Archives for September 2019

The ReBirth of Cool

September 16, 2019 by Aaron Taylor

The United States Women’s Soccer team are champions of the world again.

It’s the fourth time. ’91, ’99, ’15 and ’19.

Their co-captain, Meagan Rapinoe, is the coolest of them all.

No, not the Swaggiest, she’s the Coolest.

Meagan Rapinoe exudes The Cool.

The shades. The hair. The self-confidence. The articulation.

As an athlete, Rapinoe is a fierce competitor and a leader on and off the field. During her post-game interviews, she resonates the definition of “Cool.”

No, not “Swag,” she’s “Cool.”

Miles Davis had an album titled “Birth of the Cool.”

Meagan Rapinoe is the “ReBirth of Cool.”

She voices the frustrations of any athlete—man or woman—who feels they aren’t receiving their legitimate financial worth (especially when you’re a champion), and, she asks the simple question that doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out:

“If we have more championships, a bigger view- ing audience, and we bring in more revenue, how come we’re paid less than our male counterparts? How come we are treated as if we aren’t the best on the planet?”

Those are legitimate questions. She’s not ranting or raving. She’s not shrill. She’s not screaming.

She’s Cool.

Even more, they deserve an answer worthy of the team and all women.

The WNBA isn’t bringing in the revenue through their viewing audience, so if they asked for bigger contracts, The response would be “Huh?”

However, these women of the US team are four time world champions. Even more, they actually have Haters. Some people hate the way they celebrate their goals; Some people hate that they’ve sued for equal pay.
Some people really hate that Rapinoe doesn’t sing the national anthem on the international stage – in front of a television viewing audience (she was the first non-Black athlete to kneel with former NFL QB Colin Kaepernick).

However, when you’re competing on the field against the world’s best athletes, and you have to step off the field and fight for your rights with- in the country that you represent on the world stage, and you even have the President of the U.S. criticizing you?

Don’t forget, Rapinoe and the team are fighting not just for them, but for all the young kids coming after them—to be treated equally no matter their gender, what they worship, their political association or who they love.

To engage in these types of battles, you have to be “Cool.”

And, that’s why Meagan Rapinoe is the “ReBirth of Cool.”

Imago Dei routs the Warriors … but our very own G. Derrick is the star

September 16, 2019 by Rahsaan Thomas

From a wheelchair on the sidelines, Leonard King got to watch veteran San Quentin Warrior Allan McIntosh put up 32 points but still fall short to Imago Dei, 119-102. King got to attend the game because Inmate Disability Assistance Program worker George Derrick, who also plays for the Warriors, used part of his day off to stop by the fourth floor of the infirmary and picked him up.

“George is a good per- son; he’s made getting out here really easy,” King said. “It’s a mental struggle losing something you had for 62 years to a fungal infection (which was compounded by having diabetes) but I get encouragement from the people around me and that has made the transition easier.” King lost his leg in April. It would be another month before he could get fitted with a prosthetic. In the meantime, with the help of Derrick, he comes to yard at 8 am on Saturdays to watch the Warriors play.

“It’s good entertainment,” King said. “There’s a lot of talent out there. Makes you think what could have been.”

Imago Dei came down the hill with six players, including sixty something year old Don Smith. On the surface, it may have looked like the Warriors had the advantage, but the least athletic player in the starting five for Imago was a legend at Grinnell College for his three point shooting ability. Steve “Raise a J” Diekmann dropped 21 points, including nailing five baskets from behind the arc. But it was former St. Mary and ABA player Teohn Conners and former New Mexico State player Jon Williams who lead Imago with 38 and 30 points respectively. Conners added a whopping 25 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.

“They put up a fight,” Williams said. “We were limited but we made shots when it counted.”

In the first quarter, the teams traded baskets with Warrior Rick ‘Rick Rebound’ Joseph, a six-foot center, snatching rebounds and adding a couple of scores.

“I worked hard and it feels good,” Joseph said. “I just want to play and do my part.”

Imago broke away with the hot shooting of Williams and finished the quarter up 31-24.

After two quarters, Imago led 65-51.

Williams had 24 points in the first half.

“I’m going for 50,” Williams, who just came back from vacationing in Cabo, Mexico, said.

At half-time, both teams circled around center-court to share.

Derrick, a 6-foot-4, 38 year old from San Francisco, said, “It’s an honor to play with great players. It brings out the best in me and teaches me to deal with not getting what I want, like not getting to play today.”

