Archives for July 2019

Utah professor claims wrongful convictions are minimal in our society

July 9, 2019 by Anthony Manuel Caravalho

A professor educating future attorneys claims wrongful convictions are quite minimal in our justice system.

Viewing the likelihood of wrongful convictions as freakishly low, Paul Cassel, a Professor at the University of Utah’s Law School, has compiled data supporting his wrongful conviction figures. His research placed the range of wrongful convictions in the entire American criminal justice system “at only at 0.016 to 0.063 percent”— or less than one percent.

The rate of wrongful convictions has long been a topic of scholarly dispute. In response, The Crime Report printed an opinion piece by James Doyle, a Boston defense lawyer and published author in his own right.

Doyle rejects the acceptance of any wrongful convictions because of “the harms they produce [that] radiate outward in concentric circles: to the exonerated, the original victims, and to the future victims…when the wrongfully convicted man serves the real criminal’s time.”

The statistical data announced by Cassell, a former Associate Deputy Attorney General and a former U.S. District Judge in Utah, was significantly lower than that of New York’s District Judge and leading advocate against wrongful convictions, the Honorable Jed Rakoff.

Judge Rakoff’s numbers, composed by Pew Research in 2017 and reported by Readers’ Digest, estimated wrongful convictions at 2 to 8%.

Doyle opined that Cassell appears to argue wrongful convictions rarely happen and “the cost of errors that do occur can often be discounted because of the ‘moral blame- worthiness’ of many of the people wrongly convicted.”

He pointed out that although “an exact authoritative rate of wrongful convictions may be impossible, we do know something about their distribution—especially their racial distribution—that may repay further study.”

Doyle advocates a joint effort that includes law scholars, frontline practitioners and institutes of justice to “probe the sources of wrongful convictions” with the goal of “avoiding repetitions” and improving the criminal justice system by making it ac- countable for every wrongful investigation, arrest and conviction.

Princeton students support ex-cons getting higher education

July 9, 2019 by Harry C. Goodall Jr.

“Formerly incarcerated applicants are among the most vulnerable, and we should treat them with respect, if not admiration”

Princeton University has taken a stance against a student movement called “Ban the Box.” The “box” refers to a section of the college admissions application that inquires about a prospective student’s criminal history. Applicants with criminal histories are very likely to be rejected from academic institutions. Students argue that by allowing criminal histories to weigh into admissions decisions, the Princeton administration is perpetuating inequality and is unfairly denying the formerly incarcerated second chances. Higher education is also an important contributor to decreasing recidivism.

During a meeting held at the Council of the Princeton University Community, a mixture of opinions emerged regarding how exoffender applicants should be treated.

Some, including many students, thought that once a person has served his or her time, he or she should be able to regain all the rights of full citizenship.

Some, representatives of Princeton expressed their opposition.“I think there are some kinds of criminal activity that may be related to risks that could occur on campus,” said Christopher Eisgruber, President of Princeton University. “We take those risks seriously.”

“I think there are some kinds of criminal activity that may be related to risks that could occur on campus”

Samuel Aftel, a Princeton University student, expressed frustration at the university’s reasoning for maintaining the box. He said that accord- ing to the university’s logic, a former convict will be more likely to commit violence outside FitzRandolph Gate than on campus. Princeton claims to protect its campus community above all else. Some say that the university is okay with the violence as long as it happens outside its campus gates.

“We take those risks seriously”

There is limited research on the potential impacts of banning the box and no hard data suggests a formerly incarcerated person will endanger other students. Some feel that to deny a person’s civil liberties after incarceration is to essentially keep that person incarcerated after his or her release.

“Formerly incarcerated applicants are among the most vulnerable, and we should treat them with respect, if not admiration,” says Aftel.

Convicts and San Francisco Cops San Quentin News hosts forum for public safety

July 9, 2019 by Joe Garcia

Jason Samuel with Commander David Lazar, Asst. Chief Toney Chaplin, Marisa Rodriguez and Steve McNamara

Chiefs and Commanding Officers from the San Francisco Police Department converged on San Quentin State Prison to confront preconceived biases by mingling with prisoners for a candid discussion.

