Emerging technology and factors not adequately considered in previous years are beginning to prove that everyone in prison is not guilty of a crime.
Factors include enhanced DNA testing, sophisticated cell phone triangulation, video pictures, debunking of some lab tests, and facial feature identification. There is also new understanding of the unreliability of eyewitness testimony and ineffective legal counsel.
In the last two decades, more than 299 individuals have been freed after DNA testing showed they were erroneously convicted of rape and murder, according to the U.S. Department of Justice-funded study.
“There appears to be no letup in the steady stream of prisoners whose innocence is established by increasingly sophisticated DNA testing,” according to the report. It quotes the national Innocence Project as saying about two-thirds of the DNA exonerations in homicide cases involved false confessions.
“Nationally, over three-quarters of known erroneous convictions (many of them in rape cases) involve eyewitness misidentifications,” the report says.
Forty-two percent of exonerations involved prosecutorial error, malicious conduct, failure to give the defense evidence that would prove innocence, and inexperience of criminal justice officials – not limited to prosecutors.
In a 23-year period, inadequate defense representation, “bad lawyering,” was the biggest contributing factor to the erroneous conviction in a large number of capital murder cases, according to a separate study by Columbus University.
In the wake of sophisticated DNA testing, six states have created innocence commissions and more than 40 state legislatures passed laws to help those convicted of crimes gain access to biological evidence for testing.
The survey examined several studies that found over a 27-year period, 14-25 percent of wrongful convictions contained false confessions.
Another factor is what the study calls “tunnel vision” – when criminal justice professionals “focus on a suspect, select and filter the evidence that will ‘build a case’ for conviction, while ignoring the suppressing evidence that points away from guilt.”
The report also blames “perjured informant testimony” for 15 percent of erroneous convictions that were overturned by DNA evidence.
We should “increase our attention to the failing dynamics of the criminal justice system, rather than simply isolating errors or causes that lead to erroneous convictions,” the report concludes.
Archives for June 2013
The Key To Getting Out Of Prison is Having the ‘Right Attitude’
Two former San Quentin prisoners say the key to getting out is the right attitude.
With the right attitude, prisoners can take advantage of a wealth of self-help programs to turn their lives around, said one-time police officer and former San Quentin inmate Doug Butler.
“Stay focused you can get out of this place,” said Edgar Allen, another former prisoner who appeared with Butler at a recent meeting of the San Quentin Journalism Guild.
Butler was convicted of murder in 1984. He started his prison term at Vacaville, and was subsequently transferred to Tehachapi, New Folsom, Solano, and Soledad before eventually arriving in San Quentin in 1992.
“San Quentin is a Mecca of programming,” said Butler, as he encouraged the men to get involved.
During his incarceration, Butler said he kept the District Attorney’s Office informed of the programs he was involved in. He went on to suggest that the men in blue do the same.
Butler posed the question to the room, “How do you get out?” His answer was with the right attitude.
Butler said with fortitude, perseverance and resilience, a prisoner can put their mistakes behind them and move on. “Focus on you,” said Butler.
“You are blessed from the standpoint of being here at San Quentin,” Butler added. He encouraged everyone who didn’t complete high school to get a GED equivalency diploma.
Allen, who is a church elder, began his prison term for murder in 1969 at San Quentin. Now he ministers to youth in the Alameda County Juvenile Hall.
Edgar Allen
He recalled that at his sentencing hearing he faced the death penalty because a police officer was killed during his crime. From that point he knew he was going to face adversity.
Allen said he did not let the adversity stop him from changing.
“After the trial took place, something hit me in the heart, and I knew I had to learn to read and write so I could tell the family of the victim, ‘I’m sorry.’”
Prior to this decision, Allen said, “I lived independent of God, driven by another god, the dope god.”
When growing up in the streets of Oakland, Allen said he had his own apartment at the age of 13. He said he ran a dice game to make money, but he could not read.
“I learned to read in prison.” Allen said
Now Allen considers God the source of all life. “We need you (prisoners) badly out here (in the free world). You need to be with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit–those are your real homeboys,” said Allen.
Allen closed by saying, “You have to get strength to do right.”
–Several Journalism Guild Members contributed to this story.
