In honor of his years of volunteer work at California’s oldest prison, University of California Berkeley Journalism Professor William J. Drummond was invited to the White House on Oct. 22, as part of an award ceremony for serving his community.
Drummond was presented the John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award on the 50th anniversary of The White House Fellows Foundation program. The award is given in “hopes to draw attention to the depth and breadth of contributions to the nation made by White House Fellows and to highlight the return on person chosen to be a Fellow.”
Drummond said he had hoped that his fellowship from 1976 to 1977 would give him an understanding of the inner workings of government so he could go back to his community to better serve the people.
“In my 50 years in journalism I have written thousands of stories. I am at a loss to remember any story I ever did that made anybody better off,” Drummond said in his acceptance speech to more than 600 former White House Fellows and other dignitaries. “But in the work I’ve been doing at San Quentin since 2012, I can see the changes for the better.”
The White House Fellows program was created in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson with the belief that a genuinely free society cannot be a spectator society. Each year a presidential commission selects a handful of young men and women to come to Washington and work in government. The program teaches participants about leadership as they see the nation’s leaders at work and meet with leaders from other sectors of society.
Drummond was assigned to the White House Press Office in 1976 and worked as associate press secretary to President Jimmy Carter. His main assignment was liaison with the Washington Press Corps. He says the experience was an eye-opener because he got to experience the press as someone who was not a reporter, because he was on a leave of absence from his reporting position at the Los Angeles Times.
“I had to deal with a lot of former colleagues who were more interested in ‘gotcha moments’ and sound bites,” Drummond said. “That experience took journalism off the pedestal. Up until then, I thought journalism was the answer to big government. Instead, I saw it was big media companies that had a lot of influence over government.”
Drummond said he was asked to stay on after his fellowship, but he decided not to. After his fellowship, he went back to the Washington bureau of the Los Angeles Times and eventually moved to NPR in 1979.
He began teaching at the UC Berkeley Journalism School in 1983.
In 2012, Drummond volunteered to teach a college course in basic journalism at San Quentin. Several writers for the San Quentin News enrolled and showed Drummond a copy of the newspaper. Subsequently, the inmates invited Drummond to the newsroom, introduced him to its staff and operations and soon after asked him to join the newspaper’s team of journalist advisers. Without hesitation, Drummond accepted.
Since then, Drummond has established a relationship of friendship and mutual respect with the staff. Three times a week, Drummond, along with a few of his Berkeley students, make their way across the bridge to the prison to help the inmates research and write their stories for the San Quentin News, one of the few remaining prison newspapers in the country. Drummond often says he knows more people on the Lower Yard of San Quentin Prison than he does on the vast UC Berkeley campus.
Participating students note how signifi cant this experience is to their understanding of the purpose of journalism and service.
“I feel that journalism is very important just by bringing an issue to the public’s attention,” said UC Berkeley student Knowles Adkisson. “There’s something powerful in that you can change people’s circumstances in a positive way.”
Charlotte Jacquemart, a visiting scholar from Switzerland in residence now at UC Berkeley, has found significant variations between the American criminal justice system and that of her own country.
“The work with the inmates at San Quentin opened my eyes about how much the U.S. justice system is screwed up and how racist it is on top. In my country, we focus on rehabilitation and try to integrate wrong-doers back into society as soon as possible,” Jacquemart said.
Drummond feels that bringing UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate journalism students provides them with a rare opportunity to learn.
“Having my UC Berkeley students visiting and working with prison journalists, I have seen stereotypes break down and young reporters gain confidence in their abilities to relate to people from entirely different circumstances and backgrounds,” he said in his Washington acceptance speech.
Before going to the White House, Drummond gave San Quentin News staffers the opportunity to write a short memo about their incarceration, which he incorporated into the acceptance speech.
San Quentin News Design Editor Richard “Bonaru” Richardson wrote: “As an African-American, equality doesn’t exist because I’ve never experienced it. But I do know forgiveness because that’s all I have.”
Staff Writer, Columnist and Spanish Translator Miguel Quezada said: “At 16 I was tried, convicted and subsequently sentenced as an adult. I grew up in the adult prison system. My question: When do children stop being children in America?”
