route and hold “teach-ins” about native culture, beliefs, and practices in various cities and towns, according to the Global Nonviolent Action Database.  The trip took five months, but after more than 12 days of demonstrations and rallies in the D.C. area, Congress rejected all 11 proposed bills.  

“Don’t take for granted the things you have,” Planco said to the men in blue. “We never had jails or prisons in our ancient world. So get out and don’t come back here—get out and honor your mother.”

Gregory “White Eagle” Coates, a San Quentin resident, performed a song on his cedar flute honoring all women.  Visiting Hoop dancer Eddie Medril taught the prison residents the hoop dance.

“The dance tells a story of creation and honoring your ancestors,” said Medril. “When people walk as an individual it’s easy to forget their foundations. But when you start to look back at your ancestors, you can say I come from that— and that will give you the strength of more than you.

“Then you will know that you are a part of an empire and become unstoppable,” Medril added.

The magnetic sounds of the pounding drums bought out San Quentin’s new acting Warden, Ron Broomfield. Warden Broomfield joined the festivities and shared words of encouragement and inclusiveness. He has been making the rounds at prison programs and services.

The New Year celebration ended with a feast of salmon, the sacred food, and fry bread.

“Today was awesome,” said Joe Renteria, an SQ resident. “I believe everyone should experience this. If you look for your roots, you will find peace with the ‘Great Grandfather,’ just like a lot of us lost Indians do.”

Bay Area Teachers Gain New Insights

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On an early Wednesday morning, a green bus with silver trim rolled into California’s oldest prison. Prisoners filed out to begin serving time. Later that same day at the same institution, educators and school supervisors from outside the prison arrived to talk to incarcerated students and their inside-the-wall teachers.

The March 4 Teacher’s Forum hosted interested San Francisco Bay Area educators in San Quentin State Prison’s Protestant Chapel. Could these educators learn something from the experience of incarcerated men that would help them stop students on the outside from dropping out of school and winding up in prison?

The participants followed the Restorative Justice Circle process.

“The circle process is a place for community sharing, listening to understand, not to respond,” said Tommy “Shakur” Ross. “Circles are for a story sharing process.”

The prisoners spoke about why they dropped out of school. Their stories highlighted childhood trauma, sexual abuse, the death of a parent, drug dependent parents, substance abuse, gang membership and gang violence.

The prisoners talked about their home life, about growing up without mentors or adult supervision, as well as about their relationships with their schools and teachers. They talked about the trouble they got into, the consequences of being labeled as troublemakers, and the school’s use of detention or being sent out of the classroom. These experiences, they said, led to confusion and missed opportunities for teaching and learning.

The solutions, they said, could come from restorative justice and culturally responsive ideas.

“Listening to a student with a low learning self-esteem is a plus,” said De’Angelo Prince, 20, about what could have kept him in school. “Schools on the outside need to do more listening and trying to understand a student to figure out where they need help at—meet them where they’re at. If we do that people would graduate and go to college.”

Prince is a student in San Quentin’s adult education program. He also participates in several self-help programs offered at the prison, including a writing workshop geared toward serving at-risk youth, a program that focuses on younger prisoners and the violence prevention program No More Tears.

William Feather teaches high school in Mendocino County Jail.

“I was never told that I could get a good education in a safe place,” Feather said. “Sometimes homes are a hard environment. There has to be a buy-in; the question is how do we grab the kids?”

Feather then told the “Two Wolves” Native American folklore.

Everyone has two hungry wolves that live inside him or her. One fights and is disruptive to the world, while the other is calm and understanding.

“The one that wins is the one that we feed,” Feather said.

J. Pertilli, principal for Helms Middle School in San Pablo. said that her school conducts listening circles with eight students at a time to find out what they need and what shuts them down.

Pertilli said that hearing similar stories from her students and the prisoners validates “to do whatever it takes, not to remove a student from class. You have to have compassion to teach.” Referring to the prisoners, she added, “These guys reminded me [that] what I’m doing is valued.”

Zach Whelan, executive director of Project Avary, serves children of incarcerated parents.

“The thing that sits with me is that there is a need for more welcoming,” Whelan said. “A lot of guys shared that in schools they felt unwelcomed, which led to something else.” He added, “Showing up in whatever space we’re at does not cost a lot of money. It’s an attitude.”

One school administrator talked about the school’s inability to tackle some social problems and how those social problems show up as behavioral problems by the time the student gets into middle school.

“One day the kid is happy, the next they shut down,” said Oscar Espinosa, after talking about a childhood trauma. He alerted the teachers that they should pay attention to sudden changes in the demeanor of students.

Robert Russell, 54, is a teacher’s aide in San Quentin’s adult education program.

He said he explains the value of education to incarcerated students “in a way they can understand. It’s amazing how much of an impact that has on men.”

“Being seen and heard and having someone to talk to is important,” Russell said as he brushed back his greying brown hair and told his story.

Emerald Kemp-Aikens, a 25 year-old African American, listened to Russell talk about growing up in a home full of outlaws and family members going in and out of prison. Russell said school was far from his mind as he ran the streets with a childhood friend. Fifteen years later, he said, they met up in prison.

