By Ted Swain In a ceremony at San Quentin State Prison, two local charitable organizations received $32,350.91 from a victim compensation fund. California Prison Industry Authority oversees the Joint Venture program, in which Labcon workers earn the local minimum wage of $9 per hour. Even though the inmates do not get all their earnings because of […]
Read MoreBy Ted Swain Years of “get tough on crime” policies have failed, according to a study by Karol Lucken of the University of Central Florida. Lucken’s study condensed decades of analysis of mass incarceration policies. When coupled with reports of the Vera Institute of Justice, clear conclusions can be drawn that demonstrate few winners in […]
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One of the San Quentin program leaders is Raphaele Casale, who began her career with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in the medical department. “When I was in medical, I had no idea what self-help programs were,” she said. When Casale found out about SQUIRES, she said, “Wow! Here the kids can talk […]
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By Ted Swain Drugs, gangs, schools, parents, girls, peer pressure and bullying are the typical subjects discussed with young men at mentoring workshops of the San Quentin SQUIRES. San Quentin Utilization of Inmate Resources Experiences and Studies (SQUIRES) is a program where inmates come face-to-face with at-risk youth in a dialogue to resolve life challenges […]
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Almost as soon as Romania “Mana” Jaundoo came to work at San Quentin, she was asked to become a sponsor for a youth-diversion workshop. She said she really likes working with the inmate mentors who volunteer for the program because they do so much good. “They really pour their heart into helping young men,” Jaundoo […]
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By Ted Swain Renowned spiritual leader Sita Lozoff told a San Quentin audience that people can change their lives and be free, no matter where they are. Sita visited San Quentin 10 years ago with her husband, the late Bo Lozoff. Many men in attendance remembered meeting them. She returned July 31, when the Catholic […]
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‘This isn’t an attempt to time-warp back into the 1850s or the wild, wild west or anything like that’ By Ted Swain Hangings, firing squads and gas chambers are being considered as means of execution by some states because of the unavailability of lethal injection drugs. The drugs are in short supply and death penalty […]
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By Ted Swain Marin County District Attorney Edward Berberian and two staffers, Deputy District Attorney Leon Vousharian and Assistant District Attorney Yvette Martinez-Shaw, were guests at the fifth San Quentin News Forum held on Friday, May 29. A principal object of the forums is to provide all parties in the criminal justice system a first-hand […]
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By Ted Swain While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has received criticism nationwide, criminal justice reformers say affordable health care for ex-prisoners is an important component to criminal justice. “One of the biggest pieces of justice reform in a generation was set in place by President Obama,” according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). […]
Read MoreBy Ted Swain A new approach to criminal justice is gaining worldwide support and San Quentin is an important part of the movement, a university psychology professor told a recent symposium. “The Restorative Justice movement is spreading across the world, and you guys are an important part of the program,” said keynote speaker Dacher Keltner, […]
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