Former SF Deputy District Attorney Marisa Rodriguez helped spearhead the unprecedented March 24 event. Recently appointed director for the city’s new Office of Cannabis, Rodriguez also brought her own staff to join in the conversation.

“Being a kid from the inner city, I know my path would have taken a bunch of different turns—but for people who showed they care,” said Rodriguez during her introduction. “I didn’t always have the best interactions with police as a young person.

“It wasn’t my original goal to go into law and become a prosecutor, but I realized it would give me the opportunity to be a voice, and that my voice mattered.”

Rodriguez used her voice to convince six upper echelon members of the SFPD that it would be worth their while to go beyond the entry gates of San Quentin.

“We have some big guns here today. These aren’t just anyone,” said Rodriguez. “These are the top brass of San Francisco’s Police Department.”

San Quentin participants, McNamara, San Francisco Police Department and Office of Cannabis staff

San Francisco Police Chief Will Scott had been slated to attend the forum, but an interdepartmental crisis demanded his full attention back in the city.

“Chief Scott wanted to be here today,” said Assistant Chief Toney Chaplin. “I will speak for him. He respects this process and will be here next time.”

Focusing on the prison- ers’ first memories involving police interaction, the guests joined small circles of inmates to listen to the experiences of men with criminal pasts—pasts they have left behind in search of rehabilitation.

Rodriguez directed part of the discussion toward how the “war on drugs” era in criminal prosecutions may have unduly affected these men’s lives before and after their incarceration.

Deputy Chief Ann Mannix, Eugene Hillsman and Farah Makras with participants

The prisoners’ stories resonated deeply with Director of Crime Strategies Division Tiffany Sutton. “I have to tell you that all of you gave me hope,” she told them before opening up about her own incarcerated brother, who was tried as an adult at the age of 16.

“As a sister, as family—I see it from the other side,” said Director Sutton. “I know change is possible, as long as there are people who show that they care.”

“I couldn’t believe how we all sat together and spoke without any barriers,” said Si Dang, incarcerated for the last 23 years. “We got to talk to one another just per- son to person. …

They really seemed committed to finding solutions to the problems that exist between police and the communities they serve.”

“We do community immersion right now,” said Chief Chaplin. “We have to keep in mind that this [SQ] is part of that community. We need to make this part of the immersion process.

“There’s a lot of power and authority behind that badge we carry. We can do a lot of damage—or we can do a lot of good.”

Jason Samuel appreciated the opportunity to share his own background about attempting to kill a police officer. Today that same officer is his friend through the Victim Offender Dialogue process—and he advocated for Samuel’s upcoming pa- role.

“Didn’t I see you on Van Jones?” said Chief Chaplin as he realized he’d watched Samuel recently on CNN’s Redemption Project.

“That was the highlight of my week,” Samuel later told San Quentin News. “I didn’t expect to have such a deep discussion with them. I was surprised when they clapped after I shared my story. … Hopefully they can do the things we talked about: understanding the communities they patrol and bring that humanizing element to their police work.”

Tiffany Sutton, Alexandra Sandoval & D.Chief Greg McEachern

Deputy Chief Ann Mannix shared her deep concern for “two big things”—the origins of criminal behavior and its often direct nexus to mental health.

“The goal is to see far less people in prison—far less people committing crimes,” said Chief Mannix. “We need to figure out how to reach the young people on the streets, because they hate cops.”

Commander Daryl Fong agreed. “We’re supposed to be there to protect our com- munities,” he said. “When I hear that [hatred for police], it makes me cringe. …What can we do as a community, as a police department?”

Deputy Chief Greg McEachern expressed a com- mitment to getting more of his department into SQ to gain insight.

“If I can send some of my line level detectives in here, they’ll start to think a little bit differently,” said Deputy Chief McEachern. “I look at things completely differently now, compared to when I started 29 years ago. …What can we do to be better police officers right now?”

McEachern shared with the prisoners that his son is a recent addition to the SFPD.

“What can I do to make my son a better police officer than I was?” he asked.

