The flock of Canadian Geese crowding San Quentin’s lower yard has near-doubled over the past few weeks. More than likely, the new residents are the same geese that previously lounged on H-Unit’s yard, until a duo of fanged guard dogs were deployed to run off the pesky honkers.
The dogs used to chase the geese from the H-Unit yard are imitations, created by inmate John Norris.
“It took me two days to make each dog from old toilet paper boxes,” said Norris. “I used discarded potato chip bags and old mirrors to make the tails reflective, which helps to scare the geese off.”
The idea for the cardboard canines came from the H-Unit yard officers who were unhappy with the mess that the annoying geese left behind, fouling up the walkways and recreation areas. A correctional officer asked if Norris if could make a replica dog after seeing a model Harley Davidson motorcycle he made in the prison’s hobby craft program. Norris told the officer he would give it try and the first dog was put to the test a week later.
“The dogs are working,” said an officer, who asked not to be named. “When the geese are flying in, they see the dogs and turn around.”
The geese are native to North America. Loss of habitat and over-hunting in its native range caused a large decline in their numbers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to Wikipedia.
However, today their numbers are on the rise and they have become a nuisance in many California communities, including San Quentin.
The administration has received a donation and is looking to purchase 5 plastic decoy dogs for permanent placement on the prison yards, according to Associate Warden Kelly Mitchell.
The geese aggressively beg and aggravate inmates and staff. They also leave a substantial amount of droppings that are known to harness bacteria
Until there is a permanent solution to the goose problem, Norris says he plans to keep making his cardboard and newspaper canines, although he admits they probably will not survive when the rain starts falling.
End of Ramadan Celebrated
More than 160 Muslims and distinguished guests attended the San Quentin Eid-Ul-Fitr banquet, celebrating the end of the sacred month of Ramadan where all able adherents of the Islamic faith refrain from food and drink during daylight hours for approximately 30 days.
Members of the San Quentin Muslim community who were allowed to participate gathered into the Lower Yard module, joining in prayer and listening to the wisdom of noted scholars and guests who attended the event.
Eid-Ul-Fitr translated to English literally means celebration of “breaking the fast” and is a one-day festival where Muslim come together to thank God, share the message of peace, ask forgiveness, give charity for those who are less fortunate, buy gifts for children and gather with family and friends in prayer.
“It has moved my heart to see so many of you (prisoners) united in the cause of Allah,” said Imam Hamza, a South African-taught scholar from a Mosque across San Francisco Bay in Richmond. “You are worshiping in a time of hardship.”
Of the more than 200 Muslims at San Quentin who fasted this year for Ramadan, 95 were recognized for participating in a religious study course taught each evening during Ramadan in the Islamic Chapel by scholar Sheikh Atikur-Rahman. The 60-hour course was recognized and sanctioned by the Tayba Foundations Distance Learning Program. It is the first such course in a United States prison.
“This is a historical event. Never in the history of San Quentin has this many people graduated from a program held in a chapel and sanctioned by an outside Islamic organization,” the Sheikh reminded the graduates.
The Sheikh also shared the Quranic command that says, “Remind them of the days of God,” when divine mercy and divine guidance interact with the daily affairs of Muslims, helping to guide them on a path of success and growth.
After the guests spoke on the blessings that Muslims receive for fasting, the men where treated to a large meal including beef, chicken and rice, much of which was donated by the outside Muslim community.
The Eid-Ul-Fitr is a day of peace where Muslims make peace with God; a day of victory where Muslims overcome the basic human desires for food, water and sex and a day of forgiveness where Muslims are forgiven for their transgressions. The combination of these elements makes this day special in Muslim tradition all around the world, according to Islamic belief.
Fifty S.Q. Men Graduate
Prisoners, their families, education volunteers and staff got a special treat in June, witnessing 50 men reach significant educational milestones despite being behind bars.
“You have accomplished something remarkable, and for that we applaud you,” said acting Warden Kevin R. Chappell.
The 2012 San Quentin graduation ceremony kicked off with the Vietnam Veterans Group presenting the colors before a jubilant crowd. Incarcerated men received their vocational training certificates, General Education Degrees and Associate’s degrees through the Robert E. Burton Adult School as well as Associate’s degrees from Patten University.
Vice Principal, Frank Kellum, addressed the crowd, making changes to the official program, bringing laughter and smiles to a packed Protestant Chapel before he introduced the warden.