Aikens perked up and said, “I remember one day coming home and seeing a curtain in the kitchen. I pulled it back and saw this man that I’ve never seen before. He was cooking crack, so I left and went to a friend’s house to play ball. It was 15 years later that I saw the same friend in prison. I wasn’t thinking about school or anything like that. I only was thinking [about] having fun and doing what I want to do. There weren’t any consequences, because my mom was more like a friend than a mother—she pretty much let me do what I wanted to do.”

Aikens is currently in the education department studying for his GED, as well as computer literacy and yoga. He also is a member of the San Quentin Warriors basketball team.

“The programs take a lot of stress off me,” Aikens said, adding, “When I’m dribbling the ball, I’m in a whole other place.”

He said that he’s looking forward to getting out of prison by year’s end and is “determined to make it in the world” with a lot of support from his extended family.

William Tolbert, who was a student in the education department, said, “I didn’t learn to read until I came to prison on this jolt at age 37. If the teachers can take anything from this—it’s ‘communication.’”  Tolbert is currently enrolled in the prison’s college program.

Peer educator Freddie Cole commented, “This is so important for people on the streets to hear, so that we don’t spend billions on prisons and instead spend more in schools.”

Mary Roberts, of San Francisco Unified School District, said, “I believe in my heart…that oppression is caused by not giving people the resources they need. That’s prevalent in schools.”

Whelan closed out the forum by saying, “In America today, we need to begin our days like this, with a check in and a check out, so that we can prevent the roadblocks to learning.”

San Quentin News Editor-in-Chief Marcus “Wali” Henderson added, “Teachers on the outside, you’re on the ground floor. The world needs to hear our voices, because kids are ending up here.” Referring to the prisoners, he said, “The men in blue are in a place where we can share and not be judged.”

The Incarcerated Deaf Have Extra Challenges

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A new community of deaf people has finally arrived at San Quentin Prison.

After battles in the courts and multiple fights contesting the ability of the deaf to function on non-handicapped prison yards, officials have conceded that deaf people may attend the programs that they desire, said one ex-prison official.

“I love the environment and everybody spoke to me,” said new resident Dubose Scarborough through the translation of a San Quentin resident who is fluent in sign language. Scarborough is here from Corcoran State Prison with four years left in his prison term. He wants to do the vocational programs most of all.

 During a tour of the facility, nine deaf people sat in the San Quentin News office in their green vests, looking at their surroundings and asking good questions. Although the incarcerated person who was giving the tour was a skilled veteran of sign language, it was a challenge for him to keep up with the barrage of questions and answers.

“I taught sign at Lancaster prison where I was able to relay messages of change from gang members and testimony from youngsters on peer pressure and choices,” said translator Tommy Wickerd. “So doing this is a pleasure.” 

American Sign Language (ASL) has been around for decades, but not in San Quentin’s level II facility.

At other prisons the deaf may be subjected to harsher treatment from other incarcerated people and/or prison staff.

“Deaf people may serve longer prison terms than their hearing counterparts because they are not able to equally access educational and rehabilitative programming,” said Prison Legal Office attorney Rita Lomio in an earlier interview.

There are almost 100 programs at San Quentin and they are available to everyone who wants to apply. However, being deaf can be a challenge when trying to get into some of them, even though the U.S. Department of Justice Analysis set regulations requiring all jails, correctional facilities and detention centers to provide services that meet the needs of deaf people so they may participate in programs in any place.

When the deaf population arrived, they wanted to know if there was a designated place for them to hang out on the yard. With the help of the officials they were given a specific place.

Other challenges deaf people may face are the numerous alarms that sound off during the day at San Quentin. When the men hear them, they must get down on the ground. Fortunately, the residents at San Quentin are being considerate of the needs of the deaf population.

Scarborough wanted to know about the newspaper and that led to a conversation about its history. New deaf resident Scott Roberson sat quietly and observed, only nodding and suggesting with gestures of his hands.

Deaf San Quentin resident Joshua Lovett is able to speak in a regular fashion and he translates for other deaf residents. He relayed a statement from the only trans female in the deaf group who prefers the pronoun she, Charles “Cristina” Toste. It is her first time in prison, but she feels welcomed in San Quentin as she is. She asked, in humorous fashion, “Are you guys enjoying watching us? And how do y’all accept trans people here?” Men on the news staff addressed the question: There are many trans individuals at the prison now and they have adapted to the community.

She then asked if it was a challenge for the non-disabled, if they found it hard to communicate with those who are deaf, and how the deaf are accommodated.

The American Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that the deaf be treated equally to those without disabilities. An example is phone calls: during the hours of phone use, TDD and telecommunication devices must be available to deaf persons.

It’s no surprise to see that these unique individuals are happy to be inside this new prison environment. The smiles were evident.

There are currently almost 100 deaf inmates within CDCR. A majority are currently housed in the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF). According to prisoner rights advocates, housing these inmates at SATF makes it difficult to provide them with needed interpretation services.

Don Specter, Director of the Prison Law Office, wrote to Ralph M. Diaz, Secretary of CDCR, noting that housing deaf people at San Quentin will allow them to “have improved access to interpretation services; to more and varied programs, services, and activities; to community groups familiar with their needs.”

After translating for the crew, Wickerd felt exhausted. However, he was excited and looked forward to going back to his cell and communicating with his new, deaf celly. “The trippy part about having this particular deaf celly,” said Wickerd, “is that his name is Chris and he looks just like my brother, too.”

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