Drummond’s acceptance speech was a hit among the audience at the White House.
“As I left the hall, many people approached me and said it was moving and the best thing on the lengthy program,” Drummond said. “One death penalty lawyer said she wept.”
A program officer from a big national foundation approached Drummond and asked him if the paper needed funding. He explained to the program officer how vulnerable the paper is to state budget cuts. However, Drummond felt that his visit to the White House was significant for purposes other than catching the attention of potential funders.
“The reason San Quentin inmates should care about the newspaper being recognized at the White House is that the people whom I met and talked to have zero understanding or appreciation of incarceration or its consequences,” Drummond said. “What I was able to do is bring authentic voices to them. The people who read the newspaper said its contents were a revelation to them.”
Archives for December 2015
Delegation From Nepal Courts Look at San Quentin in Search of Restorative Justice
Six high court judges from Nepal visited San Quentin to learn about its restorative justice practices in prison and to take part in a group dialogue.
In November, the Victim Offender Education Group (VOEG) and the Insight Prison Project (IPP) hosted a roundtable discussion with the justices, 12 inmates and other guests.
With the help of Ashley Clark from Asia Foundation and Karena Montag, IPP program supervisor, inmate Phoeun You welcomed the group. Prior to the discussion, participants meditated before “checking in” to share how they want to be remembered.
The comments ranged from “kindness,” “honesty,” “forgiving and forgiven,” “lived without judgment” and “forgiveness.”
For several hours, the Nepali delegation listened to incarcerated Americans talk about the impact their crimes had on victims, society and themselves. The men also discussed how to heal their victims and themselves in the wake of their offenses.
“I came into the program with an open heart,” said Dywayne “Kairi” Reynolds. “I wanted to be open and honest. I was ashamed of the person I had become.”
Reynolds said in 1990 he killed his work supervisor. He said his victim’s survivor wanted to know who he was.
“I didn’t know what forgiveness looked like,” said Reynolds. “I was afraid. But when I shook her hand, I cried.” He said the victim’s survivor forgave him.
“I think satisfaction of healing of the victim is a good outcome and I’m impressed,” said Rajendra Khare. “At the last moment when she forgives him that’s important, and that he takes responsibility.”
Khare listened to Reynolds’ story and those of others intensely. He studied the group as he jotted down notes to take back with him to Nepal.
“That’s just so moving,” said Sujata Baliga of Reynolds. “I felt grateful.”
IPP Replication Director Sonya Shah said some victims’ family members have “mixed feelings” about survivors engaging in dialogue with offenders.
Shah described how victims might sometimes attend a parole hearing and influence how the denial of a release date takes place.
Bimal Pondel was curious about the system of parole, the process of hearings with the parole board and victim-offender reconciliation. He asked, “What does it take to bring victims in here?”
“Victims don’t always come to parole hearings,” explained Baliga. “Sometimes they send a letter.”
Tommy Ross, who has been incarcerated 30 years, said the legal process sometimes leaves victims and offenders faceless and voiceless. By connecting with one of his victims, he was able to relate to the harm he had caused and to learn empathy.
“It’s validating to hear him (Ross) say he needed to hear from his first victim,” said Baliga.
“Prior to San Quentin I had no idea what restorative justice was,” said Ross. “Restorative justice has allowed me to connect with others. I’m able to see and be seen; hear and be heard.”
Isaiah Thompson has been incarcerated for 16 years for attempted murder. He said everyone should be dealt with, victim and offender.
“Our justice systems are retributive, and they’re not working,” said Thompson. He explained how coming face to face with victims is sometimes therapeutic for both parties. “I saw the look on those people’s (victims) faces and realized I was broken,” he said.
Thompson shared a story with the judges: In San Quentin he met the perpetrator of a crime in which his great-uncle was murdered. “I was conflicted,” he said.
Instead of exacting vengeance, he used restorative justice practices to connect and forgive. “I began healing,” he said.
Thompson said the example in his story was important for everyone. “I realized it’s no longer our story but the world’s story,” he said.