Reconsidering Juvenile Rehabilitative Needs
In the early morning hours of May 11, 2011, while sleeping on his living room sofa, Jeffrey Hall was shot dead from point-blank range. The killer was Hall’s son, who had a long history of violence. He had stabbed several people, choked another with a telephone cord, and committed arson. Yet confining this person behind bars, as many want to do, is misguided, short-sighted, and destined to fail him and society due to one unusual fact: He was only 10 years old.
During his April 15 sentencing, Hall’s lawyers presented evidence about his psychological well-being.
One of Hall’s siblings filed a civil rights complaint against the county mental health and educational services alleging as a result of years of systematic denials of his education and civil rights, he is entitled to placement in a residential education treatment facility instead of juvenile detention.
Punishment
Some argue the only way to deal with such a severely troubled child is to send him to a correctional institution in the state’s Division of Juvenile Facilities (DJF). Although DJF has a sordid history, blighted by litigation over its appalling levels of violence and lack of rehabilitative services, proponents argue it is now safer and more humane than it was in the past. But no matter how much the system improves, DJF’s outmoded and deteriorating facilities will never be fit for children.
The institutions of DJF are prison-like correctional facilities, designed to efficiently confine a large number of people. The youth at O.H. Close Youth Correctional Facility, which confines the state’s youngest wards, reside in open dormitories, often with as many as 30 other youth, many of whom struggle with behavioral and mental health issues. Violence is endemic to this kind of housing. Older, stronger youth are known to exploit and victimize those who are weaker and more vulnerable, like this boy, who would be the youngest ward at DJF, and who, when arriving at juvenile hall, “was so little they didn’t have shoes to fit him,” according to the prosecuting attorney. The children at DJF are compelled to join gangs for protection.
Environment
The environment is particularly damaging for those with serious behavioral issues, like this young boy. Highly regimented, prison-like facilities are designed to contain delinquent behavior rather than address needs. Thus, violent or aggressive youth receive restrictions and punishment rather than therapy and support, compounding their problems.
Rehabilitation is difficult, if not impossible, if youth are in a chronic state of fear and defiance. According to 2010 data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, more than 80 percent of the youth who have been confined in DJF are arrested again; many end up in adult prisons. DJF has little incentive to address this problem. Once a youth has completed his time, the division is relieved of any responsibility and returns him to his home county’s jurisdiction.
This boy suffered through a turbulent childhood, resulting in serious needs that will not be met by DJF. He suffered daily abuse from his father, who often punched and kicked him. He has psychological problems, including violent behaviors that began at 18 months of age, likely resulting from his mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The boy regularly attended white supremacy rallies with his father, who was the regional leader for a national neo-Nazi organization. His parents were generally negligent, When the police arrived at his home after the murder, they noted the residence was “filthy and not sanitary,” “the bedrooms smelled like urine” and the “mattresses, pillows and blankets were stained and soiled.” According to the boy’s defense attorney, Child Protective Services had been called to the house 20 times.
What this boy needs is a safe and therapeutic environment focused on rehabilitation. Moreover, he needs a continuity of care and support that begins when he is in confinement, follows him through his treatment and custody, and remains with him when he reenters the community.
Solution
The judge can meet these needs by sending the boy to a secure residential treatment facility, or group home. Such facilities are located in the community, secured 24 hours per day, and offer intensive and individualized treatment from a broad assortment of community resources, including psychiatrists, social workers and counselors.
Group homes do not have the extreme violence and gang subculture of DJF, and offer a range of security levels, allowing youth to gradually step down to less restrictive settings as they improve. Staying in the community also allows youth to maintain contact with their families and develop other support systems, which will ease their eventual transitions back to the community.
This young boy has been traumatized his entire life. Placing him in DJF, where his mental and emotional health will continue to decline, and where he will live in constant fear of assault, will only traumatize him further. Wherever the judge decides to send this child, he will return to his community by the time he is 23 years old. Eleven years from now, what sort of man do we want to come home?
The Importance of Having a Father Figure in the Household
The men on the mainline have a variety of opinions on fatherhood. “Asked on the Line” conducted random, informal interviews with 20 mainliners and asked: “Did you grow up with a dad? If not, did you have a father figure or male role model? What characteristic did you love about your dad or role model? What characteristic should every good father have?”
Nine or about 45 percent of the men interviewed did not grow up with fathers, but did have father figures or male role models they looked up to.