Commander David Lazar visited SQ in 1997 as part of the SQUIRES (San Quen- tin’s Utilization of Inmate Resources, Experiences and Studies) program.

“Collaboration is key to all this stuff,” said Commander Lazar. “We can bring in people. Let’s build this. … SQUIRES was powerful. I’m sorry it’s taken me all these years to come back.

“As I listen to all of you, I think of the missed opportunities. If we could fill this room (with troubled youths) and let them listen to you—it’d be such an opportunity to turn them around.”

“We’ve all seen the victim impacts,” said Assistant Chief Chaplin. “But we rarely get to see this side. …

All you men in blue—we want you to have the opportunity to wear any color you want to.”

John Lam, who had his sentence commuted by Governor Brown and was just found suitable for parole, spoke to the outside guests in his circle: “We’re impacted by the stories you share. …

The first impression I had of a police officer—growing up in my neighborhood—was adversarial. ‘He’s not here to protect me. He’s the enemy.’ Now I can see these people actually do care—that’s a major shift.”

“In the last three to four years—we’ve seen it—the world’s changing,” said Deputy Chief McEachern. “All of our officers now are required to go through Implicit Bias Training, trying to change their mindset. …We don’t want them going into every situation immediately think- ing it’s going to be negative.”

“When people take responsibility and accountability for their crimes, there’s definitely a healing process that occurs—one that’s sweeping the country, if not the world,” said Chief Chaplin. “Let’s make it worth something. Let’s not make it worth nothing when someone gets locked up.”

Rodriguez wants to make it an imperative that San Fran- cisco’s Office of Cannabis offer equity toward the once illegal marijuana growers and distributors who hope to be included in the now legal—and thriving—cannabis industry. That’s why she wanted her staff—Deputy Director Eu- gene Hillsman, Associate Director Ray Law, and Permit Analyst Alexandra Sandoval to experience SQ for themselves. Permit Analyst Jeremy Schwartz had a pre-existing family event but hopes to attend a future forum.

“Our directive, essentially, is to right the wrong that was created by the war on drugs,” said Rodriguez.

“We were arresting people for marijuana all the time back then,” said Chief McEachern, reflecting on all his years in the department.

Chief Mannix originally had envisioned bringing teenagers into SQ to provide in- sight into incarceration and rehabilitation, but she realized the message may be better received by even younger prospects.

“I’m going to come back with a group of 12-year-olds, bring in some young kids to hear your stories,” she said. “It’s been a yearning of mine to make a difference.”

All the commanders and chiefs assured the SQ commu- nity that this meet-and-greet was the beginning of bigger things to come.

“We have the ability to start a program where we can bring in 10 or 12 officers every month or so,” said Chief McEachern. “My gang unit could hear some of these stories to get a different perspective.”

Rodriguez and Commander Lazar suggested bringing in new recruits and newly graduated officers.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” noted Commander Lazar.

“This helps everybody on both sides,” said Chief Chaplin. “Chief Scott definitely missed out.”

“There’s moments in history where every now and then we get it right,” said Rodriguez as she closed the forum. “I’m so touched, grateful and excited.

“Across the country, there’s a lot of pain right now—with Black Lives Matter, with Blue Lives Matter. …Thank you all for being on the right side of history today.”

The visitors suggested a name for a future forum incorporating more of their SFPD peers and SQ prisoners: “A Blue and Blue Conversation.”

Prison to Employment Connection prepares men for the workforce

July 9, 2019 by Kevin.Sawyer

Prison to Employment Connection (PEC) at San Quentin graduated 44 men from its ninth session in June. The week before graduation, more than 40 business, career and education professionals attended Employer Day at the prison to do one-on-one interviews with the men.

PEC’s 15-week program prepares men to be “job ready” before paroling. According to statistics from Diana Williams, PEC executive director, 210 men have graduated from the program since 2015. Of that number, 96 have paroled and only one has returned to custody.

PEC volunteers, employers, career and education professionals at Employer Day

“We’re all here this after- noon to connect with each other,” said Williams, who discussed how recidivism rates run between 31% and 71%. For those who find employment after prison, the numbers are 3% to 8%. PEC outdoes those figures with its 1.41 % recidivism rate.