Imago Center Ervin An- derson, a former ABA player, gave a short sermon about how “God is love.”

Warriors Coach Tony “Barefoot Tone” Evans added, “IDAP workers don’t have to bring people to the yard. George is expanding the program and that touched my heart.”

In the third quarter, Donte ‘Twin’ Harris came off the bench to run the point and hustled hard, attempting a Warriors comeback. Every time the Warriors got within four points, Imago pulled away again.

In the fourth quarter, up 104-91 with 3:55 points Imago sat power forward Brett “BC” Collins, who also played for St. Mary’s, and put the 5-6 Don “Donnie Fabulous” Smith in the game.

“Lay off him on offense and go at him on defense,” yelled SQ Warriors fan Ceasar ‘C-Money’ McDowell.

That plan didn’t work. Smith found himself open and nailed two short-range set shots.

Three Warriors, beside McIntosh, scored in double digits including Anthony Ammons with 23 and 10 boards, Walter Cook with 10 points, 5 assists and 2 steals and Harris with 10 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Joseph had 9 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists.

For Imago, all five starters scored in the double digits. Collins added 17 points, 8 re- bounds, 4 assists and a steal. Anderson added 12 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks.

The tequila and tacos Williams enjoyed in Cabo kicked in during the second half –after starting with 24 points first-half points, he added only 6 points in the second period.

“Jon ran out of gas so I had to take a couple of shots,” Diekmann said after the win with a big smile on his face.

Pennsylvania under scrutiny after prisoner dies in custody

September 16, 2019 by Harry C. Goodall Jr.

Family of deceased raise questions about cause of death in legal action against prison administrators

Everett Palmer Jr. died in custody from injuries that York County Prison in Pennsylvania deemed were self-inflicted, reported The Washington Post.

“There was so much mystery and unanswered questions in a way that violates every policy and procedure the state has,” said Lee Merritt, a civil rights attorney representing the family.

Palmer, a Black man, was arrested in Pennsylvania in 2016 for driving while under the influence (DUI) and causing a single-car crash. Emergency responders at the time said they could smell alcohol on Palmer. His blood alcohol level tested 0.148—whereas Pennsylvania’s legal limit was 0.08.

Palmer returned to Lancaster County in 2018 to clear up the warrant for the DUI, and ended up being detained and sent to York County Prison.

Palmer was in single-cell housing on April 9, where he was reported to have been in an “agitated” state while repeatedly hitting his head on his cell door.

When custody officials noticed Palmer’s behavior, they placed him in restraints and then took him to the prison clinic for evaluation. The coroner’s report said that’s when Palmer was “noted to be unresponsive.”

Staff’s attempts to resuscitate Palmer proved unsuccessful. He was then pronounced dead early the next morning.

Palmer’s official cause of death was “complication following an excited state, associated with methamphetamine toxicity, during physical restraint. ” The manner of death was undetermined, according to the coroner’s report.

His death has prompted a possible grand jury investigation into his death.

“My son was a perfectly healthy young man, and my son is not going to bang his head on a cell. My son was not a troublemaker, not at all, he was a very gentle, kind man,” his mother, Rose Palmer, told the Washington Post.

The county contracted with an independent firm, Forensic Pathology Associates (FPA), to perform an autopsy, York County Coroner Pamela L. Gay told the Post. She said that the result for methamphetamine toxicity meant that the level of methamphetamine in Palmer’s system “was sufficient enough that it could have contributed to the death.” Yet she questions how Palmer could have got the drug while in custody. These findings prompted the family to pursue civil and criminal charges against York County Prison.

They continued to have questions regarding his death a year later.

“My brother was a good man, he comes from a good family, if he did something wrong with regards to the DUI then clearly he should be held accountable for that. But that should not be a death sentence,” said Dwayne Palmer, regarding his brother’s death.

When the Palmer family did get Everett’s body, it was missing his brain, heart, and throat. At that point, they hired an independent pathologist to determine what had happened; the independent pathologist, after investigating, said Palmer’s death should be considered a homicide. At first, the coroner’s office denied removing Palmer’s organs; it took several months before they admitted that they had removed the organs and that FPA had them. Gay, the county coroner, said that “it was not uncommon for those organs to be removed and kept by a lab.”

“We’re gonna get answers to what led to his death, and we do that with everybody. We’re going to do this the right way,” Gay said.

In recent years, police and law enforcement have been scrutinized for their handling of African Americans during police stops, arrests, or while in jail.