James Evens said that “Teddy” was his father figure. “He used to take us to the park and fishing in Louisiana,” said Evens. “What I liked most about Teddy is that he had many other women and he always looked out for us.”
For Kenyatta Leal, his sports coach, Dennis Garon, was his male role model. “He was caring, consistent and always available,” said Leal. “One thing I learned from him was my work ethic.”
“I didn’t have a dad or a male role model.
I was raised by my grandmother”
Ke Lam’s male role model was his teacher. “He was a good listener,” said Lam.
Rico Roger’s father figure was his stepfather and Dwight Kennedy’s father figure was his uncle. Kennedy respected his uncle’s integrity and ambition. But for Terrell Merritt, his “friend’s father” was his male role model.
Two men claimed that they had no father figure.
“I didn’t have a dad or a male role model. I was raised by my grandmother,” said Danny Linn. “She was honest and strong minded.”
Juan Arballo also claimed to have had no male role model in his life.
Of the men interviewed that had fathers, all liked or respected at least one trait or characteristic of their dads.
Rudy Walker liked that his dad was humble and a great provider. “He never beat us,” said Walker.
Tommy Winfrey liked that his dad was tough, while Tristan liked that his dad was “very calm.”
Eric Boles liked his father’s loyalty, and Nou Thou liked that his dad was “giving.”
“He was smart,” said Jesus Flores. “He had a great sense of humor,” said James Burrell.
“He was very loving,” said Joseph Demerson.
Many of the men were also proud to have similar character traits with their dads. “My dad and I both love women,” said Arturo Avalos.
Jeffrey Scott Long and his dad both know how to “build”. “I like building and creating,” said Long. “We both tend to work hard,” said Joseph Burrell.
Finally, as to what characteristic every good father should have: Leal, Flores, Merritt and Boles all thought a father should be present or there for his children. Long, Linn and Thou all thought a father should be loving to his children first and foremost. Demersen, Jones and Evens believe every good father should first be understanding toward his children.
“He should be dedicated,” said Kennedy. “He should be truthful,” said Burrell.
“He should express love for his children,” said Winfrey.
“He should educate his children,” said Walker.
“He should be a positive example,” said Lam.
“He should have integrity,” said Arballo.
“He should know how to communicate with his children,” said Avalos.
Feather River College Makes Historical Decision
Six years ago, the faculty and staff at Feather River College made what they were sure would be an historic decision. Professor Joan Parkin said the fateful decision was “to open its doors to the incarcerated for the first time in the college’s history.”
The Feather River College Incarcerated Student Program (ISP) is the newest rehabilitative program permitted to provide educational opportunities to qualified San Quentin students.
Parkin, who holds a Ph.D. and is director of the program, and Kelly Conner, instructional assistant with ISP, recently spent time speaking with San Quentin prisoners, taking applications for a course in French language, and eventually enrolling around 50 prisoners. This was FRCs second visit to San Quentin this year.
Since 2007, Feather River College has been offering correspondence only courses to prisoners. The California Correctional Center at Susanville, the Central California Women’s Facility, Pelican Bay in Crescent City, the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, and now San Quentin provide FRC on-site classes for the incarcerated.
FRC’s interest in San Quentin came about because of prisoner Michael Calvin Holmes, who was enrolled in the college program while at the California Men’s Colony. At CMC, Holmes took Pre Algebra, Arts Appreciation, English, Psychology, and is now able to take a class in Beginning French at San Quentin.
“As a continuing student, I am confident that my participation in Feather River College will assure my success,” said Holmes. “I feel FRC has given me a new start and a solid foundation as well.”
According to Parkin, FRC offers “a general education set of courses, occupation and technical programs and Associate degree.” Their program is set up to give the opportunity to receive certificates to a diverse prisoner population.
San Quentin educator Tom Bolema said, “A growing demand for college programming among resident students is timely, as SQ’s GED literacy coordinator are effecting many graduations.
“We are funded the same way every community college is, by the Board of Governors, as it applies to all California residents including prisoners,” said Parkin. The cost of all college books issued to students is absorbed by FRC, because most students cannot afford them.
“We need more funding for what we aim to do which is to bring an associates degree program to any inmate who wants one,” said Parkin. Feather River College would like to provide a re-entry structured program upon a student’s release.
