San Quentin News

Written By Incarcerated - Advancing Social Justice

Archives for May 2017

Mothers face custody and employment challenges upon their re-entry

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Incarcerated mothers face challenges reentering society, especially regaining custody of their children and finding employment.

Upon their release mothers are more likely to have their parental rights terminated, because of their incarceration, according to a 2016 Rutgers University academic paper by Janet Garcia, of the School of Criminal Justice. 

According to the paper, part of the problem lies in society’s belief that criminals are threatening and forceful; this conflicts with the social definition of femininity as delicate and passive.

The paper cites a study conducted by the L.E. Glaze and E. Parks that found that female offenders in state correctional facilities are more likely than their male counterparts to have lived with their children pre-incarceration and to have cared for their children daily before their incarceration.

The stigmatization of incarcerated females often breaks toward social and racial lines, “Mothers of color may find themselves at the receiving end of this stigma due to ‘divergent social worlds, which distinguish them from the ideals of White, middle class mothers,” said Garcia, referencing R.D. Peterson and L.J. Krivo’s 2010 study,  “Divergent Social Worlds: Neighborhood Crime and the Racial-spatial Divide.”

“Furthermore, stigmatization is often directed toward teenage mothers, ‘welfare moms,’ non-resident mothers, drug addicted mothers, and mothers involved in the criminal justice system.”

The implication of such stigmatization by social and correctional systems may result in mothers who do not live with their children having decreased chances “to be released on their own recognizance pre-trial and, thus receive less compassion compared to other mothers who do live with their children and conform to the norm,” said J. Flavin, author of Punishment and Parenthood: Family-Based Social Control and the Sentencing of Black Drug Offenders.

Mothers can have their parental rights terminated if their child is in the foster care system for 15 months of the previous 22 months, according to the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA).

“This conflict places (mothers) at risk of losing legal rights to their children despite potential efforts – albeit unrecognized or undervalued – at mothering within the confines of a correctional facility,” said S. Covington, author of A Women’s Journey Home: Challenges for Female Offenders and Their Children.

Some of the problems children face when their mothers are incarcerated:

  • An increase in behavioral problems;
  • Increased aggression
  • Rule breaking
  • Dropping out of school.

“We must distinguish between what has been said about subordinated groups in the dominant discourse, and what such groups might say about themselves if given the opportunity,” said Patricia Hill Collins, author of Shifting the Center: Race, Class, and Feminist Theorizing about Motherhood.

How parents talk can hinder child development

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The way parents communicate with their children may hinder their kids from developing healthy self-esteem, emotions and behavior, according to a child behavior author.

“The problem is that at its core, this way of speaking is all about control. We use it to tell our kids what we want them to say (‘say sorry!’)…what we want them to do (‘Behave yourself!’); and what will happen if they don’t (‘Do you want a timeout?’),” said Jennifer Lehr, author of Parentspeak, in a Jan. 7 Wall Street Journal column.

“Parentspeak is about compliance – and that often keeps us from understanding the feelings, motivations, thoughts and behavior of our children,” Lehr adds. “Rather than teaching them to communicate and problem-solve, we are essentially teaching them to obey.”

According to Lehr, complimenting and praising children into compliance may not be an effective tool to teach children either.

“Praising a child into wearing a raincoat that she doesn’t want to wear seems innocuous enough. But played out time and again, these moments teach a child that how others feel is more important than how she feels.

“As psychologists like to point out, children who learn to defer to preferences of grown-ups risk losing touch with their own.”

Lehr encourages parents to talk to their children and ask for feedback. “We could try instead to ask our children why they don’t want to do something and explain why it’s important to us.

“Perhaps Georgia was hot from playing and knew that she’d feel uncomfortable in the jacket. Maybe Paula was headed to the market and was afraid that Georgia would get too damp and cold.

“Once everyone’s reasons are on the table, we can solve a problem together. That is a skill that will serve children better than blind obedience,” Lehr concludes.

