All Articles: Featured

By Marcus Henderson Being sentenced to die in prison is a hard pill to swallow, especially if you are a woman. California women’s prisons house roughly 182 women sentenced to life without parole (LWOP). The women describe themselves as “the lost population.” “My biggest dream was to become a mother and have two children,” Tammy […]

The new generation of women activists A new generation of women activists has risen. Their calling card is the #Nevertheless, She Persisted. These women are challenging the male-dominated political and economic system and breaking barriers. The phrase “Nevertheless, she persisted” was lifted from the US Senate’s recent decision to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) during […]

Wanted: reporters for an award-winning newspaper. Long hours, lousy pay ($24 a month). Requirements: ability to write coherently and be a prisoner in the California Prison at San Quentin. Back in 1982, that is how an article “Convicts print the inside stuff” depicted San Quentin News in the San Jose Mercury. And, that’s where Joan […]

By Eddie Herena Nigel Poor, one of three members of a unique prison podcast, Ear Hustle, received an award dedicated to honoring public servants. The Jefferson Award for Public Service is given weekly to one person for his or her behind-the-scenes work in the community. In Poor’s case, her work is behind the walls of […]

By Juan Haines Kathleen Jackson has spent the last nine years inside a prison guiding men, most serving life sentences, to turn their lives around. Nearly 400 of these men, along with volunteers from the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area, packed San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel to tell Jackson they love her and will miss her. […]

By Juan Haines Justin Meskan spent the last seven years behind bars, but in August he is scheduled to get another chance at putting his life back on track, with the assistance of an innovative computer programming class taught at San Quentin State Prison. Speaking on the occasion of Code.7370’s graduation day, March 23, Meskan, […]

By Kevin D. Sawyer Associate Editor The University of California, Berkeley awarded Professor William J. Drummond, an adviser to San Quentin News, the prestigious Leon A. Henkin Citation for Distinguished Service in February for his work as a journalist and academic. In a speech, Edward Wasserman, the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism, cited […]

Por Marco Villa y Taré Beltranchuc César Estrada Chávez, trabajador agrícola mexicano-americano, líder sindical y activista de derechos civiles nació, el 31 de marzo de 1927, en Yuma Arizona. Hijo de Juana Estrada y Librado Chávez, Cesar Chávez creció con sus dos hermanos Richard y Librado y sus dos hermanas Rita y Vicki, en una […]

Wearing a T-shirt with Titans of CNC on its front and, in large bold letters, Made in the USA on the back, Titan Gilroy says he is on a quest to “bring jobs back to America. Gilroy’s quest began by connecting with his spirituality while sitting in solitude, in prison. At 18, Gilroy was a […]

By Wesley Eisiminger A new religious site for Odinists, called the All Faith Religious Grounds, is now open at San Quentin. Jamie Lindsey said he is a well-known and outspoken spokesman for the Odinists, known by both the prisoners and correctional officers. When Lindsey first arrived at San Quentin in March 2013, there were no […]