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San Quentin, California 94964
Population: 2930
Ohio courts make COVID shots condition of probation
Two Ohio judges have ordered defendants to get COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of their probation or face prison time, the New York Times reported. Franklin County Judge Richard A. Frye on June 22 gave probation to an offender who pleaded guilty to drugs and firearms offenses and ordered him to get vaccinated within 30 days or face 36 months in prison. Judge Christopher A. … Read Full Article
Additional Recent Stories
TheatreWorkers Project plants seeds of freedom inside prison walls
During the COVID-19 pandemic, prison volunteers and the formerly incarcerated produced powerful videos and audio projects at California State Prison-Lancaster (CSP-LAC). The inspirational productions were based on the words of incarcerated thespians (actors and artists). The TheatreWorkers Project (TWP), a theatre-based prison workshop, had to pivot at the height of the pandemic to … Read Full Article
COVID pandemic adds to mental and physical effects of isolation on prisoners
The number of incarcerated people placed in solitary confinement saw a five-fold increase during the peak of the pandemic, according to Solitary Watch and the Marshall Project. This increase raises new concerns among prisoners and prisoner rights advocates of a new mental health crisis. Long-term health risks of solitary confinement are well-known, especially in individuals who spend … Read Full Article
GTL tablets begin a slow rollout
California prisoners are receiving free Global Tel Link (GTL) Connect Network tablets designed to help them communicate with the outside world. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has partnered with the Department of Technology to contract with GTL to enhance incarcerated communication. “The enhanced communication project aims to strengthen the bonds between … Read Full Article
Reentry hope waiting for vets
SQNews holds Q&A with Kayla Owen, Case Manager for HomeFirst Services of Santa Clara County What do you want the incarcerated veterans to know about your program? We want veterans returning from incarceration to know that HomeFirst has a wide variety of supportive services that can assist them with their reintegration into society. Our program design is to “meet the client where … Read Full Article
Compassion Prison Project takes aim at prisoner trauma
Group promotes safer society by treating root causes of incarceration Compassion Prison Project (CPP) founder Fritzi Horstman and California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris visited Valley State Prison (VSP) to talk to prisoners and officers about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Horstman and a group of volunteers piloted a 12-part curriculum series called … Read Full Article
FOOD SALE GROSSES $63K
San Quentin fundraiser benefits children of the incarcerated After lengthy delays, San Quentin residents were treated to a special event — a food sale where they would buy delicious food not normally on their menus. Hundreds of smiling, anxious men lined up for lengthy waits to collect their orders from top administrators and officers in the largest food sale in San Quentin … Read Full Article
No More Tears grads embrace accountability, heal history of violence
A group of men learned how to abandon their history of violence in an intensive workshop in San Quentin Prison. “It’s been a long journey but we finally got here,” said Maurice Reed, one of the group’s facilitators. “Class of 2020! No more guns, no more violence, no more hiding, no more tears!” he shouted. Two years ago, 80 participants embarked on what was supposed to be 12 weeks of “No … Read Full Article
Silent Solidarity: Mourning Our Losses remembers lives lost to COVID-19
On a Friday afternoon, an event dubbed Mourning Our Losses was held on San Quentin’s Lower Yard. It brought together about 200 people to pay tribute to the many lives lost during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Nov. 5 event was supported by Mourning Our Losses co-founder https://twitter.com/kmpickeringKirsten Pickering and hosted by San Quentin resident Arthur Jackson. According to the … Read Full Article
Experts question role of victims, survivors in parole hearings
Years after a conviction, prisoners still face the same scrutiny at parole board hearings they did during their jury trial — when facing prosecutors, crime victims or the victim’s family. Statements by prosecutors, victims of crime and their family members at a Board of Parole Hearing (BPH) could mean a parole denial for a rehabilitated person, according to a Powell (Wyoming) … Read Full Article
Prison ARTS Collective: Program offers incarcerated artists a platform for self-healing
The universal language of art is being used to transform incarcerated men and women by giving them the tools for self-discovery, self-reflection and a process of healing. The Prison Arts Collective (PAC) is administered by San Diego State University and its program is available to prisons run by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The program was … Read Full Article
CSU-LA graduates more than two dozen incarcerated students at Lancaster prison
For the first time in California history, a group of incarcerated men received their Bachelor of Arts degrees from a California University during a commencement ceremony held inside of a prison. The 25 graduates wore black caps, gowns, and face masks as they walked across a makeshift stage at the Lancaster prison to receive their degrees in Communications. The California State University … Read Full Article
Local politics play role in CA resentencing
Recent legislation has created new opportunities for prisoners to have their sentences recalled by the court. But there are also new political barriers to obstruct inmate access to the court when they file a Petition for Recall of Sentence. Under Penal Code section 1170(d)(1), there are four ways in which a state prisoner may have a court review a petition for recall of a sentence: 1) by … Read Full Article
Building a community for children of incarcerated parents
By Ahtziri Rivera, Project Avary Project Avary I was a 16-year-old volunteer for Project Avary’s summer camp in 2017. Project Avary is a nonprofit organization that provides children of incarcerated parents with a community of individuals who understand and support them. Project Avary helps children develop leadership skills while engaging in a variety of activities in … Read Full Article
Folsom women join Journalism Guild
SQNews’ Journalism Guild expands to Folsom Women’s Facility, aiming to bring new voices to the forefront of prison journalism In a history-making move, the San Quentin News Journalism Guild established its first satellite newsroom at the Folsom Women’s Facility (FWF) on Nov. 1. Students in the program will receive journalism training that will provide them with the skills to bring the voices … 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
Additional Featured Stories
Additional Recent Post
Compassion Prison Project takes aim at prisoner trauma
Group promotes safer society by treating root causes of incarceration Compassion Prison Project (CPP) founder Fritzi Horstman and California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris visited Valley State Prison (VSP) to talk to prisoners and officers about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Horstman and a group of volunteers piloted a 12-part curriculum series called … Read Full Article
FOOD SALE GROSSES $63K
San Quentin fundraiser benefits children of the incarcerated After lengthy delays, San Quentin residents were treated to a special event — a food sale where they would buy delicious food not normally on their menus. Hundreds of smiling, anxious men lined up for lengthy waits to collect their orders from top administrators and officers in the largest food sale in San Quentin … Read Full Article
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