Taonga Rolando Ngoma De Leslie asked the men, “What did it take to change?”
“I didn’t want to face myself,” said Nghiep “Ke” Lam, who has been incarcerated 17 years for murder.
Lam quoted his victim’s mother as saying, “Though I laugh and have fun, I’m not truly happy. When I visit my son, I visit a grave.”
Lam explained what took place at his first parole hearing. He was denied parole and told he would be reconsidered in five years.
Lam said VOEG helped him to gain insight, and a victim survivors’ panel made him feel the impact he has made on the family of his victim. It was then that he applied himself to making the changes necessary to turn his life around.
At his next parole hearing Lam said his victim’s parents made their sentiments known again.
Lam said the mother of his victim wrote a letter to tell him that he “will never know what happiness is.” Lam was surprised when he read further, “I want you to know I forgive you,” she wrote.
Lam said his victim’s father wrote, “I truly believe you are remorseful. I forgive you,” adding, “I hope you do well out there.”
“The mechanism proves to be so important,” said Keshari Raj Pandit. “What happened in the second parole hearing?”
Lam said by applying what he learned in VOEG and restorative justice he has been able to turn his life around. The Board of Parole Hearings recognized it and granted Lam a parole date.
“I’ve forgiven myself many years ago,” said Lam.
At the end of the discussion, everyone stood up from their seats, formed a circle and held hands for a closing thought.
“We don’t need a circle to do this,” said You. He said it starts at home. He then asked everyone to “check out” and express what they were feeling.
The first comment made was about feeling a “new dimension,” the last was on feeling “hopeful.”
Condemned Inmates Face New Execution Drug
The public will have a chance to be heard on California’s plan for a one-drug execution procedure at a public hearing in Sacramento, scheduled for Jan. 7 next year.
Executions have been on hold in California since 2006, when a federal judge invalidated the state’s three-drug “cocktail” then used for lethal injections. The judge said executions could continue if the state switched to a one-drug method. Presently around 750 males are confined on San Quentin’s Condemned Row. Twenty-one females, confined at a women’s facility in the Central Valley, are under death sentences.
In 2011 a Marin County judge rejected a new three-drug procedure proposed by the state, saying it did not explain why it had not chosen a one-drug method.
The controversy about execution methods comes amid a nationwide shortage of lethal injection drugs.
Since the 1980s many states in the U.S. have conducted executions using a three-drug “cocktail.” However, the European Union has forbidden manufacturers to sell their products to the U.S. if the drugs are to be used in capital punishment.
The botched 2015 execution of Charles F. Warner in Oklahoma, along with lawsuits in various states against three-drug executions, has led states across the country to switch to one-drug executions. All this comes after the U.S. Supreme Court, earlier this year, refused to block Oklahoma from using a controversial chemical as part of its three-drug protocol for lethal injections.
California’s proposal for a one-drug procedure was submitted on Nov. 6 in order to meet a court-imposed deadline on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), which had been sued by the families of murder victims who accused the state of dragging its feet on executions.
If the proposed one-drug procedure is implemented, 16 condemned men who have exhausted their appeals could be issued death warrants. The condemned men’s convictions occurred between 1981 and 1989. They range in age from the oldest, 78 (Royal Hayes), to the youngest, 49 (Tiequon Cox).
The proposed execution method would require San Quentin’s warden to choose one of the following lethal barbiturates: pentobarbital, amobarbital, secobarbital or thiopental, depending on which drug is available.
One-drug executions might cost slightly more than $185,000 per condemned prisoner, including the cost of drugs and the staff time needed to carry out the procedure.
The CDCR commented that the 2005 execution of Stanley “Tookie” Williams, founder of the “Crips” gang, was the costliest in the state’s history. Before the execution, all state prisons were “placed on lockdown alert status and extra security measures were implemented,” due to William’s high-profile status. According to the department, while it is possible that future executions could require this level of cost, it is not indicative of the average cost associated with an execution.
Prior to a scheduled execution, a sanity review of the condemned prisoner is conducted. Thereafter, the prisoner receives his or her requested last meal, gives instructions on what to do with personal property and disposal of remains, along with burial arrangements. If the prisoner resists the execution, a use-of force procedure is set in place.