Dear Kid CAT

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Dear Kid CAT,

I have been incarcerated for almost 10 years, since I was 21, with a 16-year and eight-month sentence. On Sept. 3, 2007, I accidentally shot and killed my little brother, Noah, playing with a sawed-off shotgun. SB 261 has brought a lot of light to people in my situation, as well as others, such as those under SB 260.

Not a night, day, hour, minute or second goes by that I do not think about my little brother and what I’ve done to my family. I have lost a lot throughout the years, hope and all. People, family, friends and those who I thought were real have turned their backs on me. At least it feels that way. I never thought this would be me and my life! I am truly sorry for what I have done, and I regret it. To this very day, I shed tears.

I still struggle every day, and like others I only wish that the criminal system/CDCR would help us more and rehabilitate us better, give us a real hope instead of just bringing us down and knocking us down and keeping us down, like those who don’t know what it’s like to be in our shoes. As humans we deserve second chances!

Christopher Lee Seamster

A leader, athlete and friend says goodbye to Kid CAT

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Cleo Cloman III is a leader, an athlete, and a friend to many in San Quentin. He is also one of several Kid CAT members who were recently found suitable for parole under SB 261, a law that gives special consideration to youthful offenders.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Cleo received a parole date. You could see the passion he has for embracing life as an accountable person, and I never have seen him be any different,” said Antoine Brown, co-founder of Kid CAT, which is an organization made up of men who committed their crimes as teenagers.

Cloman says his journey to become who he is today wasn’t easy — and it took time.

For the first 15 years of his life, Cleo resided with his family in a tight-knit community west of Los Angeles, known to him and his friends as “The Jungle.”

“Despite being surrounded by crime, The Jungle is where we were able to play freely; we were like monkeys. Everyone knew everyone, so it was safe,” said Cloman.

He expressed gratitude for being raised by two parents in a community where single-parent households predominate. But he said he experienced hardship at home.

“My father suffered from addiction, and it played a big role in my childhood … his physical and verbal abuses led my brother to leave home when I was 9 years old.”

During this turbulent time, Cloman clung to sports as a way to cope.

“Sports is where I saw my father happiest, where I felt his love and validation,” said Cloman. “So I made it a point to play at a high level, so that he will always be there. But no matter how well I played, I never received the validation I wanted from my father off the field; instead, he gave it freely to other kids.”

Feeling neglected and resentful, Cloman turned to the streets. “I began emulating the kids that got the attention from my father, so I ran away from home and began committing petty crimes.”

In less than two years, Cloman’s life fell apart. He began having various run-ins with the law that ranged from shoplifting to attempted robbery — until, finally, murder at 18.

“My world was turned upside-down. I was facing the death penalty for being the getaway driver in a robbery that resulted in a murder,” said Cloman. “I did the only thing I could to save my life: I took a deal for 25 years-to-life.”

“When I was sent to prison, I didn’t know what to expect, so I created an image to protect myself and began fighting to display my strength,” said Cloman.

He continued with this behavior for the next 14 years. Then, in 2011, he began to contemplate a new reality: people with similar crimes to his were going home.

As he reflected on his prison history, he was troubled by the 21 disciplinary write-ups he had accumulated, from battery on an inmate to disobeying direct orders from staff.

He knew he had to change. Then an opportunity came in the form of a transfer to San Quentin.

“My growth started here at San Quentin in a group called GRIP (Guiding Rage into Power). During 52 weeks, this group taught me how to talk about my fears, pain and struggles that I have gone through, including the painful relationship I had with my father,” said Cloman.

“Other groups soon followed, like Kid CAT, which is my passion. Here, I learned not only about myself, but also service to the community,” said Cloman. “Today, I teach this very workshop that has given me so much understanding into my life.”

Volunteer facilitator Woody Wu commented, “Cleo stepped up as a leader for our curriculum, and he learned how to use his strength, which is the story of his transformation. When he paroles, I think he’s gonna be a spokesmen for his community as he embodies and represents someone who has done the work and changed his life.”