“This milestone in their educational experience takes dedication and resolve and is especially admirable when accomplished in the prison setting,” said Chappell. “They have achieved their educational goals, and we commend them for their success.”
Chappell lauded the collaborative effort between Burton and Patten, saying it “lends credence to the department’s continued goal of rehabilitation and positive reintegration into society.”
Keynote speaker Yolanda Jackson told the men, “do not let others validate your work. You have to validate yourselves.” Jackson is deputy executive director of the San Francisco Bar Association.
“Education expands your choices; it gives you the opportunity to lead a life you value,” she said.
The next speakers were program valedictorians James Talley for GED, Thomas Winfrey and Michael Villanueva for vocational, and Chris Schuhmacher for Patten University. Each recounted personal challenges as well as giving thanks to their teachers and programs.
Schuhmacher sported a pair of sunglasses and sauntered up to the podium to the Door’s song “Break on Through.” He dedicated his degree to his sister, Pamela. He asked her to stand as he told how his sister missed her own college graduation ceremony to attend his trial.
“Without hesitation, she sacrificed her own graduation ceremony to be there and support me during the trial, and while I can’t give that day back, I’d like to honor her by dedicating this one to her,” Schuhmacher told the crowd, his voice breaking and unleashing a wave of tears and a standing ovation from the audience.
After Schuhmacher’s moving speech, Patten University keynote speaker Geoffrey O’Brien, a professor at Berkeley and volunteer with the Prison University Project, took the stage. “You should be really proud of the degree you’ve earned,” he said. “That pride should extend beyond your specific accomplishment to the larger change you’ve made.”
After the speeches, each graduate in cap and gown walked to the stage to receive diplomas and certificates. During the intermissions, the band “Just Came to Play” treated the crowd to smooth Latin Jazz tunes.
Afterward, the graduating prisoners and their families were treated to cake and were allowed to mingle in the Garden Chapel area.
“I am proud of my father,” said Heracio Harts Jr., who came to watch his dad graduate with an Associates of Arts degree. He leaves for college this spring, a few months before his father ‘s scheduled parole.
Senator Changes Prisoner Fund Spending Plan
The California Legislature is considering the most effective use of $68 million collected from state prisoners for their benefit.
At issue is Senate Bill 542, introduced by Sen. Curren Price, D-Los Angeles. The proposal deals with allocating Inmate Welfare Funds, which are collected by adding a tax to products prisoners are allowed to purchase, as well as taxing crafts they sell to the public.
State law requires that the funds benefit prisoners in state custody. The money has been piling up in a bank account overseen by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Initially SB 542 sought to redirect a portion of the IWF to pay for mental health care for prisoners not in state custody. On a recent visit to San Quentin, Sen. Price heard objections to using the funds to pay for services currently paid for by the state.
Price’s bill was subsequently amended to shed the language that would redirect funds to local governments for prisoners not in state custody. The changes shift its purpose to fund “educational programs, hobby and recreation programs, and reentry programs” for prisoners in state custody.
However, the most significant part in the legislation is that the funds will “not be used for programs that the Department (of Corrections and Rehabilitation) is required to provide.”
The legislation also proposes to give more discretion to individual prison wardens and prisoner advisory councils in determining how the funds could be used to best benefit the inmates of the respective institutions.
If the bill is approved by the Legislature and governor, it would authorize the IWF funds for athletic and recreational supplies, which currently is forbidden under state law.
The Legislative Counsel comments, “Under existing law, funds from the Inmate Welfare Fund are prohibited from being used for specified expenses, including overtime for staff, television repair, and athletic or recreation supplies. Under existing law, moneys in the fund, as they relate to state prison camps, are continuously appropriated. This bill would authorize the use of fund moneys for athletic and recreation supplies, and reentry programs, thereby making an appropriation.”
The analysis also reports: “Existing law requires the Department of Finance to conduct a biennial audit of the fund and, at the end of each intervening fiscal year, to prepare a statement of operations.”
Senator Looks to Redirect Inmate Funds to Counties
The state Legislature is considering filling funding gaps in county services for former state prisoners with mental illnesses by redirecting millions of dollars raised by taxing prisoners and their families.
The pending legislation, SB 542, would require an unspecified percentage of the Inmate Welfare Fund to be transferred to county probation departments and utilized for the coordination of mental health services after an inmate’s release from state custody.