In order to carry out executions, CDCR must create and train a Lethal Injection Team that comprises a minimum of 12 members.
The Intravenous Sub- Team (IST) would have a minimum of four members. The IST places the one-drug injection needles in the appropriate veins and places the heart monitor on the condemned prisoner.
The Infusion Sub-Team prepares the one-drug barbiturate according to the manufacturer’s directions. At least one of the four members must be a physician, physician’s assistant, pharmacist, registered nurse, emergency medical technician, paramedic or medic.
The Record Keeping Sub-Team (RKST) consists of a minimum of four members and is tasked with the countdown to beginning the injections, keeping a log and documenting each step of the execution.
Inside the execution chamber will be three color-coded trays, consisting of 7.5 grams of the one-drug barbiturate chosen by the warden.
Tray A, color-coded red, is the primary source of the lethal injection drug. Tray B, colored-coded blue, is a backup tray. Tray C, color-coded yellow, is an alternate backup tray.
Each tray has six color-coded syringes, five of which contain the one-drug barbiturate and one syringe containing a saline flush.
According to the proposed procedure, if all six syringes from Tray A have been administered, 10 minutes have elapsed and death has not been declared, the warden orders the backup syringes from Tray B. If the syringes from Tray B have been administered, 10 minutes have elapsed and death has not been declared, the alternate backups from Tray C would be administered.
In the event all six syringes from Tray C have been administered, 10 minutes have elapsed and death has not been declared, the warden orders the preparation of five additional syringes of the one-drug barbiturate.
In the event all five syringes have been administered, 10 minutes have elapsed and death has not been declared, the warden orders the preparation of a second set of five additional syringes of the one-drug barbiturate for the execution to be carried out.
After the condemned prisoner expires, the warden reads a prepared statement via the public address system notifying the witnesses the execution is complete.
The media is to be notified by the warden about an hour after the execution that the sentence has been carried out, including the time of death, along with any statement by the condemned prisoner.
There are procedures to “ensure the inmate’s body is placed with care and dignity into a postmortem bag pending removal as pre-arranged with the contract mortuary.”
Golden State Warriors Defeat SQ Warriors, 99-76
“Worth its weight in gold,” read a sign made from a newspaper article about the Golden State Warriors’ 2015 NBA Championship. It was attached to the fence surrounding San Quentin’s Lower Yard, which was packed with hundreds of prisoners eagerly awaiting the arrival of the champion organization for the annual community basketball game.
The game had been postponed since its original date in September. After news reports of Head Coach Steve Kerr’s injury and back surgery, it wasn’t clear if the game would happen at all. Later, the whole team was cleared to come in Oct. 23. Word spread like wildfire on the yard.
San Quentin Warriors Montrell Vines and Brad Shells were shooting jump shots at 9 a.m. Point guard Joshua Burton swept the surface of the blue-green basketball court, equipped with uneven opposite rims. San Quentin’s play-by-play announcer, Aaron “Harun” Taylor, scrambled to get the PA system working with the help of Ben Ford.
At around 11 a.m., Bob Myers, the Golden State Warriors general manager, led his team onto the Lower Yard with a glint of determination in his eyes. After losing last year’s game by four points, this year was his. By the end of the game, Myers had dropped 43 points and subbed out with six minutes still on the clock.
The Golden State team had just returned to the Bay Area at 1:30 a.m. from a week-long pre-season road trip. Still, many of them showed up.
“We love coming in. So, we made it work. I think for us to show up lets everyone here know you are important, no matter where you are in life,” said Myers pre-game.
The San Quentin Warriors lost 99-76 to Golden State, the team that has won everything this year including the D-League Championship and NBA Championship.
Additionally, player Stephen Curry won League MVP, Myers won NBA Executive of the Year and Andre Iguodala won the Finals MVP.
“We were ready. We were hungry,” said Kirk Lacob, the Golden State assistant general manager. “We wanted the Triple Crown—the NBA title, the D-League title and the San Quentin title.”