Cloman concluded, “The lessons I learned from these groups have given me a new opportunity in life – a second chance. It’s brought healing to broken relationships and most importantly, understanding the harm I have created through the reckless choices of my youth.”

On April 27, 2016, the parole board found Cloman suitable for release.

Upon reentering society, Cloman hopes to get married to his fiancée and continue to work with at-risk youths in his native community of Los Angeles.

His advice to others: “Know that there is hope, so don’t give up.”

Incarcerated mothers can reduce children’s risky behaviors with communication

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Many of Incarcerated mothers can help prevent risky behavior in their adolescent children by how they communicate with them.

Separation may be linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression, a study published by the Johns Hopkins University Press revealed. 

The U.S. ranks first in the world in incarceration of women.  Approximately, 60 percent lived with their children prior to incarceration. One-third of these mothers reported having more than one child. Over half of these children are between the ages of 10 and 17.

Many of the children placed with caregivers have experienced past trauma as a condition of their living situations and their mothers’ incarceration. Lack of contact with their mothers causes feelings of alienation, thus contributing to psychological distress.

“I really do want that time that we used to have before she left,” One teenager said, in the study. “And sometimes it makes me angry that she did – left . . . and that she did the things that she did to leave ‘cause I would say to myself, ‘Why did she have to do that? Why is she in there now?  It’s hard,’cause we can’t see her. I mean, I watch these movies sometimes, and I see all these kids seeing their moms and dads, and sometimes I get upset.”

Many issues raised in the study were concerns about the children’s behavior, education and future plans. Mothers reportedly were very interested in the lives of their children and often participated in disciplining them along with caregivers when allowed to do so.

“When we talk, it’s like we are having a conversation. It’s like she ask about how I’m doing,” said a young male. “And what’s new and stuff like that. And I ask her about some of the friends she got in jail and stuff.”

Many conversations with their mothers cover a variety of topics, including sports, school, boyfriends/ girlfriends, daily life occurrences, and the mother’s expected release date.

Mothers were still seen as disciplinarians. One female caregiver described how the mother, although incarcerated, still had influence over her son’s behavior.

“She is still parenting from there, because I have to tell her a lot of times about his attitude…She kind of had that same attitude. So, I guess that’s where he got it from.

“Like, ‘You need to talk to him about this.’ So she talks to him, and it actually calms him down, even though she’s incarcerated. He does get better with it,” added the care giver.

Some of the child-mother relationships were described as close and others as chaotic. Most of the children described close relationships with their mothers. After incarceration, many recognized their mother’s mistakes, expressed disappointment and anger about her poor decisions. “In spite of this, most youth respected their mothers and desired close relationships with them,” the study revealed.

Rick Barry’s free-throw style didn’t look cool…it just worked

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If you saw a man shooting free throws differently than everybody else — like by holding the ball below his waist, crouching down slightly and launching it underhanded or shooting the ball one-handed—you might think they looked weird. However, being weirdly different is how one of the best NBA shooters of all time made over 90 percent of his free throws.

“From the physics standpoint, it’s a much better way to shoot,” NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry said in a 2016 interview on This American Life. “Less things that can go wrong, less things that you have to worry about repeating properly, in order for it to be successful.”

Barry, who played for the Golden State Warriors for six years in the 70s, explained that shooting underhanded is more natural, more relaxing, and the softer shot often falls in the basket, even when a little off, which gives you a little more margin for error.

The technique served Barry well over his NBA career.

“I think I shot 93.5 (percent) or something and 94.7 (percent), something like that,” Barry, one of the greatest free throw shooters of all time, said.

The technique also improved the percentage of one of the worst NBA free throw shooters, Wilt Chamberlain, according to the interview. Chamberlain shot 40 percent from behind the foul line.

However, when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 in a single game, he used Barry’s technique, which improved his scoring from behind the foul line to 87.5. Chamberlain made 28 free throws that night, “the most anyone has ever made in a regular season game NBA history,” said Malcolm Gladwell, the interviewer.