“At the beginning of the program, we promised you that we’d meet you halfway,” Williams said to the graduates. “I expect each of you to come see us when you get out because we’re here to help you.”

Inmate Norman Willhoite, 57, is serving a second prison term. He served 28 years the first time. With no clear direction when he was released, he went back to what he knew. He said the employers coming in give inmates an opportunity that wasn’t here 10 years ago. “It (PEC) gave me back self-confidence.”

“It’s a good program,” said inmate Jesse Buruca, 27. “I feel they (PEC) do provide the information you need to be able to prepare to be job ready.” He learned how to conduct himself at a job inter- view, “to be comfortable and be yourself.”

Prison to Employment Connection graduates and volunteers

Inmate Jaryd Newton, 31, said he recommends all in- mates take the class. “They’ve dedicated their hard work and time, and I can’t be more ap- preciative,” he said. “You guys (guests) didn’t look at us as inmates.”

West Oakland Job Resource Center interviewed inmate Hamisi X. Spears, 46, and discussed employment opportunities. The center provides apprentice training programs, job referrals and other services. “I really en- joyed this class,” said Spears. “It prepares you for the future. And it gives you the skills to help you get a job.”

“I learned there are more job opportunities than I thought for the formerly incarcerated,” said inmate Lemuel Brown, 57, who has been incarcerated for two years. “If you have to be here (in prison), don’t make it a total waste. I don’t see any other way to make an opportunity.”

Michael Erickson of SF Made attended PEC’s employer day for the first time. “This is incredible,” he said. “I’m absolutely blown away by this, I’m really glad I came up today.” His organization prepares people to interview who are involved with manufacturing, and holds careers in manufacturing workshops.

Mark Kidd, 35, an inmate who volunteers for PEC, participated in the program about two years ago. “When I went through the program, I saw how beneficial it was for us in- mates to parole with a job.” He returned to volunteer because he saw how much it helped him. He said looking at many younger inmates wasting time doing nothing, compared to those he’s helped, “is really a good feeling to give back.” He said PEC was genuine about helping the men. “I wanted to become one of those guys” (who help people).

“I think I have something to offer,” said inmate Robert Pol- zin, 43. He’s a PEC volunteer who graduated from the program in 2017. “It’s just been a great opportunity to offer my experience,” he said. “It seems like the job world is a little more liberal than it used to be.”

Jennifer Rudd from City College of San Francisco said she’s happy to represent its culinary arts basic train- ing and management, baking and pastry, and culinary and service skills training certificate programs. It was her third PEC appearance. “As usual, I’m super impressed with the preparation of the men,” she said.

Lisa Trustin, a first-time PEC volunteer, attended the workshops, employer day and graduation. “It has all the right elements to help someone get a job,” she said. She has a career counseling background, with 15 years as a career counselor. She learned about the program while volunteering with California Reentry Institute.

“I like helping the under- dog,” said PEC volunteer Gabrielle Nicolet. It was her fifth session. “This is the most inspiring place I’ve been.” For three and a half years, she’s volunteered at San Quentin. She said people always talk about helping others, but they’re generally not referring to incarcerated people be- cause so many people dislike prisoners, but no one needs help more than the incarcerated. “I like helping people who need it.”

Over the years, Nicolet has worked in different areas of the criminal justice system. She currently works as a defense paralegal. She received training from the University of the Pacific and is currently pursuing law school.

Other organizations that attended Employer Day were the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County, the District Council 16 Apprentice Program of Northern California, Saved By Grace, Positive Resource Center, Goodwill Industries, and CEO Works.

Oakland’s Private Industry Council was there to assist the men with reentry programs. Part of its stated mission is to “support the journey toward equitable sustainable employment.”

Before the men received their certificates at graduation, they offered comments and feedback to the PEC staff and inmate volunteers:

“I always thought I wasn’t employable.”

“I learned proper etiquette when talking to employers.”

“You’ve pushed me and helped me through this process.”

“Sometimes I gotta swallow my pride.”

