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San Quentin, California 94964
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Daughter transforms hatred into healing — Part 1, By Samantha Lawlor—Survivor
I see you. I see you as a human being. Only after I was truly able to see myself as a human being and forgive my-self for all my mistakes was I able to see others as human beings, too. I now know that “hurt people hurt people.” Therefore, I know that if you have hurt another human being, it is because YOU have been hurt — probably many times — by authorities, institutions, society, friends, and … Read Full Article
Additional Recent Stories
Honoring incarcerated Veterans
Costly mistakes have landed an estimated 107,400 veterans in prison, according to a 2021 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. But many say they are still proud of their service and are honored to celebrate Veteran’s Day. All military veterans, living or deceased, are honored on the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month” — the genesis of Veterans Day looking back to the Armistice … Read Full Article
HEALTH: Simplifying Medi-Cal
Transitions Clinic Network (TCN) hosts a monthly reentry health-focused Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) column. This column is a space where we can answer questions regarding healthcare in reentry. Our goal is to provide information and empower individuals to prepare them for healthy reentry. In our last column, we talked about Me-di-Cal, the public health insurance system in California. For this … Read Full Article
Polanco family files suit over death of highly-regarded sergeant
The family of a beloved San Quentin correctional sergeant who died of COVID-19 filed a wrongful death lawsuit against prison officials. The federal civil rights suit claims that his death was preventable and resulted from unsafe conditions at the prison created by “intentional and deliberately indifferent” decisions. “Officials created a COVID cesspool and then required their inmates and … Read Full Article
San Quentin appeals record COVID fines
San Quentin State Prison was fined $421,880 for COVID-19 workplace violations, the Sacramento Bee reported. San Quentin’s penalties topped the list of roughly 200 employers fined about $4.6 million by California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) for COVID-related workplace violations, the June 24 story stated. San Quentin’s record fines were for numerous “serious and … Read Full Article
Federal judge issues vaccine mandate
Prison personnel and certain incarcerated workers required to be inoculated A federal judge has ordered all California prison employees entering a prison to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have a medical or religious exemption. The order affects all prison workers, including correctional officers. U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tigar’s Sept. 27 ruling also affects incarcerated … Read Full Article
Arthur Yeary brings people and animals to life
San Quentin State Prison has a diverse population of artists who work in a variety of styles and mediums. Each edition of SQ News seeks to highlight the amazing creativity among us. Arthur L. Yeary is one such artist whose incredible talent shines brightly. “When I was 13, I started learning how to draw by doodling,” said Yeary. “The fastest way to learn how to draw is with little quick … Read Full Article
Robert Guzman’s hands express his father’s legacy
Robert Guzman is a 54-year-old Native American who found a new life as an artist and amateur counselor in prison. His bloodline includes Ute, Blackfoot, and Mexican. He arrived at San Quentin in 2019. Throughout his 21 years of incarceration, Guzman honed skills he developed as a young boy working with leather, beads, paints, and woodcarvings — talents he learned first from family, and then … Read Full Article
Hunger strike anniversary sheds light on SHU conditions
Ten years ago, 10 prisoners in Pelican Bay’s Segregated Housing Unit (SHU) set aside their racial and political differences to work together to file a lawsuit about their conditions and to organize a hunger strike in peaceful protest. They wanted the Pelican Bay administration and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to address grievances that kept prisoners in the … Read Full Article
Ron Broomfield receives official confirmation as SQ’s new Warden
51-year-old Ronald J. Broomfield (above, right) has been sworn in as San Quentin State Prison’s new Warden. Over the past 20 years, Broomfield has risen through the CDCR ranks to his current position, beginning as a Correctional Officer at Salinas Valley State Prison. From 2002 through 2017, Mr. Broomfield worked at California State Prison - Corcoran, where he rose from Correctional Officer to … Read Full Article
Court orders use of body cams in prison
A federal court has expanded a mandate that requires California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officers to wear body cameras. “The court order originally only applied to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility,” the Sacramento Bee reported. Later, the court expanded its order to five prisons to include Kern Valley State Prison; California Institution for Women; … Read Full Article
Mental health treatment in San Quentin’s EOP program
By Jesse Ayers, Contributing Writer A team of mental health professionals in San Quentin’s H-Unit worked tirelessly during the pandemic to maintain the health and safety of the men in the Enhanced Out Patient (EOP) program. H-Unit houses 100 Enhanced Out Patients (EOPs). EOP is a term that describes a level of mental health treatment. One of the tools the program utilizes is … Read Full Article
Mental Wellness Month addresses psychological self-care
When a person starts to serve a sentence in a California prison, depression and despair are leading causes for a mental health crisis. Feeling abused and isolated are added factors. Salinas Valley State Prison recorded the highest number of suicides during a 10-year period, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). San Quentin was a close second. The … Read Full Article
Jerry Welsh finds therapeutic benefit in his intricate beadwork
Gerald Welsh, 51, who has been incarcerated for 16 years, said he creates bead crafts for therapeutic reasons. “I find peace of mind and it is also a part of my religious belief,” said Welsh. Doing bead work sent him on a “whole different journey,” he said, as it has taken him through self-discovery and helped him to embrace his roots. Welsh is one quarter Cherokee Indian. “I … Read Full Article
Remembering Ronnie Goodman: Painter, champion runner, friend
Living on the streets of San Francisco, Ronnie Goodman was never “homeless,” for his heart was ever at home in his art. “I am inspired by the beauty of this city and its diversity, balanced with the struggles of human despair,” he wrote before he died. “With my brush, I try to capture these raw emotions. Former San Quentin resident Ronnie Goodman successfully made it onto the national stage as … Read Full Article
§1170 Resentencing Pilot Program receives funding
California has adopted and funded a program aimed at correcting inappropriate prison sentences. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Resenting Pilot Program into law in the 2021-22 budget. It will begin on Sept. 1. There are currently nine counties that will be involved in the initial pilot program: Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Riverside, Yolo, Humboldt, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and … Read Full Article
San Quentin COVID-19 response goes on trial
For the first time ever, public court hearings were live-streamed via Zoom inside San Quentin. Incarcerated residents convened daily in the chapel to watch fellow prisoners, corrections officials, and medical experts testify about SQ’s COVID-19 outbreak. More than 300 SQ petitioners alleged claims of “deliberate indifference” and “cruel and unusual punishment” in the historic class-action … Read Full Article
Mt. Tam College classes resume
A year and a half after canceling all classes due to the pandemic, Mount Tamalpais College (MTC) reopened in-person instruction inside San Quentin on September 14. Twenty classes are now starting for some 300 students, including more than 50 new college students this Fall 2021 semester. “It feels so empowering to be back in class,” said Floyd Ray Jr., a student in the College Program … Read Full Article
Additional Featured Stories
Additional Recent Post
Federal judge issues vaccine mandate
Prison personnel and certain incarcerated workers required to be inoculated A federal judge has ordered all California prison employees entering a prison to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have a medical or religious exemption. The order affects all prison workers, including correctional officers. U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tigar’s Sept. 27 ruling also affects incarcerated … Read Full Article
Arthur Yeary brings people and animals to life
San Quentin State Prison has a diverse population of artists who work in a variety of styles and mediums. Each edition of SQ News seeks to highlight the amazing creativity among us. Arthur L. Yeary is one such artist whose incredible talent shines brightly. “When I was 13, I started learning how to draw by doodling,” said Yeary. “The fastest way to learn how to draw is with little quick … Read Full Article
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