San Quentin State Prison welcomed a new warden after the Acting Warden, Michael Martel, retired after only 10 months on the job.
Prison officials announced that Kevin Chappell, who served as chief deputy warden at Folsom State Prison, took over as acting warden for California’s oldest prison effective Jan. 3.
Warden Chappell has a lengthy history with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, starting in 1987 when he worked as a correctional officer at Folsom State Prison. Chappell rose through the ranks, eventually gaining the associate warden position at the department’s head office in Sacramento before going to Folsom.
Chappell graduated from the University of California at Davis and volunteers as a youth basketball coach, according to the Marin Independent Journal.
The appointment comes when the state is downsizing its prison population to comply with a federal court order. Currently, San Quentin is in transition from a reception center to an almost complete mainline prison. The conversion, and subsequent influx of inmates, has resulted in a slew of complaints by prisoners housed in the old reception center building (West Block) without power or television re-ception.
The new warden will also have to contend with the nation’s largest and growing Death Row, resulting from a court-imposed injunction by U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogle, which has halted executions since 2006.
The most recent hurdle against San Quentin’s executions is a ruling from Marin Superior Court Judge Faye D’Opal, who found that prison officials failed to consider alternatives to the lethal injection of three drugs used to execute prisoners.
This is the seventh San Quentin warden since 2004. Chappell follows Martel, who held the position for 10 months, and Vince Cullen, who vacated the position in 2011.
Archives for January 2012
Death Penalty Halted
A new roadblock has halted executions in California for at least another year.
Marin Superior Court Judge Faye D’Opal ordered state officials back to square one in creating a new lethal-injection protocol.
The state’s 2010 re-designed execution protocol was an attempt to satisfy U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel’s finding that the three-drug execution method amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. Fogel suggested that executions should be done with a single drug in order to avoid the unconstitutional dilemma that has held up executions for nearly six years.
“I don’t think it is working. It’s not effective. We know that,” said state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
California voters may have the final say in whether the death penalty is worth its legal and financial difficulties.
Opponents to the death penalty have gathered nearly $1.2 million for a 2012 ballot measure that would replace capital punishment with life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“I’ve killed four people for the state of California, and it didn’t make anything better for anyone,” said one of the measure’s supporters, Jeanne Woodford, executive director of Death Penalty Focus. She is a former San Quentin warden and once headed the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Court Defines Evidence Standard for Lifer Parole
A new California Supreme Court decision clarifies the scope and proper application of the “some evidence” standard used by courts to review parole suitability determination.
The Supreme Court reversed a decision by the 4th District Court of Appeal that found the Board of Parole Hearings had improperly denied parole to Richard Shaputis at a 2009 parole hearing.
The Supreme Court’s decision also offered guidelines to appellate courts reviewing a petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging board denials of suitability, or parole reversals by the governor.
The Supreme Court affirmed that “the paramount consideration for both the board and the governor…is whether the inmate currently poses a threat to public safety.”
The decision made clear that reviewing courts may overturn a decision by the board or governor when the evidence only leads to a conclusion that the inmate no longer presents a risk to public safety.
The Supreme Court found that the board’s decision denying parole to Shaputis was based on a long history of domestic violence, and his inadequate insight as well as his failure to accept responsibility for his crime.
The Dec. 29, 2011 decision is In re Richard Shaputis on Habeas Corpus, Case No S188655.
Bill Limits Jailhouse Informant Testimony
Gov. Jerry Brown signed two pieces of legislation that will significantly impact those behind bars, and a third that will provide aid to undocumented high school students.
Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) authored SB 687, which restricts the use of uncorroborated testimony by jailhouse informants in criminal cases. The use of informant testimony has been identified as the leading cause for wrongful convictions in capital cases, according to a 2004 report examining California’s justice system.
Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles) authored AB 420. It requires that prisoners be counted in their home districts for redistricting purposes.
Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) authored AB 131, which makes undocumented students who have attended a California high school for three years or who have graduated from a California high school eligible to receive financial aid, if they apply for legal immigration status.
Oregon Author Visits S.Q. Writing Group
Noted author Keith Scribner says he’s gained new insights into the human spirit by two visits to San Quentin Prison.
“I’ve felt on both of my visits to San Quentin that the group is more engaged and thoughtful than nine-tenths of the other groups I work with,” he said in an interview.
“I believe in the power of literature,
poetry, and all art
to allow us to know ourselves better, to make us
stronger and deeper.”
“Your close attention to language, story, character, and the keen desire and passion the men have for becoming better writers and telling their stories isn’t just refreshing to me – it’s a thrill.”
Scribner is an associate professor at Oregon State University who visited San Quentin’s Arts in Corrections creative writing class.
“I believe in the power of literature, poetry, and all art to allow us to know ourselves better, to make us stronger and deeper, to elate and heal us. A lot like the power of love. It works on us from both directions – as we read or experience great art, and also as we create our own. I hope that by visiting I can be of some service in bringing this to their lives,” he commented.