“It takes a lot of courage to ask for help,” said Robert Frye, who often speaks at PEC graduations, to encourage the men. “It’s always bittersweet to see new and old faces,” he said. He paroled from San Quentin about five years ago after serving 25 years in prison. “I’m no better than you,” he told the men. “I just got lucky and got out.”

Frye did a quick question- and-answer session fielding inquiries such as how long did it take him to feel like a citizen? How’d you feel about technology? He said he felt normal in about six months, especially when he started paying bills. Because he was allowed to use computers in prison, he “adapted well” outside.

The men applauded Frye after listening to his inspirational speech and stories of his accomplishments after he paroled.

“Good luck is when preparation meets opportunity,” said Angel Falcone, an inmate PEC facilitator. “When you do the best you can, people won’t forget that and will help you.” He advised the men to think about the future, get a Roth IRA, to not depend on Social Security, and get medical insurance.

Clif Bar of Emeryville, Calif., worked with PEC again this session. Its human resources and other departments helped the men with resume writing and interview skills.

“It kind of humanizes the (prison) experience,” said Kim who works in HR at Clif Bar. “It really is about building partnerships.”

Alicia who works in marketing at Clif Bar didn’t know what to expect coming inside a prison. “It was really cool to see the growth and confidence built,” she said. “It’s very moving.”

Salesforce recruiter and volunteer resume writer, Laura Pedersen, heard about PEC through someone who comes in to play basketball with the inmates at San Quentin. “I like people to have hope,” she said. “I think it’s awesome.”

Williams said of the nine PEC sessions, this was only the second time that 100% of the men interviewed the same or better than people outside of prison. “You were better than the class that came before you.”

Williams provided inter- view statistics ranging from 1 as poor, 2 below average, 3 average, 4 above average, and 5 excellent. She said there were no scores of one or two. The men received the following ratings from employers:

1= 0%
2= 0%
3 = 19%
4 = 39%
5 = 42%
The height of the last four months came when each graduates’ name was called. One by one, they walked to the stage area, shook hands with the volunteers, and were handed certificates and packets of useful employment information that will help them transition back to society and enter the work force. Everyone applauded to support each other. At the end, Williams yelled, “Job.”

The graduates all responded with “Ready!” as part of PEC’s customary mantra.

Get On The Bus unites families at SQ

July 9, 2019 by David Ditto

Families eating, playing games, and enjoying GOTB 2019

The laughter, tears and warm embraces of family reunions filled the San Quentin visiting rooms during the day-long Get On The Bus (GOTB) event on Friday, May 31.

Daughters, sons and grandchildren reconnected with their incarcerated fathers and grandfathers after years—even decades—of separation.

Get On The Bus supports family relationships

“It’s amazing—it’s finally happening!” said 57-year-old inmate Nathaniel Sparks. “Today I saw my daughter and wife together for the first time in 24 years.”

His 25-year-old daughter Natalia was born when he was in county jail.

“I still have every letter my daughter has written me. At times it was the only thing that kept me going,” said Sparks.

Sparks also met his six- year-old grandson George for the first time at the visit.

“He was really excited,” said George’s mom, Natalia. “When I came to see my dad when I was little, it was exciting and fun. I knew it would be for my son. Six years old is old enough to remember.”

Benito Muro with his mother Socorro Delgadillo Ayala, wife Susana Aguirre Luna, and children

“Those are memories they’ll have forever,” said GOTB volunteer Sabrina Coca de Gómez. She is a bus coordinator who has volunteered with the program for the last four years. Coca de Gómez helped organize a bus that left from Sacramento at 3:15am with about ten visiting family members, then picked up more in Oakland on its way to San Quentin. Buses from southern California left the night before.

“I do it for the children— that’s my passion,” said Coca de Gómez.

“The joy on their faces— some have tears—it’s just beautiful. I couldn’t stop crying,” she said about the morning’s reunions.

Another first-time meeting was between Terron Toliver and his incarcerated father, Curtiss Frazier.

“I wanted to cry,” said Toliver, “It’s been 25 years and I never met this man. I wanted to know where I come from.” He said that although he had a great step- dad, he never felt like he belonged.