However, Chamberlain abandoned the technique and went back to horrible free throw shooting, according to Gladwell.

“I just joked with him and said, ‘your technique was terrible. Had you stuck with it …’ the numbers he would have put up would have been insane because the only way they defended him was to foul him.”

Chamberlain stopped the successful style because “I felt silly, like a sissy, shooting underhanded. I know I was wrong. I know some of the best foul shooters in history shot that way. Even now, the best one in the NBA, Rick Barry, shoots underhand. I just couldn’t do it,” he wrote in his autobiography, according to the interview.

Barry said he also tried to get Shaquille O’Neal to change his free-throw shooting style, but Shaq said he would rather miss them all than shoot underhanded.

Barry didn’t care about people making fun of him, as long as he didn’t miss. For him, winning trumped appearances.

San Quentin’s Antonio Manning also shoots free throws differently from most – he uses one hand. He says he made 87 percent of his free throws while playing for Compton High School back in 1980.

“Coach Tang trained us to shoot with one hand behind my back at a tape mark on the wall,” said Manning. “It became a habit. No one teased me. They just said, ‘Man that dude has a one-handed shot, and it’s accurate.’ On the Kings, they called me Cobra.”

The current NBA culture of free throw behavior kills Barry.

“A guy shoots a free throw, misses,” said Barry. “Everybody goes up, slaps his hand. Where the hell did that come from? … Let’s go up, disturb his concentration when he’s supposed to be focusing on shooting his free throws.

“Plus … if he misses it, you should go up and smack him in the head for missing the free throw, not slap him on the hands and saying it’s OK. Because it’s not OK, you just cost us a point.”

While only a few people ever used Barry’s technique, his son, Canyon Barry, listens, according to a Sports Illustrated article by David Gardner.

Canyon, a 6-foot-6 senior guard, plays for the Gators, where he shoots a team-best free throw rate of 89.9 percent, yet he can’t convince his teammates to try the Barry approach, wrote Gardner.

Graced Out Youth basketball tournament begins

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As 30 Black men gathered at half-court on March 25, the noise level in the San Quentin Prison gym dropped. Dwight Kennedy discussed the rules for the basketball game about to begin, including: the first team to score 11 points wins. Then the men crowded around, placed their hands on the shoulder of the man to their right and bowed their heads as Kennedy said a silent prayer. They broke with a loud, “Amen.” Hands clapped, men embraced, then the Graced Out Youth Basketball Tournament began.

After battling through several elimination rounds, God’s Soldiers beat Running Gun, 11-7 in the final game, to emerge as champions. The YOGs took third place.

“It wasn’t about basketball; it was about the hearts and souls of men,” said Kennedy, a Graced Out member, who helped organize the event. “Basketball was just a tool.”

Graced Out puts on events—like the basketball tournaments and Friday night services that include Christian rap music—to appeal to the youth and help them deal with the spiritual aspects of their lives.

“I see it making a difference,” Graced Out member Carl Saldano said. “We are trying to get them to see what role Christ can play in their lives and that God didn’t create them for the things that led them to prison, but to get them to see that they have a greater potential.”

The tournament consisted of 12 teams, with names like March Madness, Just Do It, Raiders, and Triple OGs playing four-on-four half-court basketball. Each game went to 11 points with the loser eliminated from the competition.

Graced Out members Fanon Figgers and Kennedy were referees of the games.

God’s Soldiers consisted of mostly guards. It included Isaiah “Zay Bandz” Lawson, David Silva, D’Romeo Allen, Deshonnte Jones and Angel Parra.

“We had a good team with chemistry and a mixed-race team, too, which is good,” Jones said.

In the final game, God’s Soldiers came out hot, knocking down long-range shots and taking an early lead after scoring five straight unanswered baskets.

Running Gun responded, scoring the next five. Then God’s Soldiers took the game with back-to-back buckets.

“We worked as a team,” Allen said.

Lawson added, “The team speaks for itself. We had a great time.”

Kennedy hopes to see the young men that played basketball show up at church.

