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San Quentin, California 94964
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Andrew Wadsworth finds healing with each stroke of the paintbrush
Andrew Wadsworth began his incarceration as a 16-year-old. He admits that his path to adulthood has had its challenges. Now 38, he’s in the early stages of realizing that a paintbrush is an excellent way to express himself. “It’s hard for me to express myself without coming off arrogant,” Wadsworth said. “With abstract painting there are lots of emotions—it’s hard to express just … Read Full Article
Additional Recent Stories
Stitch-wiz Ezekiel Gonzalez inspired by love for his daughters
“My two daughters Jacklynn and Lilly were the ones that inspired me to create these teddy bears,” said Ezekiel Gonzalez, 51, a resident of San Quentin. Gonzalez’s talent seems anything but ordinary inside prison walls. He sews handmade teddy bears and stuffs them with cotton, a craft and its products not often seen in a world of metal and concrete. When he first arrived at a … Read Full Article
SAN QUEN-TOONS
by Jessie Milo (2023) … Read Full Article
A history of Mexico’s iconic celebration
CINCODE MAYO To many Americans, Cinco de Mayo is mostly an excuse to drink imported beer, take shots of tequila, and feast on Mexican food. Ask around and many people will think it is Mexico’s version of America’s Fourth of July. Critics contend that this tends to perpetuate negative stereotypes of Mexicans and promotes excessive drinking, while missing the important history that Cinco … Read Full Article
ASL: A SIGN OF THE TIMES
Prisoner-led sign language course gets go-ahead After submitting six proposals over seven years, Tommy Wickerd is teaching a sign language class in the most unlikely place — his prison of residence. Motivated by his relationship with his Deaf brother, Wickerd has sought to bridge communications between hearing and non-hearing people during two decades of incarceration. The first … Read Full Article
DEATH ROW TRANSFERS FACE MIXED REACTIONS
California’scontroversialmove to shutterdeath row Two clocks, three telephones, and a light green death chamber will soon be a memory as California moves to complete the dismantling of its Death Row. Attention has turned to transferring the remaining 465 people on Condemned Row to facilities other than San Quentin, since Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that the historic prison will become … Read Full Article
SAN QUENTIN HONORS VICTIMS
Yard event brings victims’ rights organizations together with the incarcerated Nearly 200 San Quentin residents gathered on the Lower Yard to honor victims and survivors on the last day of Victim Awareness Week. The event opened with SQ’s religious leaders praying for togetherness and healing. Survivors joined the incarcerated in a “silent walk” around the Yard holding … Read Full Article
Breaking the Silence
For two lifers, the coronaviruspandemic had a silver lining San Quentin’s Darren Settlemeyer will never forget his first phone call with his son after 20 years of estrangement. When Darren reconnected with his son in 2020, he was 20 years into a life sentence and had not seen or spoken to his son since being incarcerated. His son had been only three years old when drugs, drama, and the police … Read Full Article
BY THE NUMBERS
California prisons strengthen family connections with free phone calls for prisoners
It is striking to remember that not too long ago there was what felt like a crusade to keep prisoners isolated from the outside world. For example, in the past, phone companies like GTL and Securus raised phone rates so high that the companies were accused of trying to break bonds between many incarcerated people and their families. Only a chosen few could afford to foot the bill. According to … Read Full Article
One of SQ’s newest artists honors lives lost to COVID
“I am a person who wants to bring happiness to all, by placing a smile on people’s face, a shimmering of hope,” said Shelley Small, a new San Quentin arrival. The artist considers himself a person with multiple talents, who is a caring and giving person. One of his goals is to bring out the hidden talents that others’ might have. Showing his talent is another form of teaching others: … Read Full Article
CALPIA, The Last Mile applaud more than 50 graduates
The California Prison Industry Authority and The Last Mile held their first graduation ceremony at San Quentin since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Over 50 residents were honored in the Feb. 8 ceremony at the Garden Chapel. Graduates were from The Last Mile’s computer coding and audio-engineering programs as well as CALPIA’s Health Facilities Maintenance, Pre-Apprentice … Read Full Article
California Reentry Institute holds first graduation ceremony since 2020
A San Quentin program aimed at preparing incarcerated men for freedom held a graduation for 23 men in January — the first since the COVID pandemic hit in 2020. The California Reentry Institute ceremony was held in the Protestant Chapel, marking the end of the 24-month pre-release program that empowers, heals and transforms people, and supports reentry into society. The program also … Read Full Article
Additional Featured Stories
Additional Recent Post
DEATH ROW TRANSFERS FACE MIXED REACTIONS
California’scontroversialmove to shutterdeath row Two clocks, three telephones, and a light green death chamber will soon be a memory as California moves to complete the dismantling of its Death Row. Attention has turned to transferring the remaining 465 people on Condemned Row to facilities other than San Quentin, since Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that the historic prison will become … Read Full Article
SAN QUENTIN HONORS VICTIMS
Yard event brings victims’ rights organizations together with the incarcerated Nearly 200 San Quentin residents gathered on the Lower Yard to honor victims and survivors on the last day of Victim Awareness Week. The event opened with SQ’s religious leaders praying for togetherness and healing. Survivors joined the incarcerated in a “silent walk” around the Yard holding … Read Full Article
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