San Quentin educator J. Kaufman commented, “A major portion of California’s budgetary pie is spent on the CDCR (incarcerating prisoners). All the preeminent prison research studies show that educating inmates reduces recidivism.” Many prison educators say that funds can be reallocated to other areas of need by spending less taxpayer dollars on incarceration.
Professor Parkin said one goal of Feather River College is to provide programs that “will enhance personal development and rehabilitation through an effective learning process that helps students to attain their goals.” This helps to increase the student’s “self worth and confidence,” explained Parkin.
FRC Instructional Assistant Conner said it would take ISP students 6 semesters to complete an Associate degree and “will advance their educational growth.”
When asked what it means to be part of Feather River College’s Beginning French course, prisoner Orlando Harris said, “For me, it means I have an opportunity to be part of San Quentin’s Voluntary Education Program, which allows me to pursue my educational goals.”
ISPs vision entails a multi-faceted set of offers such as short-term certificate programs, to maintain the college-level quality and rigor expected of students, provide quality education to a diverse group of prisoners of various backgrounds, ages and genders, and expanded employment opportunities.
Maintaining high expectations for “success, educational preparedness, and student achievement with the goal of reducing recidivism rates” is high on the Feather River College agenda.
“Everyone benefits from this opportunity,” said instructional assistant Conner. “We are thrilled to be part of this important opportunity for you men at San Quentin and hope to expand our curriculum here.”
San Quentin literacy coordinator K. Williams who helped facilitate FRC’s visit around the prison, said, “FRC offers correspondence courses designed for even ‘condemned row’ prisoners to receive an AA degree. As such, every San Quentin prisoner has the opportunity to be successful in getting a quality education.”
Among the many educational institutions that offer programs to San Quentin are Coastline College, Patten College, Lassen Community College, Ohio University and Blackstone College. FRC is coordinating with these other programs to provide even more opportunities.
“We are all at San Quentin to assist in educating—this is not a competition,” said Parkin. FRC is unique in the sense that it “provides education with a human touch… designed to accommodate as many students as possible.”
FRC facilitators say that public skepticism abounds when it comes to educating the incarcerated, but the FRC’s supporters understand that this is a result of “over three decades of more retributive than rehabilitative policies governed by tough-on-crime legislators.”
FRC’s catalogue elucidates the importance of education behind bars which benefits both the prisoner and society. Former California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary James E. Tilton in the FRC catalog said he values an educated prison populace. Tilton argued, “Post secondary education programs provide prisoners with opportunities and tools required for successful re-entry into society.”
This reinforcement reduces recidivism and provides “enormous fiscal and public safety benefits.” In other words, “an ex-felon who is educated, is as much better neighbor than one who is not,” according to research from Feather River College.
San Quentin prisoner and FRC applicant JulianGlenn Padgett said, “This is a special time to further my education and invest time in learning. I’m excited about being a part of Feather River College and what they promote.”
Padgett said that those who participate in opportunities such as those provided by FRC, “have the advantage of equal opportunities once we are released from incarceration.”
Skeptics insist that spending money to educate prisoners is wasted money. “Spending $51,000 per year to keep an uneducated, unskilled individual in prison just doesn’t make any sense,” said Conner. “This is a perfect opportunity to prepare someone to make it in society after release from prison.”
“Educating inmates has a positive ripple effect throughout society; it improves the quality of life for all citizens,” said Kaufman.
Teacher Tom Bolema said that there is strong evidence that these programs not only provide the tools to students to succeed in the classroom, they lower recidivism.
Parkin said they have seen “complete transformations.” Some men and women could “barely write” when they enrolled in the program, and then learned beyond expectations.
“There is much excitement here, especially for the Volunteer Education Program coordinators, to have more access for students to higher education,” said Bolema, “This is good for residents, good for custody [staff], and good for the prison culture.”
“A lot of what we do has to do with how receptive each prison’s administration is toward education as a rehabilitative tool,” said Conner. “San Quentin seems to be a place where prisoners can enjoy an atmosphere where everyone seems to get along for the most part.”
FRC recently held its 3rd commencement ceremony at Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, graduating 35 students, some with Associate Degrees, according to Parkin.
The high security Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City recently had its first graduation. One student graduate was housed in that prison’s Security Housing Unit (SHU), a first at that institution. The SHU graduate, who took courses by correspondence, was escorted in shackles to a designated area in the prison and issued his diploma by FRC staff.