Before the game, San Quentin Warrior Head Coach Daniel Wright welcomed Golden State’s crew, including former NBA players turned coaches Luke Walton and Jarron Collins, Marreese “Mo Buckets” Speights, Kent and Kirk Lacob, Julian Mills, James Laughlin, Nick Uren and Chris Demarco. Collins coached the game.
“Their biggest accomplishment is letting everybody know who the real Warriors are,” joked Wright.
San Quentin started off strong with the support of over 300 inmates and about 20 staff members. They won the opening tip and Harry “ATL” Smith made their first two baskets as turnovers.
Then Myers picked up his game. He nailed six three-pointers against the zone defense and scored inside. Myers also had 5 blocks and 2 steals on defense.
However, Myers had help. Kirk Lacob made 4 three-pointers and finished with 13 points and 4 assists. Kent finished with 11 total points. Demarco added 23 points and 11 rebounds.
San Quentin’s Allan McIntosh answered with back-to-back long-range shots. He made 6 threes, finishing with 25 points. Teammate Jason Jones added 12 points with 8 assists and 4 steals.
At halftime, Myers addressed the crowd.
“(Iguodala) was selfless and humble and ready when called and became the MVP of the Championship. I have a saying now ‘Beware of the fury of the patient man.’ So be ready when your time comes.”
Then Myers, Walton, Speights and the others chatted with fans like old friends, signed autographs and posed for photos.
“Just having this day and game shows that anything in life is possible,” said Vines
While the game was in full swing, Fresno City College basketball Head Coach Ed Madec was touring with his team. They watched for a few minutes.
They saw Walton miss a 10-foot shot, get his own rebound and then miss again.
“Non-shooter!” they heckled.
Walton finished with only 2 points from free throws and 7 assists.
The Fresno team got to see professionals play against incarcerated men, which proved to be a very humbling experience.
“It goes to show how one bad move could land you here,” said Jaffery Stillman, a Fresno City forward.
Brittany Owens, a secretary who works on Death Row, said, “It gives incarcerated men hope. It creates a positive vibe, gives them something to look forward to.”
Walton shared this sentiment.
“It’s great. People in here are locked up but it’s great for the mind and heart to do some regular stuff,” said Walton.
Departing C.O. Plagman Aimed to Gain The Respect of Inmates
When an inmate first comes into the prison system, the demeanor of correctional officials generally gives him an indication of what prison is going to be like. Rarely is that demeanor upbeat or positive.
Correctional Officer E. Plagman is one of those rare people with a different outlook. His is the voice North Block inmates hear over its PA system on many mornings.
Plagman’s last day at San Quentin State Prison was Nov. 4. He is scheduled to transfer to Old Folsom State Prison.
“We are going to be sorry to lose him. He is definitely going to be an asset at Folsom,” Correctional Sgt. O. Nollette said. “His move to Old Folsom is a step in the right direction.”
Plagman replied, “Since arriving at the San Quentin, where I was first assigned to Badger section back in 2000, I’ve learned and grown so much under the watchful eyes of my mentor Sergeant Nollette.”
The key to being a good officer, he said, is being able to use good communication skills rather than being confrontational.
“I am willing to talk to somebody without judging a book by the cover,” Plagman said. “My word is my bond. I’m an honest person. I’m more willing to work with people and give everyone respect,” he added, “There is that line where I can help people but I can’t go beyond that.
“I feel like I could walk down the tier and do my job professionally,” Plagman said. “That’s because of the respect that goes both ways,” he added, “But, I do know this is prison.”
There have been times where he witnessed violence. His worst day as an officer occurred in 2005. Approximately 250 men rioted in Dining Hall Four as he looked on with his partner.
“We watched these inmates throw trays, kick other inmates, run around swinging at anything and everything that got in their way,” he said. “That experience was a real eye opener. I didn’t get hurt, but it was scary.”
Plagman talked about better days, too.
“My most memorable experience came when I graduated from the academy,” he said. “I knew this life experience would make me a better person at home for my family.”
When asked about the difference between the mainline and the reception center at San Quentin, Plagman said, “I feel like on the mainline, there is progress. When I work with inmates from the mainline, they are respectful. They have goals. It’s easier to do my job. It’s harder to talk to young guys. They haven’t learned the value of respect yet. However, with time and education, I’m sure they will eventually mature.”
