Archives for September 2016

J. Anthony Kline, a California appellate court judge, came to the San Quentin News office to talk about incarceration, rehabilitation and reentry with about a dozen incarcerated men whose personal histories included gang-banging, drug dealing and even murder.
The incarcerated men were lead facilitators for several self-help programs that enable participants to deal constructively with anger, criminal thinking, victim awareness, early childhood trauma, and lack of education.
Two prisoners who recently transferred out of Pelican Bay after spending a combined 36 years in its Security Housing Unit (SHU) were in the audience. Each said they were impressed and looking forward to this opportunity for rehabilitation for the first time in their incarceration experiences.
“I grewup around a lot of violence and a broken family,” said Chris Gallo, describing how he gravitated to a criminal element of “skinheads” and committed “many acts of violence,” adding, “I’m not proud of that.”
“I began to see things differently after attending a Restorative Justice seminar,” Gallo said. “When I was there, I kept my head down, not looking at the person speaking. However, the speaker said something that really connected with me. When I looked up, I saw an African-American man talking about everything I went through. I began going to the sessions, and today, me and that guy, Darnell ‘Moe’ Washington, are best friends.”
James “JC” Cavitt talked of how two inmates serving life sentences helped him understand his role in the crime he committed.
Cavitt said when he first began his sentence he thought he was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
“Okay, if you think that way,” one of the lifers said, “Think about what you did.”
Cavitt said when he slowed his actions and considered everything that happened he began to understand “that merely by what I did, made me responsible for her death.”
“Since that moment, 16 years ago, I’ve taken every kind of rehabilitation available to help me understand who I was in order to answer how I got to the place where a human being could be brutally and savagely beaten to death.”
Cavitt is a facilitator for the juvenile diversion program, SQUIRES.
“The boys who come through have a lot of trauma that they are carrying around with them,” Cavitt said. “They don’t have the space to talk about what they are going through. SQUIRES gives me the opportunity to give back. It is a huge blessing to give back. The reason it works is that my truth is their truth, and we are able to relate.”
Another SQUIRES facilitator, Tommy Winfrey, added, “SQUIRES lets young people know that they are part of a community. It’s about sharing empathy. We don’t speak in a position of authority but as a place of shared experiences and of taking off the mask.”
Judge Kline suggested that “people on the outside” need to hear the inmates articulate how and where their lives went bad, along with their suggestions on how to prevent others from making the same mistakes.
Kline acknowledged that the definition of insight is difficult for the courts to determine.
“I’m shocked at the level of insight needed to get out of prison, and nobody knows exactly what it is,” Judge Kline said. “It is talking about reasons for the commitment offense. Most people cannot do this. I don’t think judges and lawyers can do this. However, I’m impressed about the level of insight in this room.”
Julia Posadas-Guzman of Santa Clara County Probation has been coming inside San Quentin for nine years.
“What affected me is the honesty and sincerity,” Posadas-Guzman told the inmates. “You have a model here that is working.
“I keep seeing lambs go to the slaughter,” Posadas-Guzman continued. “I am wondering how to stop it. I don’t see the magic key. I am learning that overcoming trauma and poverty are important factors. I challenge you to come up with a curriculum that would show youngsters how to stop themselves from developing the habits that send them to prison. I want to take what you’re doing here to the next level so that young people don’t have to come here to get it.”
Restorative Justice facilitator, drug counselor and adult educator Jen Slusser added another request. “I challenge you to make a series of videos showing people that they are capable of doing things productive. You should come from a place of embracing these young men. I can’t do this. It has to come from you guys.”
Later Judge Kline said in response to the forum, “You need to send San Quentin News to all judges. Judges are major players in reform.”
Kline is the presiding justice on the First District, Second Division of the California Court of Appeal. He was appointed in 1982 and took office in December of that year. He was most recently retained by voters in in 2014 to a 12-year term expiring in January 2027.