Instructional Assistant Kelly Conner
Both FRC representatives, Joan Parkin and Kelly Conner, had a powerful influence on both students and San Quentin staff.
“It was a very noticeable impact on the overall atmosphere of San Quentin’s Education Department, creating a mood of excitement and energy about pursuing subjects not offered at other San Quentin based colleges,” said K. Williams.
“I feel privileged to be part of the FRC program,” said Joe Shelton. “There is no doubt that the education I’m receiving via FRC courses are going to make the difference for the better I’ve been striving for since my incarceration.”
For more information visit www.frc.edu
Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin
Memorial Day
It was an overcast morning on the lower yard when the Vietnam Veterans Group took San Quentin’s Field of Dreams. At a few minutes before noon on May 28, the command to “Fall in!” pierced through the yard as the as nearly 45 group members displayed their patriotism in company formation for a Memorial Day observance.
The group waited at parade rest under the leadership of Chairman Christopher ‘Nuke’ Schuhmacher until the clock struck high noon. From across the field, the Honor Guard raised the United States and POW/MIA flags and began their march towards the formation.
The command was given and the group came to attention and awaited the posting of the colors. With the Honor Guard in place, Chairman Schuhmacher gave the command ‘Present Arms!’ that was followed by a group salute from the formation.
Honor Guard member, trumpet player, Larry ‘Popeye’ Faison, took his position on the field, and played Taps to honor the men and women who gave their lives serving in the military.
Craig Johnson, a US Navy veteran and VVGSQ Honor Guard squad leader, said of his participation, “Memorial Day is a day to honor those who have served in defense of this country and given the ultimate sacrifice. I may be incarcerated, but today I still take pride in my ability to serve.”
Once Taps was completed, the command ‘Order Arms!’ was given and Faison reentered the Honor Guard’s formation. They skillfully wheeled about and made their way back across the field. Chairman Schuhmacher and the entire VVGSQ waited at attention while the Honor Guard exited.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, which seldom happens on a prison yard of over 1000 men. After a moment of silence, Chairman Schuhmacher gave the command ‘Fall out!’ and the group disbursed and went their separate ways.
“In my 13 years of incarceration, I’ve never been as proud to be a veteran as I was that day with my veteran brothers.”, said US Air Force veteran Schuhmacher. “On that day…for those brief moments, I forgot all about being locked up. I was able to reflect on the significance of what it means to serve in the US Armed Forces. I hope I never lose that feeling.”
The VVGSQ is a veterans group at San Quentin made up of honorably discharged veterans from all eras 1776 to present. If you’ve served in the United States Armed Forces and have an embossed DD-214 ‘Under Honorable Conditions’ discharge, please contact the VVGSQ member-at-large in your housing unit to obtain an application.
For those without ‘Honorable’ discharge status, the VVGSQ encourages you to contact the VIP office in the Education Dept. to begin the procedure for having your discharge upgraded. The VVGSQ welcomes your participation in our mission of continuing to serve the veteran community.
Correction Officer Hunt Retires and Goes Fishing
Officer Gregory Hunt retired on May 16 after 29 years at San Quentin State Prison, Hunt says one thing he is sorry he missed during his years here is the visit of Mother Theresa.
7:30 on the Thursday morning he retired, the staff of the Education Building, where Hunt had been stationed for the past several years, gave him a little going-away celebration saying “Please don’t go!”
Someone asked him about his one-year and five-year plan for retirement. He said he plans to get his house in shape because he has been working so much he has a bit of deferred maintenance. He also said he is going to get his boat in shape so he can do some fishing. Sharing donuts all around, Officer Hunt said he is happy to have had the job at San Quentin.
“You know how some people dread to go to work and figure out ways to be on sick leave to stay home from work?” Well, he says, “I have always enjoyed my work here. I have never woke up and dreaded to come to work!”
His experiences during his 29-year career at San Quentin have always been fulfilling and satisfying, but sometimes there was tension.
When he was young and looking for a way to go in life, he kept seeing one of his friend’s big overtime check. That made him want to work at San Quentin too. During the first day on the job and at the start of his training, the officer who was conducting a tour of the prison told him not to worry about the rifle shots he kept hearing. “Just routine! Happens every day, don’t worry about it,” said the training officer. Hunt indicates that statement made him think a little bit, but he is glad made a career with the prison system.