Plagman said he sees the importance of offering programs to inmates or at least making them available.
|“I am willing to talk to somebody without judging a book”|
“Reception inmates aren’t offered enough programs to help them get their heads straight,” he said. “It would be helpful to provide books to help educate them. We shouldn’t give up on them. This will make it safer for everyone involved. Rehabilitation works, that’s my belief. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
When asked about the Death Penalty, Plagman replied, “I believe in capital punishment. If the law states that you are convicted of a crime, my personal feelings are that the consequences are based on the crime. The law is the law.”
He further elaborates:
“Richard Allan Davis’ crime brought the Three Strikes law, which increased the prison population. A lot of people were punished for petty crimes and given long sentences. It’s my belief when someone commits a heinous crime, that individual should pay for what he did, not the rest of the population. I believe Three Strikes works if you punish the most violent, not the drug addict who steals to support his habit. I believe balance needs to be in play.”
Summing up his time at San Quentin, Plagman said, “My experience at San Quentin is a hit and a miss. I’ve seen good things. I’ve seen staff have babies, grow their families; I’ve seen inmates turn their life around. I’ve seen the other side; officers throw their careers away, and I’ve seen inmates continually do wrong. It’s a reminder to go down the right path. Watching people change helped me change for the better.”
“The one thing I can say is that I made friends, and I appreciate the people around me with integrity. I also appreciate the people who had experience and were able to give me advice, like Sergeant Nollette, who guided me through my roughest patches. I really appreciate the fact that there were times when I was able to help him through his hard times.”
“I am excited to work in another historic prison to further my adventure and knowledge in this career quest,” said Plagman. “It’s important that I take these experiences learned here and trade them with other staff members and inmates.”
Rahsaan Thomas contributed to this story
New Bill Tackles ‘Grotesquely Long Sentences’
Congress is working on what supporters call a long-overdue reform bill for federal prison sentencing.
“Federal prisons are filled beyond capacity with people serving grotesquely long sentences,” Antonio Ginatta, US advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said in a news release.
To counter effects of the “tough on crime” era that began back in the 1980s, the Safe, Accountable, Fair, Effective Justice Act (SAFE) has been introduced by Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner and Bobby Scott.
The bill focuses on pretrial, over-criminalization, post-confinement probation, mandatory minimum sentencing, reform of sentencing statutes, and retroactive application of sentence reductions.
One example of the legislation would be to prevent sentencing enhancements that can turn 10-year sentences into life sentences for prior drug crimes.
SAFE was introduced on June 25, 2015. The Human Rights Watch report states it would eliminate disproportionately long and unfair sentences being threatened by prosecutors.
It would also make changes in the underused “compassionate release program” for “extraordinary and compelling” circumstances, says Human Rights Watch.
Prisoners could petition a court directly for a compassionate release, including release because of the death or incapacitation of their child’s primary caregiver.
Currently the U.S. Bureau of Prisons must approve such releases.
The SAFE Justice Act would also require federal correctional staff to attend training seminars.
Procedures would be required on how to use force, de-escalation techniques, detection of and response to prisoners with mental disabilities.
Reform legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate, the report noted.
“Congress should pass the SAFE Justice Act as well as additional reforms to bring federal sentencing in line with principles of proportionality, fairness, and respect for human dignity,” Human Rights Watch said.
3-Strikes Reform Measure Moves Forward
The November 2016 ballot could have a measure allowing California voters to reform, once again, the 1994 Three Strikes Law.
Twice before, in 2012 and 2014, Californians changed the Three Strikes Law, allowing non-violent offenders to be re-sentenced, after a court found they were not a danger to public safety.
The latest proposed reform would require re-sentencing of those individuals currently serving a Three Strikes sentence whose prior convictions were committed before March 7, 1994. Upwards of 9,000 three-strike prisoners might be affected by this change. It would also affect two-strike prisoners, numbering in tens of thousands. If the measure passes, it would be retroactively applied to all strikers.