“Progress has a beginning, but it has no ending” best describes the Robert E. Burton Adult School 2016 Graduation Commencements.
During this summer’s ceremony more than 120 inspired, incarcerated men at San Quentin finally reveled in their own personal accomplishments and triumphs. “Don’t Just Dream Inspire, Don’t Just Imagine Create, Don’t Just Believe Achieve” were the self-motivating factors that highlighted this year’s program.
Family, friends and educational staff sat in the main visiting room with students in caps and gowns. All were filled with excitement as master of ceremonies Wade Burton greeted the presentation and posting of the Colors by the Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin and then introduced the 2016 Robert E. Burton Adult graduation classes.
This year’s core programs were represented by the General Education Development graduates. Twelve enthusiastic and proud students realized that it is never too late to get an education.
On hand to receive their hard-earned diplomas were Tamon Halfin, Erik Longfellow, Phillip Morris, Fidel Salcerdo, David Silva and Randy Silva. Those who received their GEDs in absentia were William Branscomb, Adman Ibarra, Nicholas Rodriguez, Satinder Singh, Keith Smith and Eugene Williams.
Halfin, a 29-year-old graduate, saw years of frustration come to fruition after receiving his diploma. “I had to start doing more positive things in life. I wasted time getting nothing done. Having this degree gives me confidence to continue adding more positive things to my life. I like the feeling. San Quentin had a steady program for me to get this accomplished.”
Halfin’s mother, Teresa Lindsay, added, “He has evolved as a person and taking responsibility for his actions. He’s paying his dues, and I’m proud of him. If people know better, they will do better. That’s the power of education. It’s up to that person to do what they can to show gratitude for a second chance; also, it takes family support.”
David Silva felt the pride of his accomplishments. “It’s great to have my family share in this experience,” he said. “My next step is college. I’m going for an A.A. (Associate of Arts) degree.” Silva’s sister, Luz Gordillo, added, “I am proud of him. The way he was living, we didn’t know if he was going to make it. Seeing him accomplish this is a relief.”
The High School Equivalency Test program had four graduates, who worked in preparation for much better things to come in their futures. Those receiving recognition were Ricky Bates, Lee Conley, Shawn Reyes and James Robbins.
Lee Conley’s family was there cheering him on, especially his son and daughter-in-law. Jason came all the way from Texas with his wife Angel. He hasn’t seen his father in two years, and characterizes his graduation as awesome, a big achievement. “In fact, I was a little nervous to see him after two years. But to listen to him talk about his kids and how life (time passing) can get away from you,” made this family reunion even more special. For Angel, you could see how proud she was of her father-in-law. “He’s never lost hope. He never gave up. We’re proud,” she said.
The popular Career Technical Education Computer Literacy program had an enormous success and impact again on this year’s program, according to the instructor, K. Bhatt. He said he had one of the biggest and most successful graduation classes since the program was implemented in 2014.
This year’s computer class saw 83 students from the six-month training program receive certificates of completion. Many of them needed a vocational trade, per the Board of Parole Hearing requirements, but there were other students who graduated who had never touched a computer previously.
“It was exhilarating,” said Nathan McKinney. “There was just so much to take in during these six months. Personally, I could use another 12 months of training.”
Garyon Nettles sat among the graduates with a proud sense of accomplishment. For him, it was more than just a commencement. His sister, Debbie, was in the audience, feeling the same excitement. “I’m so very proud of him because he’s doing something to better his life. I want the world to know Garyon is doing something positive.” His daughter, Garyanna, couldn’t stop talking about her dad. “He’s more than just a statistic; he’s going to be a greater person because of the programs here.”
Louie Bucao’s family beamed with pride during the ceremonies, “I’m so proud to see him doing so well,” his aunt said.
Carl Smith’s graduation had a very special and unique characteristic. His name stood out as the most obvious on this year’s program announcement. He was the only person from Electronics to receive recognition for his achievement.
One of the more popular curriculums at San Quentin is Dante Callegari’s Building Maintenance program because it gives men a real skill-set that is transferable to real-time experience. He says his students learned and developed a work ethic far exceeding his expectations and now is replicated throughout the California prison system.
Damien Coleman, a keynote speaker, told the audience, “It’s not easy graduating in this environment, and I thank all of you for supporting our program. He talked about how building houses from the ground up gave him confidence. “Today, I can compete with anyone out there in the world.”
He thanked Dante “for treating us all like men and not just inmates.” Coleman is a confirmed believer that, “You can grow a rose from concrete! Yes, it can happen.”
Among this summer’s proud class recipients were also Coastline Community College graduates:

• Craigen Armstrong, A.S. Degree in Business;
• Lani Beaty A.A., A.S. Business Administration, A.S. General Business;
• Glen Mason, Certificate of Achievement in Business;
• Quinton Walker, A.A. Arts and Humanities, A.S. Social and Behavioral Science.