During his stay at San Quentin, Hunt has worked every post there is, from Condemned Row to the tower positions. The front gate was one of the most enjoyable, because of all the great people he has been able to meet, including famous and not-so-famous people.
There have been a lot of changes in CDCR during Hunts stay at San Quentin. He says the most significant change has been the advent of all the other prisons in the state. Up until that point, there were 1,700 ad seg cells and the whole prison was in constant lockdown. “Before Pelican Bay, we had the real bad boys!” he said.
Working the various posts Hunt has had a variety of experiences. Some he liked and some he did not. He liked meeting Carlos Santana, Paul Rodriguez, Ice T, and Star Trek stars — as visitors, that is.
The administration was taken aback because they didn’t know who Ice T was. Hunt added, “They were surprised by his entourage when he came to put on a show in the dining hall.”
Asked if he ever feels sorry for the Death Row guys or anyone, he said, “Never. They did what they did and we all have to deal with the consequences of our actions.” However, he quickly added, “This place is Wally World compared to what it was years ago.”
Some of the inmates he has supervised include Charles Manson, Richard Ramirez, and Richard Allen Davis, the guy who killed Polly Klaus, thereby starting the three strikes movement.
If you want an eerie feeling, “just escort the guy who was the cause of three strikes. Walking across and area with 500 guys who stare at your ward with absolutely the most intense hatred you can imagine,” he said. “Well, let’s just say it’s intense.”
Hunt says that when he first started, there were no false alarms. He said there were a lot of spearings, stabbings, and other violent acts. Yet the men all got three hot meals a day. At first, all the inmates were serious offenders. Regardless of whether you wear green or blue, “This is like a small city,” he says, “and it’s up to each officer to make a place for himself. Just like the inmates!” he opined.
“With Berkeley, Stanford, and lots of self-help programs, San Quentin is a pioneer,” said Hunt. “Do all the programs do any good?” he questions.” And then he answers himself saying, “If they help even one young kid or other inmate, it’s worth it.”
Officer Hunt has some strong feelings about what works and what doesn’t work. For one thing he says, lifers have a very low risk of coming back to prison. “After a person has done a long time in prison, he’s not likely to do something stupid when he gets out.”
Hunt said, “The governor is a politician and no politician wants to be blamed for even one person getting out and committing a crime. But, if these men had jobs, that would make a real difference.”
He said that if a man gets out of prison but can’t even get a legitimate job, well, obviously he doesn’t have many options. “What does society expect?” he asked.
Officer Hunt says that the legal system doesn’t always have clean hands either. He told of one San Quentin ward, Black Panther Party leader Geronimo Pratt, who the FBI let sit here in prison for 20 years before it became known that they knew he didn’t commit the crime. They had him under surveillance at the time of the alleged incident, and knew that he was somewhere else and didn’t do it. “So,” he commented, “from Charles Manson to Huey Newton, I’ve seen quite a few inmates and the one thing I have to say is that you have to consider each one on his own.”
Drawing from his many years of experience, Gregory Hunt said, “Everyone should be required to have at least a GED before they can get out.” Pausing for a second, he adds, “And we should help them get a job.”
Hunt says of his nearly three decades at San Quentin, “it’s been fun, but now I’m going fishing.”
Anna Phelan Shares Her Experience on San Quentin Visit
One of San Quentin’s strongest friends is Anna Phelan, the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of Gorillas in the Mist, and Mask, who has been supporting the prison’s television operation for many years.
The first time Phelan came to San Quentin the word she used to describe her experience was “clarity.”
“I just thought, ‘Oh my God; people don’t know,’” Phelan said. “I mean, all of these people incarcerated.”
Phelan made her first trip to San Quentin in 1991. She said that coming to the prison obviously had an enormous effect on her because she keeps coming back
“I come back to volunteer and do interviews trying to raise money for the TV station here,” said Phelan.
During her first visit, Phelan met with Lt. Vernell Crittendon, who at that time was San Quentin’s public relations officer; television specialist Larry Schneider and the SQTV production team.
What hooked her, Phelan said, were all the incarcerated people she saw, because afterwards she went home “confused and messed up.”
“I felt I had to do something,” said Phelan “That was the start of it–just being aware of the prison industrial complex.”
Phelan said she saw the prisoners’ brainpower — some good and maybe some not so good — and felt she had to do something. For over 20 years, Phelan has volunteered her movie making skills from filmmaking to script writing to help the men of San Quentin improve themselves.