“I’m happy and sad. Sad that it took so long. Sad that he’s behind bars,” Toliver explained. “Happy because today I get to meet my dad— my biological dad. It’s a great feeling.”

“We look the same,” said Toliver, “I found my twin!” Then he laughed, saying, “When I first saw him, I wanted to take off my name tag and run like hell.” Toliver works, goes to school and is a father himself now, helping raise two small children of his own.

“I’m proud of him,” said Toliver’s father, Curtiss, who is paroling soon. “My number one goal is to make things right and build a relationship with my kids and grandkids,” he said.

Ángel Villafan is another incarcerated father going home soon. “When I first came in I was crying because I hadn’t seen my son in three years,” he said. He hadn’t held him in about five years, be- cause their visit in county jail was behind glass.

“It’s definitely a lot of work, but this is what we get: happy people, happy families…”

“I ran to him because I missed him,” said Villafan’s six-year-old son, Alex Servin. “I feel so happy.” Servin said he is graduating from kindergarten and can’t wait to play soccer with his dad when he comes home.

“He was so excited,” said Alex’s grandmother, Gloria Servin. “We broke into tears.

What Ángel wants most is to be with Alex.” She expressed her gratitude to the GOTB program for the joyous reunion, “Thank you so much!”

“It’s so uplifting,” said Stephanie Stubbs, a volunteer GOTB bus coordina- tor. She helped organize families for pickup at the Saint Columbus Church in Oakland. The bus took them to Saint Sebastian’s Church in Kentfield, where volunteers prepared and served breakfast to all the families before heading to San Quentin.

“It’s definitely a lot of work, but this is what we get: happy people, happy families—at least for a little while,” said Moisés Farias, who has volunteered with Stubbs for five years.

“I can really connect with them because I haven’t seen my mom for 12 years. Not because she’s in prison, but because she’s in Mexico. I can’t go to Mexico,” said Farias. “It’s really satisfying to see them connect,” he added.

“I’m excited! I haven’t seen my kids since 2013,” said 42-year-old incarcerated father Dion De- Merrill. “When I left, my youngest son was still in Pampers.”

Nathaniel Sparks with his wife, daughter, and grandson

His daughter D’oni just turned 18, old enough to chaperone her younger brothers on their first GOTB visit with their dad. “Today is about holding, touching, and hugging our dad—that’s the main thing,” she said. Dion Junior, 12, and Dr’Lon, eight, agreed.

DeMerrill explained that his wife cannot come because she is on the same criminal case. “Thank you for letting me spend the day with my kids,” he said to the GOTB program.

Benito Muro and family have been reunited five times through GOTB. Muro has been incarcerated at San Quentin for over seven years and about 15 years total. He was visiting with his four children, wife and mother.

With the help of dozens of volunteers, sponsors and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, GOTB has held the annual event for 19 years. Each year, GOTB reunites thousands of children with their parents at many of the men’s and women’s prisons across the state.

Millions of children have incarcerated parents nationwide. The strong family connections built by programs like Get On The Bus contribute to successful reentry when parolees rejoin their communities.

“Today is a blessing— thanks to Get On The Bus and Walkenhorst,” said 32-year- old incarcerated father Juan Navarro. He was visiting with his daughter Emily, 13, son Ivan, 11, and their mother LuzMaria Velis, 31.

Navarro said the program was not available at the other three prisons he was in, but he read about it in the San Quentin News. He transferred to The Q about a year ago. “It would be great if this program was available in every prison,” he said.

“I’m overwhelmed with emotion—happy and sad,” said 47-year-old incarcerated father Tyrone Douglass, who also arrived at San Quentin last year. He was teaching his 13-year-old daughter, Kassara, sign language and teaching his 11-year-old son, Tyrone Junior, how to play chess.

“Time flies—it’s almost over,” Douglas said, glancing up at the clock. “I’m already missing them.”

Jesse Vasquez, SQN former editor-in-chief paroled

July 9, 2019 by Kevin Sawyer

Jesse Vasquez, 36, former editor-in-chief of San Quentin News, paroled in late May from San Quentin State Prison after spending all of his adult years in prison and a little more than half his life.