FUNDS
The funds, now totaling $68 million, are deposited in a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) bank account and according to law must be allocated for “the benefit, education, and welfare of inmates of prisons and institutions under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections.”
SB 542 would amend the code to include “former inmates of institutions” as additional recipients of the benefits.
State Sen. Curren D. Price Jr., D-Los Angeles, who sponsored the legislation, visited San Quentin on April 11 to meet with prison mental health care officials and with a group of students from the Prison University Project, who voiced opinions on how best to use the funds.
Price acknowledged to the group that his office and other interests, which he declined to name, have inquired about the funds. He and State Science and Technology Fellow Dr. Le Ondra Clark listened attentively as seven prisoners voiced their concerns. There were many suggestions, including securing assistance for prisoners with mental health issues, reentry into society, and funding rehabilitation programs inside.
Price told them he wanted “to make sure that inmates are getting the services they deserve.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
The group agreed there is need to provide services for former state prisoners. But they told Price that the IWF should not be used to pay for services that are the responsibility of the state or county.
One prisoner suggested increasing the $200 given to prisoners when they parole “Two-hundred dollars is not enough money to parole with; it isn’t even enough to rent a room nowadays,” he told the senator.
USED FOR PRISONERS
Currently, the IWF is used pay for institutional canteens and staffing and maintenance of hobby craft programs. However, it has been years since inmate committees have had access or been able have input into the use of the IWF, according to prisoners.
The IWF is collected from prisoners and their families who are taxed 10 percent on all goods prisoners are allowed to purchase while serving sentences in state institutions. This tax also collected from the sale of arts and crafts prisoners produce.
The bill was referred to committee. It would allow the IWF to go toward the cost of mental health services for former prisoners, many of whom are under county supervision due to the prison realignment plan implemented by SB109. The services would include providing mental health appointments, transportation, and medications for former state prisoners.
Price gave no indication of what percentage of the IWF the legislation seeks. Some prisoners are concerned that they will be left out of the process and that state officials will raid the funds.
“We want to make sure that the money is being used for what it was intended for,” Price assured prisoners.
Prison University Project Executive Director Jody Lewen, who invited the senator to San Quentin, said, “Just because there are funds and people have a need for them does not mean that they have a right to them. That is the logic of theft.”
STAKE HOLDERS
After meeting with prisoners, Price attended an April 17 stakeholders’ meeting in the state capital where he recounted his visit to San Quentin, according to those present.
Ninety-one percent of the meeting attendees said in a survey they believed that the funds should not be sent to county probation departments to cover the cost of inmates with mental illness who are in county custody.
One stakeholder wrote: “These funds should not be used for programs the state should be providing with general funds. These funds should be used for things like arts in prison, college textbooks, theater groups, (and) gardening programs.”
In an interview, another person close to the issue commented that the bill is well intended in helping former inmates, but also that the legislation is looking in the wrong place for funding.
S.Q. News Missed the Boat On Black History Month
Last month was Black History Month. It passed by like any other month, but I should have given it more of my attention. This newspaper should have given it more attention. I read my usual daily newspaper, my national news magazines and even watched some television. None of this media seemed to make a big hoopla about our special month. Sure, there were television shows, PBS specials and the like, but no huge national celebration like, say, Saint Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo.
Consequently, I have to ask what it says about our nation, more importantly the Black community, and me. Should Black Americans take to the streets and holler, “I’m Black and I’m proud”? Would we? Or maybe a better question is whether America is ready to have its Black citizens drinking beer and dancing in the streets with racial pride like other citizens do. Or would the police show up in riot gear? I won’t pretend to know the answers to these questions.
I do know that many of the African American men who should be celebrating the rich history of American blackness are in prison. All I have to do is look to the gleaming brown faces on the yard here at San Quentin and I can see what the legacy of slavery, continued bigotry, and the American judicial system thinks about Black History Month…and us.
Over 40 percent of the men at this prison are Black: Despairingly, we are being sent to prison. Most of us know the statistics but how many of us ask ourselves why? Why do we sell drugs to our own people? Why do we defame and disrespect our women? Why do we hate another Black man because he is from a different neighborhood? And why do we insult our Black brothers with the N word? I won’t pretend to know the answer to these questions.