“It’s a privilege for me to meet you, hear your stories, and come to know about your lives.”
Scribner’s most recent novel is The Oregon Experience. His previous novels are Miracle Girl and The GoodLife.
Volunteer Chaplain On Transformation
“I never expected to meet the type of men I ended up meeting,” said Mike Bonnel about prisoners he encounters at San Quentin as a volunteer. “There are a lot of people whose hearts God had touched, just like me.”
After 29 years as a firefighter, he now enjoys a slower pace by serving San Quentin prisoners. “I always liked helping people,” he said of his life then and now.
Bonnel oversaw five firehouses as a Battalion Chief Commander in the San Francisco Fire Department. He was instrumental in writing procedures for high-rise structure fires.
His involvement with San Quentin goes back to the ‘70s when he and his wife, Linda, visited prisoners under the M-2 Sponsor program.
M-2 was a faith-based program that provided visitors to prisoners who otherwise would have no visitors.
“When I first heard that he was going out to San Quentin, I wasn’t too sure about it. But he loves people, and likes to fill that place of helping those people who others don’t want to help,” said Linda.
Mike was also involved in the Cell-to-Cell Ministry, which primarily brought religious services to the prisoners in the reception center.
Wilkerson’s 2012 Calendar a Hit
To the delight of many, on the first of January the eagerly awaited San Quentin calendar was once again proudly displayed on walls all around the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). It’s regarded as a prized acquisition by many of the department’s employees.
The calendar had been produced by San Quentin’s vocational print shop for many years, but in 2009 the print shop was indefinitely closed due to budget cuts. Since then, former print shop instructor John Wilkerson, with the support of successive wardens, continued the long-standing tradition.
Many of Wilkerson’s former students hope the print shop will one day reopen, although there is no current plan for that to happen. Richard “Bonaru” Richardson, a former print shop student, calls Wilkerson a “master printer.” Richardson commented, “I actually got a trade from Mr. Wilkerson. He’s the best instructor I ever had.”
The print shop’s closure has not deterred the efforts of Wilkerson to produce the coveted calendar. Annually, in November, Wilkerson, and a crew of volunteers from the San Quentin News labor among the dusty printing presses of the closed print shop to prepare them for production of the following year’s calendar.
This year Wilkerson, Larry Snyder of San Quentin Television, and a crew of inmate volunteers produced 10,000 calendars for San Quentin to distribute throughout each of CDCR’s 33 prisons.
The calendar was designed by Aly Tamboura of San Quentin News and incorporated a picture of one of the historic wall murals found in South Dining Hall. Alfredos Santos, who was a San Quentin prisoner during that time, painted the murals between 1953 and 1955.
Inmates Cheer Patten University’s Annual Open Mic Event
Christmas Eve’s annual open mic night brought out “a lot of hidden talent in San Quentin,” said prisoner Ray Richardson. The prison’s Protestant Chapel served as the venue for over 20 original acts, including slam poetry, comedy, and musical performances, performed by new and familiar faces.
Emcee Jonathan “JW” Wilson opened with a reading of Will You Die For Me Black Man, a poem about the historical plight of African-Americans.
Angel Falcone, accompanied by Joe Mason on guitar, did a musical comedy bit, sounding something like Adam Sandler. Their ditty brought laughter throughout the audience as its esoteric prison jokes contrasted the benefits of obtaining a college degree with the frustrations of being incarcerated.
E. “Phil” Phillips’ slam poetry sifted through the chaotic and unpredictable aspect of living in prison.
One of San Quentin’s most-talented hip-hop artists, Henry “MC” Montgomery, returned this year with a new addition. He and his friend “Nate” entertained the audience with a peppy piece that painted an optimistic view of the future.
Cornelius “Dicky” Wigfall followed MC with an ode critical of materialism. Dicky’s encouragement for self-control resonated through the audience in Don’t Let ‘em Push Your Button.
Mike Tyler said he has been coming to open mic since 2004, but this was his first time performing. He read a poem inundated with seriousness and humor, called Where I’m From, in which he gave his perspective on growing up in rural California.
Adam Verdoux dedicated his musical piece to the teachers and administrators who venture inside prison to educate incarcerated students. Its bright rhythmic sound was reminiscent of a Disney instrumental in the movie Fantasia.
Troy Williams recited a poem he wrote while in county jail, prior to his conviction. As Williams read, the audience listened quietly to the sad words of estrangement of a father from his child.
Antwon Brown’s poem, Forgive Me Not, gave insight to how corruption influences youngsters and can lead them to be incarcerated.
The hit of the night came from one of San Quentin’s most-talented musical groups, Neu Dae, which features Richard Napoleon Brown, Rico Rodgers, Darryl Buckhana, and Darryl Farris. They treated the audience to two new gospel songs, I Heard Your Voice and I Can Feel Jesus
Jimmy Carlin read a philosophical poem that chronicled building of the Watts Towers in Los Angeles.