“Seeing people of all ages come out and participate in the basketball event was something very special,” Kennedy said. “I hope that we can all continue to come together for one another now and in the future.”

The young lead the old in Asian championship games

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In a San Quentin basketball tournament where the youth were team captains, Team Charlie beat Team Wilson, 30-23.

Young men in the Youth Offender Program go to lower-security prisons to serve their time under the mentorship of older men who are group facilitators and leaders. The Asian and Islander YOP Championship Basketball tournament held on March 26 at San Quentin put the youth in charge to teach them leadership.

“I didn’t mind taking instructions from these young men because we are teaching them to make positive choices and how to become leaders,” said Tom Saevang, who played in the tourney.

Player Philip Melendez added, “It’s good to see these young men take initiative where teamwork is key. It’s one way to get these youth involved in living a lifestyle that is positive.”

Four teams competed for a spot in a championship game. The teams, named after their captain, were: 19 year-old Wilson Nguyen’s Team Wilson, 18 year-old Charlie Srey’s Team Charlie, 19 year-old Dahvee Jenkins’s Team Dahvee and 21 year-old Kevin Neang’s Team Kevin.

Kevin Neang and Vi Chau organized the event.

“This creates a fun, learning and positive community for these youth here,” said Robert Lee, who refereed the games alongside Ishmael Freelon and Isaiah Caldwell.

Team Charlie started hot, winning the opening game 32-22 with Srey scoring 9 points on Team Kevin. Julio Saca contributed 11 rebounds and Phirak “Kid” Kim scored 8 points with two rebounds.

In round two, K. Uch led Team Wilson to victory, scoring 13 points with three rounds against team Charlie. Team Wilson won, 30-19.

In round three, Nguyen dropped 15 points to secure Team Wilson a 30 to 25 win over Team Kevin and a spot in the championship game.

The final game came down to Team Charlie and Team Wilson. Saca scored 19 points with six rebounds followed by Kim’s eight points giving Team Charlie the win.

“It was an honor to be a part of the Asian & Islander YOP League,” Sou Liem Saechao said. “I’m very proud of them (the youth); they did an excellent job of putting these games together. An event like this demonstrates that we are moving in the right direction with our younger generation. All they really needed was a little positive encouragement to help them in the right direction.”

The Team Charlie members were Srey, Kim, Saca, Chau, Tith Ton, Toamsi Latu, and Blue.

On Team Wilson were E. Fejeran, Upu Ama, Saechao, Jeremiah Stephens, Sou Saechao, Lee and Davis.

“At other prisons there weren’t any opportunities to have tournaments, but in San Quentin, the tournaments allow us to have fun among our community,” Vah Saechao said. “It’s a positive activity to learn how to lead and come together.”

Teamwork helps 72-year-old complete six-mile race

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More than two dozen members of San Quentin’s running club ran 24 laps around the prison yard in a six-mile race, while a 72-year-old runner showed how coming in last could feel like coming in first.

Steve Wilson, 72, was the last runner on the track. As he ran the final mile of the race, two club members, Mike Keyes, 69, and Darren Settlemeyer, 51, joined him for the final laps.

“A lot of good friends were egging me on. Darren and Mike had finished their races then they jump in with me to help me keep up my pace,” Wilson said. “It sped me up, probably knocking a minute off my time.”

Settlemeyer added, “It’s about picking up our teammates. I see guys do that quite often out here.”

The 1000 Mile Club members and sponsors cheered as Wilson came in last with a time of 1:03:58 in the April 14 race.

John Levin, 52, beat his personal best record by more than five minutes with a time of 46:35.

He started running after surviving a near-fatal heart attack and triple bypass surgery back in 2012.

“I realized after surviving that I needed to take better care of myself,” Levin said. “I dreaded running the first six months, but the more I ran, the more it became part of my lifestyle. I run where inspirations are; how can you see Mike and Steve and not be inspired?”

Wilson added, “I run to wake-up alive in the morning.” 