The Act was drafted to address the following issues:
Prevention and protection efforts concerning public safety.
Save hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars every year as the state will no longer finance long-term health care and housing of aging low-risk offenders in state prison.
Re-invest annual savings into high poverty middle schools and high schools, universities, community colleges and prison rehabilitation programs.
The reinvestment savings would be distributed as follows:
Twenty-five percent to the high poverty middle schools and high schools in California
Twenty-five percent to the California Community Colleges to offset tuition
Twenty-five percent to the Universities of California to offset tuition
Twenty-five percent to prison rehabilitation programs
The proposed Three Strikes Reform Act of 2016 would “ensure that sentences for people convicted of violent crimes such as murder, rape and child molestation are not changed.”
Proponents of the measure must get 365,880 signatures of registered voters by March 14 to qualify for the November 2016 ballot.
Report: Maximum Security Needed in San Diego Jails
Realignment has caused a significant increase in the number of inmates housed in San Diego County jails and has increased maximum-security housing needs, an advisory group reports.
“Compared to five years earlier, the adult inmate population at sheriffs’ detention facilities was at 113 percent capacity in 2012, up from 102 percent in 2011. These increases reflect the addition of the realigned offenders, which now make up about one-third of all inmates,” states the report.
The information was compiled by the Criminal Justice Research Division of SANDAG, a coalition of 18 cities and county governments.
AB 109
“Prior to the implementation of AB 109, individuals could only be held in local detention facilities (or jails) pre-sentence…and post-sentence if convicted and sentenced for 12 months or less for misdemeanor or granted felony probation and ordered to serve up to 12 months of custody as a condition of that probation,” the report noted.
The Realignment legislation provided more than 500 felony offenses that may be served in local county jails. The longest full sentence being served at the time of the report was 16 years.
“As a result of Realignment, the number of total individuals in state institutional custody decreased 22 percent from 170,283 on Dec. 31, 2008, to 132,768 on Dec. 31, 2012,” stated the report.
Realignment did not result in any early release of prisoners, the report added.
There was a general decrease in adult bookings in county jails since 2008, and the number of inmates who need “protective custody increased dramatically over the past five years, from 108 in 2008 to 275 in 2012. In addition, those placed in administrative segregation increased from 428 to 727” in the same period, the report stated.
The majority of realigned offenders under supervision at the county level are mostly for property crimes at 40 percent and drug/alcohol offenses at 54 percent, the study states.
SERVICES
Inmates who are housed in San Diego County jails may have access to mental health services and reentry services that include substance abuse treatment, vocational training and education.
The annual fiscal year budget for detention services in San Diego is over $226 million, and the average cost for housing an inmate per day is $136.48, the report states.
San Diego is building a 1,216-bed facility slated for completion in 2016 that will house women, along with plans to take back control over a private vendor-run facility, which will add an additional 200 beds when the contract expires with the vendor in December 2015.
Mothers Loiter Together To Curb Chicago Violence
A group of concerned mothers from the South Side of Chicago is fighting against bloodshed and murder through peaceful loitering.
The group of parents formed a coalition against violence called Mothers Against Senseless Killings (MASK).
“As a mother, you will do whatever you can to protect your kids, even if that means sitting out on the corner for the entire summer,” says MASK founder Tamar Manasseh, 37, a rabbinical student raised in Englewood who has a 16-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old son.
MASK is a response to a shooting that killed one woman and injured two others on 75th and Steward on the South Side of Chicago. Members “planted folding chairs on the southeast corner of the intersection and spent the afternoon chatting with passerbyers and dispensing hugs. The next day, they were there again.
They plan to return…until the public school year resumes.” So far, no shootings, In These Times reported.
Some neighbors questioned the effectiveness of the group’s effort to prevent violence, but membership has doubled from 10 to 20.
Preventative community programs can reduce crime rates, according to Nicole Porter of Washington, D.C.-based prison reform group The Sentencing Project.
“It’s about psychology, about why (kids commit crimes) in the first place,” says Manasseh. “They’ll tell you, ‘I have a record,’ and it just sounds so hopeless. And I hate to hear that in a 19-year-old kid. You have so long to live…You want to find a job? We’re gonna go look for a job. You want to get something off your record?