“The way to start to turn it around is to have people from the outside come in and give their expertise to the incarcerated,” Phelan said. “So the inmate may have a chance out there.”
Through her efforts as a volunteer Phelan has brought other celebrities to San Quentin, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Taylor Branch, film director Martha Coolidge, and Paula Walker a commercial director and winner of the Cannes Silver Lion Award.
“The fact that I brought my son in here to volunteer underlies how important I think volunteers are,” Phelan said. “It comes down to just taking care of people, whether your family or complete strangers.”
Phelan put her beliefs of helping complete strangers into action while living in Santa Monica when 15-year-old Jonathan McDonald was arrested for stealing her Jeep Cherokee.
“I had to go to court and testify and when I took a look at that young man, I thought about this kid and my experience at San Quentin.”
Had it not been for her experience at San Quentin, Phelan said she probably would not have testified in McDonald’s favor.
“I saw him and I thought something had to be done, so after he was sent to a youth facility in Lancaster, I contacted him,” Phelan said.
Phelan said as little girl growing up, she always felt somewhat odd and alien from the rest of the world, and that she has always been attracted to stories about people who are alienated or at least feel alienated from everyone else.”
After getting approval from his counselor, Phelan made arrangements to visit McDonald.
“When he saw me, I think he thought I was there to hurt him,” said Phelan. “We talked and I told him that when he got out, he was to come and see me, but don’t steal any of the vehicles.”
Eventually McDonald was released, Phelan said then he took his driver’s license test in the same car he been arrested for stealing years ago.
“After awhile, he went back to Texas, enrolled into high school and got his GED,” Phelan said.
He finished college in Texas and now works as a teacher’s assistant.
“Jonathan’s a grown man with a family now,” she added.
As she gets older, Phelan said there is something about taking care of each other as we go through life.
In the movie A Streetcar Named Desire, Phelan said there is a wonderful line where the character Blanche Dubois says, “I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.”
“There’s something about being kind to strangers,” Phelan said. “That I think filters through our whole lives and hopefully makes our lives worth living.”
Los Angeles County Jail Seeks Solutions for Overcrowding
Los Angeles County began seeking solutions to reduce overcrowding in its jails in 2011. Several problems, including a dramatic dip in revenues and the state realignment program, have shifted many prisoners who would otherwise be bound for state prisons into the county jail.
The Los Angles Police Department (LAPD) doled out almost $81 million in the last fiscal year to settle lawsuits, the Los Angeles Times reported.
An increase in parolees under county supervision also has caused overcrowding to become a “looming crisis” despite serious efforts to reduce the number of inmates by using electronic subpoenas, video arraignments and early disposition programs.
“To reduce the jail population and achieve system-wide savings, every criminal justice agency leader must commit to reducing unnecessary detention and incarceration in the interests of justice and the efficient use of taxpayer resources,” according to a report by the Vera Institute of Justice.Vera worked in conjunction with the Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee to review policies and procedures, convene focus groups and meetings and collect and analyze data from several agencies within the county criminal justice system. In addition, Vera conducted extensive interviews and site visits, plus reviewed the legal and research literature on topics germane to its goal.
In Vera’s revised final report released in September 2011, the institute urged criminal justice agencies to collaborate in order to reduce overcrowding.
To accomplish this, law enforcement, the courts, prosecutors and probation officers must find a way to create consensus on how best to use the available jail space and find alternatives for the overflow. The report suggested that rewarding the efforts of the criminal justice to comply could encourage cooperation.
The report also recommended that the county must address several systematic problems to get defendants assessed and released faster, including refining the probation system and improving inter-agency communication and data-keeping systems.
An additional recommendation was that law enforcement agencies keep mentally ill, intoxicated and homeless people out of the criminal justice system, which can impede prisoner processing.
For all these recommendations to be successful, Vera advised, the agencies involved must work with a sense of urgency and commitment.
San Rafael Pacifics Dominate San Quentin’s All-Star Team
On a perfect Saturday morning for America’s favorite pastime, San Quentin’s Field of Dreams wasn’t so gracious to its inmate All-Star team as the San Rafael Pacifics had three big-scoring innings in a 17-3 victory.