Chris Schuhmacher

Chris Schuhmacher

For Chris Skull, the six-mile race meant beating his training partner and running rival, Eddie Herena, to come in second with a time of 39:08. Herena came in third at 40:25.

“It’s beautiful when you see people accomplish their goals,” Herena said. “Chris gunned me down. It was humbling, but at the same time, I’m really glad for him.”

Steve Reitz came in fourth with a time of 41:21, and Chris Schuhmacher took fifth place at 43:18.

The Prison to Employment Connection sponsor, Diana Williams, watched the race.

“I saw a lot of guys working really hard and streaks of Markelle going by and a lot of camaraderie,” Williams said. “I love the way the men are all supporting each other.”

Markelle Taylor came in first place time with a time of 35:16, missing breaking the club record he set at 34:10:03.

Later he dedicated the race to “never giving up and staying positive and overcoming adversity.” 

San Quentin Kings starts off season with a win

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In the season opener, the San Quentin Kings senior basketball team mounted a spectacular comeback to defeat the visiting Bitterman in overtime, 76-73.

The Kings overcame a 16-point deficit with the solid play of Kings’ new recruits Damon Cooke, center, and Julio Saca, guard. Cooke hit clutch free-throws in the final minutes of overtime to ice the game. Saca put up 21 points by going hard to the basket, creating his own shots and getting fouled in the process.

The March 18 game highlighted both teams’ new talents and their will to win.

“I expect to win,” Cooke said, “and bring a sense of camaraderie to the team through fellowship, friendship and fun.”

Saca added, “I’ve seemed to fit in right where they needed somebody. We need to keep our turnovers down, but it makes you feel great to play teams from the outside.”

The Bitterman dominated from the opening tip and rained down a whopping 13 three-pointers to end the first half.

In the first quarter, Bitterman newcomers set the stage with forward Sunny Margate making three three-pointers. Guard Greg Tang knocked down two threes and made two mid-range jump shots. Margate closed the quarter with a buzzer-beater three for the 21-16 lead. 

“I played pro (professional) in the Philippines,” Margate said. “This is a great opportunity. It’s a different feeling; I went to sleep late, but I woke up for this.”

Margate scored 17 points, including a four-point play late in the third. He was fouled by the Kings’ Saca, falling to the ground and nailing the three. Tang had 15 points for the game.

“These guys are in good shape,” Tang said. “It was a little intimidating driving up here. But getting on the court and making my first shot, I got comfortable. It’s just playing ball with regular cats, just in another environment.”

The Bitterman veterans extended their lead in the second quarter by draining more threes by Ted Saltveit and Aidan Coffino. Damian Cosby cleaned up the boards by grabbing rebounds and putting them back up for the scores. The Bitterman ended the half, 46-30.

At halftime the teams formed a circle at center court for inspirational speeches and prayers. The incarcerated men and the guests expressed the joy of starting the season and what it means to interact as a community.

To start the third, it was straight down to business for the Kings; 6-foot-2 point guard Oris “Pep” Williams took over. He made a three and was fouled while hitting a mid-range jumper. He knocked down the free-throw, bringing the Kings within 10 points. Bitterman’s Saltveit responded by making a three-pointer to stop the run, but the rest of his team went cold.

“We had to grind this game out,” said Ishmael Freelon, Kings’ assistant coach. “They started to miss their shots, but we are going to be good.” He added, “We got some work to do.”

In the fourth quarter, the Kings’ D. “Zayd” Nicholson grabbed three rebounds for put-back scores to cut the lead by two, 72-70.

With a minute left the Bitterman tried to run out the clock, forcing the Kings to foul. The Bitterman failed to convert the free-throws, leaving the Kings with six seconds left. The Bitterman’s overly aggressive defense fouled Williams shooting a three. Williams missed the first free-throw but sank the last two to send the game into overtime.

“Our new guys brought energy — I was impressed with that,” said Orlando “Duck” Harris, Kings’ head coach. “Defensively we have to get better. But overall I was satisfied with everyone’s effort.”

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