Vasquez paroled with a different state of mind from the one his 17-year-old younger self arrived with in 2001.

“When I was a teenager, I knew I was already being formed for prison,” said Vasquez. “When I came to prison it wasn’t a surprise to me. I wasn’t bitter, angry or sad.”

“My mother used to tell me if I continued down that lifestyle I’d either end up dead or in prison for the rest of my life.”

A drive-by shooting, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon confirmed his mother’s warning and Vasquez was eventually convicted of those crimes. He once told a tour visiting the prison that he came to prison with a destructive past and no future.

Somewhere along the way, Vasquez became his own man and decided to change his life. “In the course of serving my time, I realized there was a better way to live,” he said. “It wasn’t always about trying to fit in with the crowd.”

In 2010, Vasquez earned his GED and never looked back. “It was more about finding purpose for myself,” he said.

Vasquez transferred from Folsom State Prison and arrived at San Quentin in November 2016. He frequently told the story about reading San Quentin News at Folsom, thinking it was “fake news” and the programs were not real.

Once Vazquez arrived at San Quentin, he immediately became involved with the rehabilitative programs. He joined the Journalism Guild, the newspaper’s farm team, and in April 2017 was hired as a staff writer for San Quentin News.

“My direct supervisor, Lt. Sam Robinson [San Quentin’s public information officer], was more like a mentor than a cop,” said Vasquez.

Four months later, Vasquez became the newspaper’s managing editor, and by August 2018 he was its editor in chief. “The guys in the newsroom accepted me for who I was, and I was able to grow because of it.” he said. “They’re family to me.”

“When I arrived at San Quentin, I started realizing how important it was to be open to other perspectives and cultures,” said Vasquez. “When I started working for the newspaper, I started to see the world from a completely different perspective.”

Vasquez recalled a time at the News when the former guild instructor, Yukari Kane, told the class to look at circumstances and events objectively because personal feelings might taint what we see.

“My direct supervisor, Lt. Sam Robinson [San Quentin’s Public Information Officer], was more like a mentor than a cop”

Having a different outlook, Vasquez enrolled in the Prison University Project (PUP) to broaden his horizon further. “I didn’t think I was close-minded,” he said.

He said that Amy Jamgochian, PUP’s project director, always challenged his thinking. “Every time I would try to explain to her my predicament in prison and how I felt powerless, she would have some smart remark about power dynamics, and how knowledge is liberating because it opens up your mind to a bigger world.”

“I thought I was open-minded, but because I was raised in prison I’d gotten stuck in that ‘it-is-what-it-is’ mentality,” said Vasquez.

The problems Vasquez faced in and out of prison, he said, could have been avoided if he’d taken the time to listen to people who were trying to warn him as they observed him take the wrong path.

Vasquez served his time at Folsom State Prison, Wasco State Prison, Calipatria State Prison, Ironwood State Prison, Centinela State Prison, and San Quentin.

With an eye on his uncertain future, Vasquez started completing a number of rehabilitative programs such as Restorative Justice, Non-violent Communication, Criminals and Gangs Anonymous, Green Life, Celebrate Recovery, Life Skills, Anger Management. He also learned trades, such as carpentry.

In August 2018, Gov. Brown recognized Vasquez’s rehabilitation and commuted his two life sentences to 15 years to life. He later appeared before the Board of Parole Hearings in February 2019 and was found suitable.

Vasquez is planning to earn a BA in psychology and to work with at-risk youth. “I plan on attending California State University East Bay and getting certification as an at-risk youth counselor,” he said.

Because of his time as the News’ top editor, Vasquez said he would also like to continue writing. He plans to stay connected to San Quentin News and is interested in covering issues at the front end of the criminal justice system—issues such as poverty and childhood trauma.

“I think, eventually, I’d like to write a screen play about what drives prison and how it’s almost impossible for people without a support group to succeed because all of the transitional housing programs offered by the state are in crime ridden, drug infested neighborhoods.”

In the past two decades of imprisonment, Vasquez said he learned a lot about himself. “I think my biggest take away from the whole prison experience is to admit it’s okay that you don’t know everything and to ask for help.”