“Don’t let the score reflect the progress we’ve made as a prison baseball team,” said Giants head coach, Frankie Smith. “We represented a different side of incarcerated men than what the mainstream media portrays.”
Eight players from San Quentin A’s and eight from the San Quentin Giants made up the All-Star team roster.
“It was one of the best days I’ve had since incarcerated,” said A’s head coach John Parratt. “I feel my utility player, Nghiep K. Lam, represents what the A’s are all about.”
“I am thankful for the chance to play the game I love since childhood – baseball. I am proud to be one of the founding members of the San Quentin Athletics,” Lam said. “Since the formation of the team in 2011, we had these goals: have a great time and play as one unit. Winning is good too.”
The Pacifics is a professional baseball team is in its second season. It competes in a league consisting of a team in Vallejo, two teams in Hawaii, and four in Arizona. Last year the team went 36-24 and won the league championship.
Four members from that championship team returned to play this season. “That’s a good thing for our club,” said Operation Manager Hunter Harenstein. “That means we’re doing our job by sending players up to higher levels of play.”
The team’s home stadium is Albert Park in San Rafael, where half of this season’s 84 games will be played. “The Pacifics provide the local community with low-cost fun, in a family-friendly environment,” said team General Manager Mike Shapiro.
Shapiro said he was impressed by the turnout, adding, “Looks like we have a bunch of fans at San Quentin.”
About 300 prisoners jockeying for position shuffled around the Field of Dreams, wanting to get the best view of the game. As the spectators settled into place, they taunted and cheered players from both teams.
On-line radio station bggg101.com Boomerang broadcasted the game that Saturday night. “We’re scheduled to broadcast all the Pacific games,” said station owner David Winter.
Lt. Sam Robinson, San Quentin’s public information officer, threw out the first pitch.
Ruben Harper at back catcher
going for Darrick Hale’s pop up ball
Both pitcher tossed a shutout through four innings, during which the Pacifics only managed one hit off All-Star pitcher Jeff Dewey Dumont.
Pacifics starting pitcher, Logan Odom, played college ball at University of Southern California, was drafted by the Angels and played on their AA team. “It’s great to play baseball with a bunch of guys who just love the game,” he said.
Steve Detwiler of the Pacifics scored the first of six runs in the top of the fifth inning. “It was crazy — all those fans screaming as I rounded third. It was fun,” he said.
The next batter, infielder Darrick Hale, smacked a three-run homer.
Last season Hale batted .280 with five homers and 33 RBIs. “I’m just trying to be a team player,” he said. “I wanted to make contact with the ball. He left a fastball right down the middle, and it just happened to go.”
This is Hale’s second season with the Pacifics. A southern California boy, he played at Compton Junior College and California State Los Angeles. The Reds originally drafted him.
Chase Fontaine followed Hale with his own homers.
All-Star player Eli “Slugger” Sala swinging at one of Logan Odom pitches
A native of Florida, Fontaine played minor league ball for the Braves, the Devil Rays, and Royals. “I feel blessed to come here and compete with you guys. Every credit goes to the Big Man upstairs.”
The San Quentin baseball players and spectators struck up conversations with the outside guests, including the Pacifics’ families, a cameraman from local television station KTVU, and bggg101.com radio Boomerang personalities.
“I used to play on a traveling baseball team, called The Travelers,” prisoner Antonio Manning 51, told station owner Winter. “Even though we’re getting smashed, it’s fun just to come out and watch a game.”
Harenstein said he feels honored to play against some men who seem to have turned their lives around. “I didn’t expect this,” he said. “You guys are completely different from what we see on TV.”
“I think Chris Deragon got a lot out of this game,” said Giant’s coach Smith.
“This game gave me an opportunity to be in a positive place,” said Deragon. “The best play of the game was when Colman made that play at second. That was top-notch ESPN stuff.” He added, “My fiancé had the chance to listen to this game, and that means a lot to me.”
Boomerang owner Winter commented, “We’ll also report on local high school sports and local musicians.” He said he’d like to include a talk show to discuss local topics, adding there is also a shopping network featuring local stores.
“The Pacifics are a very good and disciplined team,” said A’s coach Parratt. “I asked them, ‘If a guy’s a former prisoner, could they work for the organization?’ and they said yes.”
“There are a lot of compassionate people who come in prison to help us,” said Smith. “Whether incarcerated or free, we all have the love of baseball.”