Let’s find a way. That’s a mother’s job – we’re unpaid social workers.”
Reaching Beyond the Future and Walls of San Quentin
As we reflect upon a year’s worth of hard work, the writers of San Quentin News renew their commitment to the state’s prison population. We recognize that finding a solution to California’s reliance on mass incarceration is a mission that both our staff and readers must take seriously. The vision of the San Quentin News is to lead the way toward a better future for California’s criminal justice system.
Warden Clinton Duffy created San Quentin News in the 1940s to dispel prison gossip about prison policy. This gossip led to conflict among prisoners and the administration, as inmates were misinformed about policies that impacted their lives. He believed that an inmate-run newspaper would give incarcerated individuals a way to spread accurate information.
Since its inception, the newspaper has been shut down several times and for various reasons. But in 2008, Warden Robert Ayers, Jr. brought the paper back in order to disseminate positive information to the inmate population at San Quentin.
San Quentin News is the only prisoner published newspaper recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, and it received the Freedom of Information Award in 2014. The newspaper is distributed to 22 other prisons, making it the farthest-reaching inmate produced media source for the inmate population in the state.
San Quentin News has informed inmates across the state of California about the types of rehabilitative and professional programs available at San Quentin. As a result, there is growing demand on part of our readership that other institutions implement similar programs.
Today, San Quentin News has exceeded the expectations of Wardens Duffy and Ayers.
San Quentin News was introduced to the Obama administration at a reception celebrating public service in October. Thanks to our adviser UC Berkeley Journalism Professor William Drummond, San Quentin News has achieved significant attention among policymakers in Washington D.C.
We now have 14 staffers working daily for the newspaper and a growing class of journalism guild writers ready to contribute to our continued success. As our slogan goes, we are moving forward.
Our staff of creative and intelligent writers are reporting on incarceration, rehabilitation and reentry through the lens of their own prison experience. We bring a unique perspective to the coverage of criminal justice policy that is unmatched by any other news agency. Our coverage includes, but is not limited to, politics, arts culture, journalism, and social justice.
The past four years that I have served as editor-in-chief of San Quentin News have been incredibly formative. This duty is enough to keep me pushing forward in my personal endeavors.
I came to prison as a heroin addict. I have made the choice to change my ways and give back to our community. I have learned so much from being a voice for the voiceless.
It has also been a challenge. We must consistently strive to do better. On occasion, I’ll receive a letter from an inmate who feels we don’t do enough, and as a result of that input I look for ways to improve.
We will continue to shape the discussion and perception about those who are incarcerated. We must remove the stigma that comes with being a convicted felon. Society should no longer associate the label “convicted felon” with failure, and must recognize the value of second chances. San Quentin News staffers know it will take an enormous amount of patience, diplomacy and perseverance to meet these objectives. But, we also know that it is within our ability to take significant strides to do so.
Over the past year, San Quentin News has reached several of its milestones. However, there’s much more to accomplish in the coming year.
A major challenge to our ability to circulate the newspaper across the nation and around the world is our lack of adequate funds. We continue to receive donations on a monthly basis, but are in pursuit of alternative sources of financial support.
Recently, a major foundation has granted San Quentin News $50,000; money that will be used to produce a quality monthly publication with relevant and insightful stories affecting every prisoner in the state of California.
Soon San Quentin News will be embarking on a new project to publish a quarterly 24-page San Quentin Magazine. It is my intention to have the first publication ready for distribution by March 2016.
In its preliminary stages, the magazine will be distributed to a limited number of California prison libraries. However, by 2017, we hope to increase the number to more libraries.
It is our ultimate goal to make the newspaper accessible to every prisoner in the state of California.
We would like to give special thanks to Mr. Paul Cobb, publisher of the Post News Group for helping San Quentin News Staff become members of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Finally, I want to thank all of our journalist advisers who have worked tirelessly to improve our journalism skills. Without them, we would not be where we are today.
Happy holidays to all the incarcerated and to our financial supporters. May the new year bring you a new beginning.
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