Lassen Community College graduate Somden Thongsy received an A.A. degree in Social Science.
George “Mesro” Coles-EL, a teacher’s aide in GED, who helped many of the students throughout the year, said, “These guys are really cool. They have a really strong work ethic, and they’re proud of their advancement. They’re really a good group of guys, and I wish them the best. Graduation ceremonies are a great thing, especially with all the stigmas out there surrounding us. It’s great to have these moments that show these guys are not only trying to make their lives better, but I see them making other guys’ lives better too.”
Testing Coordinator Dr. Tom Bruno commented, “For me, seeing guys come in here and make the most out of themselves… They improve themselves so that they’re better prepared to function when they leave. A lot of guys come here, waste their time, and leave worse off than when they came.” He has worked in the Education Department for 17 years.
K. Williams, an academic instructor and state employee who has worked at San Quentin for four years, said, “I saw this year’s event as an important step for all participants because we get to see the fruits of our labors. We get to see how pleased their families are. Congratulations on a job well done.”

A Bay Area nonprofit organization geared to help children of incarcerated parents recently held its 16th annual summer camp with the theme “Healing through Expression.”
Project Avary provides youngsters a safe place in nature for self-discovery, reflection and using the outdoors as a cure, according to its executive director, Zachary Whelan.
“We intervene early in the lives of children at the ages of 8 to 11, and we make a long-term 10-year commitment to each child and family,” said Whelan.
The camp allows children to be children through activities such as swimming, hiking, music and arts and crafts. They attended therapeutic campfire discussions and expressive art activities about the shame, stigma and the grief of having a parent in prison.
“Some kids feel the pressure to keep secrets about where their parents are and that can produce shame,” said Whelan. “So these discussions help kids process their feelings with other kids that are going through what they are going through.”
This year’s camp provided training in stress reduction, anger management and conflict resolution through yoga, meditation and nonviolent communication for the youth.
Teens at the age of 14 can go through a Teen Leadership Program, a wilderness rite of passage to mark their transition from camper to teen leader.
The Junior Counselor program, which begins at age 15, empowers teen leaders to guide and counsel the younger children in the program. They receive youth development and life skills training, preparing them for a junior counselor job at Avary.
“Through early intervention and long-term support, we are changing lives and putting a stop to generational cycles of incarceration,” said Whelan.
Project Avary also connects with incarcerated parents through its Prison Reconciliation Program. It has worked with San Quentin’s Guiding Rage into Power (GRIP) program and Insight Project Reach programs at other prisons.
Avary graduates speak to incarcerated parents about how to build connections with their children and what they go through.
“We would like to partner with more groups at San Quentin,” said Whelan. “We know it’s a lot of hurt kids and parents, but we also need more funding.
“It affects our staff greatly when we receive fundraising checks from the prisons. It shows that we are in this together, and that help send a handful of kids to camp.”
According to Avary’s annual evaluation, 96 percent of Avary youth showed improvement in resiliency, attachment, connection with a caring adult and connection with a positive peer group.
At least 84 percent of Avary graduates have completed one year of college, while only 6 percent of Avary graduates have been arrested.
“Over the past 16 years our programs and offerings have evolved to meet the complex and unique needs of this community,” he said.
It facilitates monthly Caregiver Groups to build bonds of support and assistance among caregivers.
They have spring and winter gatherings for children and caregivers that strengthen connections within the Avary community.
“We are working on state and federal legislation to make it easier for these kids,” said Whelan. “If we are going to take kids from parents, as a community we have to step in.
“We have to give voice to the forgotten needs of the children of incarcerated parents and assert the implementation of the CIP Bill of Rights (a list of needs and values).”
Avary’s goal is to provide a safe space where families and children of prisoners can be open and honest about the pain and grief of losing a loved one to the criminal justice system. Children can join together to grieve and heal the wounds of loss and abandonment.
“We are a community that gives kids a deep sense of belonging, dignity and hope,” added Whelan. “When the kids do better, everybody does better.
“The camp truly offered the time and space for the children to form authentic lifelong relationships with peers and caring adults,” concluded Whelan.
Project Avary was founded in 1999 by Danny Rifkin, co-manager of the rock group the Grateful Dead, and former San Quentin Chaplain Earl Smith.
They initially met on a tour of the prison, and a longer-term collaboration developed when members of the Grateful Dead began regular visits to work with and record the San Quentin Choir, and the project has still been going strong.
To donate, go to https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/projectavarydonatenow or https://www.facebook.com/ProjectAvary/.