What I do know is that we should look to ourselves to understand why our month is not the glorified celebration it should be. Our leaders also have to look at the plight of the Black community and together we should work to remedy the social despair that stands in the way of the full success of Black Americans. More specifically, we need to provide hope and opportunity to our young men.
I know that we Black men are proud; but I don’t know why I didn’t write about this pride last month. Maybe it is too soon for me and other Black men in America to stand up with elation, hold our fist to the sky, and say we are proud. This type of celebration will only happen when all Americans are free and equal.
Warden Chappell Takes Over at S.Q.
San Quentin State Prison welcomed a new warden after the Acting Warden, Michael Martel, retired after only 10 months on the job.
Prison officials announced that Kevin Chappell, who served as chief deputy warden at Folsom State Prison, took over as acting warden for California’s oldest prison effective Jan. 3.
Warden Chappell has a lengthy history with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, starting in 1987 when he worked as a correctional officer at Folsom State Prison. Chappell rose through the ranks, eventually gaining the associate warden position at the department’s head office in Sacramento before going to Folsom.
Chappell graduated from the University of California at Davis and volunteers as a youth basketball coach, according to the Marin Independent Journal.
The appointment comes when the state is downsizing its prison population to comply with a federal court order. Currently, San Quentin is in transition from a reception center to an almost complete mainline prison. The conversion, and subsequent influx of inmates, has resulted in a slew of complaints by prisoners housed in the old reception center building (West Block) without power or television re-ception.
The new warden will also have to contend with the nation’s largest and growing Death Row, resulting from a court-imposed injunction by U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogle, which has halted executions since 2006.
The most recent hurdle against San Quentin’s executions is a ruling from Marin Superior Court Judge Faye D’Opal, who found that prison officials failed to consider alternatives to the lethal injection of three drugs used to execute prisoners.
This is the seventh San Quentin warden since 2004. Chappell follows Martel, who held the position for 10 months, and Vince Cullen, who vacated the position in 2011.
Cards for Kids
A group of prisoners, sentenced as teenagers to life in prison, reached out to hospitalized children this holiday season, bringing joy into their lives.
For the second year, the San Quentin activity group Kid C.A.T., the Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin, prison staff, and community volunteers of about 25 worked together by using watercolor paint, marking pens and glitter to decorate Christmas cards.
The holiday cards, some decorated with Ninja Turtles, gingerbread men and even Bart Simpson, were presented to youngsters hospitalized at Oakland Children’s Hospital as singer Brenda Rhodes strummed a guitar and sang holiday tunes.
“We all know what it is like to receive cards during the holidays, so we know how important this is to kids,” said Michael Nelson, co-founder of Kid C.A.T.
Kid C.A.T. is an acronym for “Kids Creating Awareness Together.”
Kid C.A.T.’s agenda envisions communities that provide a healthy and loving environment for youngsters so that they may grow into mature adults.
“It really does brighten their days,” said Oakland Children’s Hospital Director of Volunteers Susan Martinez as she explained how the holiday cards are put on the children’s food trays.
“I think you are doing a tremendous thing for yourselves and for the kids,” she said.
Martinez has been with the hospital for 11 years and manages 11,000 volunteers who supplement a full-time staff of 2,000.
Approximately 12,000 patients and 250,000 outpatients, with all forms of medical needs, are seen each year at the hospital. They speak 60 different languages.
The hospital is a trauma center, and receives patients from around the world, including children injured from the war in Iraq, according to Martinez.
Oakland Children’s Hospital was founded in 1912 by Mabel
Weed and nurse Bertha Wright, then called the “Baby Hospital.” Today it has 191 licensed beds. The facility offers outstanding patient care and supports nationally recognized pediatric teaching and research.
The average hospital stay for a child is five days.
Back To Family Holds Graduation
Kerisiano Asuega’s wife lives in Los Angeles. Because she could not make the trip to San Quentin, it created a rift in their relationship. An innovative program run by Centerforce and its Back to Family class healed the rift. The program paid the expense for his wife to come to participate in an eight-hour couple’s enhancement workshop designed to bridge the gap created by incarceration.
Asuega and 47 other men graduated from Centerforce’s Back to Family in a ceremony on September 23, which was held in H-Unit’s visiting room, highlighting the end of a five-year program that officials are looking to extend.
“This is important work and being a father is one of the most important roles in life,” said Centerforce Executive Director Carol F. Burton, addressing the crowd of grateful men. “I want to congratulate you all for completing the 12-week course.”