G. Wesley’s poem was a birthday present to his sister, Teresa, who supports him “100 percent.”
Humphrey read a poem that described how Islam saved him and made him right with God, which allowed him to “let go of the bad things that led me to prison.”
D’Lafayette’s poem, “Through the Words of Our Ancestors,” brought perspective of thought and belief systems.
A new arrival at S.Q., Williams, read a poem about self-understanding and recognizing himself and the meaning of his life.
Gary “Malachi” Scott did a hip-hop piece, I Gotta Be Me. It communicated the message that self-image and self-esteem are derived from the individual, not peer pressure.
Rafael Colex dedicated a poem to the innocent people in prison, who must go through the same trials and tribulations that the lawfully imprisoned must endure: “What are the origins of human kindness, Born from grief and pain, Against the hardships, We strive – then we rise, Out of the ghettoes – Free from the prisons, Into a mastery of life.”
Prison University Project (PUP), part of Patten College in Oakland, sponsors the event. It allows prisoners to express themselves to their friends and an audience of community volunteers. PUP is directed by Dr. Jody Lewen and offers access to higher education to hundreds of San Quentin prisoners.
Out of Prison After 33 Years Behind the Wall
After spending three decades incarcerated in California’s toughest prisons, Nathaniel Rouse paroled from San Quentin with a message of hope through perseverance.
Nathaniel Rouse was sentenced to the California Department of Corrections when there were 13 prisons in the state. Today there are 33 prisons and great changes are still on the horizon within the prison system. “I’ve been incarcerated for 32 years, from 1978 to November 2011, and I’ve been here at San Quentin since April 13, 1993,” Rouse said. Rouse, whose Muslim name Abdul Shahid Adil means “Just,” has seen several changes in the prison system.
“There is less tension here between African-Americans, whites and Hispanics,” he said. “Here you can intermingle with other nationalities as you would on the streets.” He credits his positive transformation to the San Quentin programs in which he participated, including Trust Fellows, Impact, Alliance for Change and Restorative Jutice. “These programs succeed thanks to San Quentin’s numerous outside volunteers, proactive correctional officers and prison staff who sponsor groups,” he said.
He credited Counselor C. Grant and Capt. S. Robinson, who sponsor San Quentin groups, and former Warden Jeanne Woodford. “Woodford understood men had to have more than $200 upon their release to change them,” said Shahid. “They had to have an education and Woodford was proactive in keeping programs alive.”
He said the San Quentin educational environment should be expanded to all 33 prisons. “It should be the same in all institutions, but by design; it’s not.”
Shahid will be working with Vernell Crittenden for R.E.A.L. Choices (Reaching Expanding Adolescent Lives), a San Quentin program that mentors troubled youth. For 25 hours a week, he will tutor and mentor kids, teaching them the power of making positive choices. “For a person leaving prison, education is the key for a successful transition back into society–not merely academic, but a social education,” he said. “That social education is our being in contact with society as a partnership,” said Shahid.
Two Key Personnel Depart From the Prison University
San Quentin’s Prison University Project will lose two of its most valuable administrators.
They are David Cowan, who was assigned to the Prison University Project (PUP) clerk position in 2009, and Amy Roza, who came to San Quentin as a PUP volunteer in 2009 and became its program director in 2010.
Patten University accredits the PUP program at San Quentin. It’s California’s only on-site prison college program campus.
On Dec. 1, 2011, Roza announced that she will be transitioning from the college program at San Quentin in mid-January, just prior to the start of the spring 2012 semester. “I am extraordinarily grateful for this time volunteering and working with the college program. I have learned a tremendous amount from collaborations with faculty, in my work with San Quentin staff, and most of all, from our students.”
Roza indicated that she would stay in California. She said she might share her future plans with the college program shortly.
Roza is originally from New York. While working at the Center for Court Innovation as the director of Youth and Family Services, she designed and led prevention and intervention programs for criminal court-involved families.
Roza also volunteered by teaching and organizing other volunteers for the Prison Education Initiative—a group of educators leading academic classes at New York City’s Riker’s Island jail.
David Cowan earned his associate’s degree from Patten University in 2007.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with PUP. The teachers were a great example for me,” said Cowan. He was a role model for many of the men at San Quentin and considers “being helpful” as his greatest achievement. An avid volleyball player, Cowan was president of Alliance for Change and a member of many groups including the San Quentin T.R.U.S.T., Project CHOICE, and Reaching Beyond the Walls.
Cowan paroled from San Quentin last December.
Cowan, 43, now lives in San Francisco and is working for PUP—the first parolee to be hired at the non-profit organization. He also plans to enroll at San Francisco State University to earn his degree in public policy.
After serving time at other prisons, including Soledad and California Men’s Colony at San Luis Obispo, he was transferred to San Quentin in 2002. He served almost 23 years on a 25-to-life sentence.