The University of North Carolina, known for its NCAA collegiate championship basketball program, and is the alma mater of Dr. George Beatty, one of San Quentin’s medical physicians.
The university campus at Chapel Hill is a diversified southern school with opportunistic programs designed for an adventurous student body. “I’ve got two undergraduate degrees, one in Biology and another in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Public Health and my medical degree, but I basically left the university with four degrees and no real work-related experience,” said Dr. Beatty.
“My quest for success was not to exploit the corporate medical profession for the monetary benefits. I wanted to make an impact. I needed to feel like I had a complete day,” he said.
After graduation from medical school, Dr. Beatty did his residency at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he was active in research medicine and academia for several years, but the urge to explore other medical practices made him restless.
Setting up a medical practice and hanging out a shingle for the rich, famous and high-profile clientele just didn’t fit the character of a southern gentleman whose growth and development came from his upbringing. His parents, both civil rights activists in the 60s, instilled him with the courage to appreciate the relationships he would develop with Blacks and other ethnicities in North Carolina.
Taking advantage of his training at UCSF, “I wanted to go where medicine was needed.” During the George H.W. Bush administration, he joined a group of doctors and other medical practitioners in a government-sponsored program. He visited several African countries to research the epidemic outbreaks.
“We needed to set up medical protocols in countries like South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, where one in four of their population would die before reaching the age of 35,” he said. However, funding for the project was cut short several years later.
“I had experienced the need for real medicine in my journey in those poor counties,” and the thought of using his medical experience and training in corporate medicine and private practice just didn’t resonate with him. Health care under these medical circumstances was of “no interest to my humanity and compassion,” Dr. Beatty added.
In the years to follow, he stayed true to his belief that “Faith, you have to have it.” Dr. Beatty subsequently went to work at San Francisco General Hospital, where he had plenty of opportunities to work on his humility and serve the less fortunate.
The indigent population, the under-served, are the most difficult to provide medical care for because it’s so costly, he believes. While he remained dedicated to this patient population, Dr. Beatty started consulting with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) during its legal struggles with the federal courts to correct and implement new medical protocols.

“… I wanted to make an impact. I needed to feel like I had a complete day”

While reviewing the results of autopsies and examining the of death of many inmates who died from HIV, he discovered early in his tenure that the treatment of these patients was worse than some of the protocols in African nations. The department’s “medical system wasn’t in place to process this epidemic. And I wasn’t sure if it was just apathy, but whatever the reason, it was dangerous,” he said.
During this tour of duty, he worked with two employees of the state, Chief Physical Surgeon,\ Dr. L. Pratt and Dr. E. Tootell. “I wanted to work for people who were compassionate, who were not seeking fame and fortune,” he explained.
“I wanted an interaction with people who quantified my existence, and these doctors cared for their patients.”
This interaction made it more difficult for him to venture into private practice. Besides, insurance companies were making it more and more difficult to practice good medicine, Dr. Beatty said. But that’s not the reason why he became a full-time physician with CDCR. “I wanted to get back to practicing medicine with the underserved. The interface with inmates gave me a real insight into life. They impart a different view of life through their stories that I didn’t experience.”
There is a perception that racism in mass incarceration produces inequality in good patient care, he noted. High-quality patient care was simply overlooked. Over the years, the department was overwhelmed and understaffed. It couldn’t keep the qualified medical personnel to process proper protocols. This resulted in poor patient care which ultimately left the department’s medical system in shambles. The federal court eventually intervened and appointed a receiver to give oversight and guidance to a failed medical system that needed compliance.
As for the inmate population at San Quentin who are under his medical care, inmates like Gary Cooper, George Terry and Warren Romero are experiencing a medical protocol from a southern gentleman whose medical practice truly epitomizes the bedside manners of a real country doctor. “I simply avoid struggling with my patients,” Beatty said.
His character exemplifies what Maya Angelou once said, “Remember how you made me feel.” For Dr. Beatty, the real definition of success is to “feel free and have fun.”