Burton has been at the helm of Centerforce for three years. She sat as the course instructors and guests took turns speaking to the graduating fathers.
A central part of the Healthy Marriage, Responsible Fatherhood program, the Back to Family course is a 12-week parenting class offered to men in H-Unit as part of the Stand-up curriculum started by former Warden Robert Ayers Jr. Men learn the communication skills needed to overcome the challenges incarceration imposes on relationships.
“The information they gave us was good. It will help me have better communication skills with my kids and family,” said Braulio Reyes who will parole shortly and is enthusiastically looking forward to reuniting with his family.
For the past five years Back to Family held three classes each school semester taught by a dedicated team of professionals. Each instructor added his or her expertise, building a people-friendly atmosphere, which made the program a cultivated success.
On the 2010-2011 team were Dolores Lyles, Family and Children Services manager; Suzanne Gothard, Couples and Family Services specialist; Teresa Lee, program assistant, and Arnold Chaves, Spanish Class instructor.
The project, which was funded by a grant from the United States Department of health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, served 448 unique men as of the 3rd quarter of its fifth year at San Quentin. In addition 70 men and their partners participated in all day Couples Enhancement Workshops, focusing on effective communication.
Centerforce hopes to bring the program back to San Quentin when they receive replacement funding.
Seventy-four Graduate
Prisoners’ family members, volunteers, educational and corrections staff packed the San Quentin Garden Chapel to witness extraordinary achievement in an unlikely setting. Prisoners from Robert E. Burton Adult School and Patten University received awards of completion for their General Education Development, Associate of Arts Degrees and Vocational Training.
The Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin Color Guard initiated the annual graduation ceremony June 23 by a presention of the American flag.
“How proud your families must be of you and how you have educated yourselves,” said Acting Warden Michael Martel. “Continue learning and continue trying to achieve.”
The warden praised the prison education staff and volunteers who tirelessly devote their time and effort in bringing higher education to the men at San Quentin.
“I’ve never met a more dedicated staff that is so dedicated to your well being,” said Warden Martel.
Guests and a sea of black caps attentively listened as the keynote speaker, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, gave the commencement address.
“America lets you redefine yourself,” said Mayor Quan “Prisons too can be institutions of higher learning.”
She reported the City of Oakland has won federal funds to invest in infrastructure and will need workers to fill future construction jobs. “You need a high school diploma or a GED to get a construction job,” she noted.
Mayor Quan also urged the men paroling to Oakland to help mentor youths and be positive role models in the community. “If you’re from Oakland, I expect you to show up to one of our outreach programs.”
Between speakers, the musical group Neu Dae sang songs of inspiration and praise, entertained the crowd which reciprocated with cheers and applause.
Valedictorians were Achilles Williams, GED; Angelo Falconi, Coastline College, and Christofino Kenyatta Leal, Patten University.
“I came, I saw, and I accomplished and ripped that nemesis off my back, the ignorance that had tugged away at my self-esteem,” GED valedictorian Williams said.
Next to address the graduation audience Coast Line College valedictorian. “Here we succeed, not only as individuals, but as a community. Why? Because we learned that we need each other,” said Falconi “
Finally, valedictorian Leal told the crowd. “The more opportunities we in prison have to learn to value education and see possibilities for ourselves, the greater chance we will break the cycle of incarceration, not just for ourselves but for future generations.”
Seventy-four men received certificates and degrees at this year’s ceremony. Just two years ago, there were 157 graduates. The decline in graduates is a reflection of drastic budget cuts to prison basic education and vocational programs.
The 2011 graduating class included men from the vocational machine shop, vocational sheet metal and from the vocational landscape program, which will be eliminated this year due to the education cuts.
San Quentin is unique for programs it offers to incarcerated men and is the only prison in the state to have an on-campus college program, which is free of charge to incarcerated men. Patten University at San Quentin provides approximately 20 courses each semester in the humanities, social sciences, math, and science leading to an Associates of Arts degree in liberal arts, as well as college preparatory courses in math and English, to nearly 300 students.
In a separate ceremony the same day, five prisoners were awarded diplomas in Christian Ministries (Conceptualized Leadership Development) from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. They are Michael Adams from Wisconsin, Larry Histon from Georgia, Eddie Lee Johnson II and Garrett Martin from California, and George Lamb from New York.