Sandra Bland was another such suspicious death. She died in a Texas jail cell in 2015. Her death was classified as a suicide. A traffic stop led to her incarceration. She was videotaped being confrontational toward officers. An officer was recorded during the incident threatening Bland with a Taser. The video recorded him saying he would “light you up.” Within three days of her arrest she was dead. The emergence of this video prompted nation-wide outrage while her family sought answers.

NEWS BRIEFS

September 16, 2019 by San Quentin News Staff

1. USA — After a nearly two decade lapse, United States Attorney General William P. Barr is clearing the way for the federal government to re- sume capital punishment for five death row prisoners. Federal executions follow protocols that replace a three-drug procedure with a single drug, pentobarbital.

2. USA — The national death row population went down for the 17th straight year in 2017, while the period from sentence to execution increased to 20 years, three months, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. The number of individuals sentenced to death fell by 94 to 2,703, which would be lower if included were the more than 900 condemned prisoners in Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania and California (moratoriums on executions). The 23 executions in 2017 were half the number in 2010. Only eight of the 32 states with capital punishment conducted executions in 2017. There were 34 new death sentences imposed in 2017 with 23 executions, 21 died of natural causes, two died by suicide and one died in a traffic accident.

3. USA — Justice Department officials announced that 3,100 inmates are being released from federal prisons across the country because of a change in how their good-behavior time is calculated, The Washington Post reports. In addition, $75 million was redirected for a new system to assess prisoners’ risk of reoffending as well as a program that would bring earlier releases.

4. Lansing, Michigan — Sharee Miller, 47, went to court to assert her First Amendment right to report prison abuse, the Detroit Free Press reports. Miller says she saw a prisoner “stripped naked and painfully hogtied for hours and another, also left naked, deprived of food and water until she foamed at the mouth and went into cardiac arrest,” according to a 2015 lawsuit. Miller complained, first to officials at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility, where she is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, and then to prison watchdogs on the outside. The Michigan Department of Corrections responded in 2014 by firing Miller from her job as a prisoner observation aide, a job that requires her to watch troubled prisoners 24 hours a day and keep detail recorded notes, every 15 minutes, of what they observe. Miller sought $200,000 in punitive damages, plus more than $2,500 in lost wages. She also wanted U.S. District Judge Sean Cox to prohibit prison officials from punish- ing prison observation aides who report abuse and to order them to give her back her for- mer job. The trial was set, but under a settlement, observation aides will be allowed to report mistreatment to a government oversight agency or state-designated protection and advocacy organization. Miller will be reinstated to her position, compensated for her lost wages, and have her record cleared of having been terminated for violating prison rules.

5. Philadelphia — District Attorney Larry Krasner, who took office in 2018 and vowed that he would “never” seek the death penalty, is asking the state’s highest court to make the death penalty un- constitutional because it is racially biased, is arbitrary, and discriminates against the poor, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. “The most jaw-dropping statistic is that out of 155 Philadelphia death sentences, 72 percent of them have been overturned,” Krasner said after reviewing every case in which a Philadelphia defendant was sentenced to death over a 40-year period ending in December 2017.
6. New York City— In a letter to Department of Correction Commissioner Cynthia Brann, the Legal Aid Society asked that prisoners in city jails be protected against heat waves, HuffPost reports. “Most crucially, we ask that the city move all individuals confined to their cells to air-conditioned units,” the letter said. “This includes individuals held in Enhanced Supervision Housing, who are typically locked into un- air-conditioned cells for a minimum of 14 hours, and up to 23 hours. When people are not in air-conditioned areas, the city must provide free access to cool showers and ice to all persons confined in non-air-conditioned units.”

7. Arizona —Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote a letter to Gov. Doug Ducey in support of rein- stating capital punishment, KVOA reports. “I’m worried about the lack of transparency that Arizona has shown in the past with regard to where it was getting the drugs, what drugs it was using and the qualifications of the people who would be administering the drugs,” said Emily Skinner, Assistant Director of the Arizona Capital Representation Project, a nonprofit that works with death row inmates to improve their defense.” More than 100 people are on the state’s death row — 14 have exhausted their appeals.
8. Pennsylvania — Prison- ers held in solitary confinement at a state prison are reportedly on hunger strike to protest health and living conditions and to bring an end to long-term isolation.

Bringing to life the personal stories of those who carry a life sentence

September 16, 2019 by Juan Haines

Despite our politically polarized country, most people agree that ending mass incarceration is necessary. There is also wide- spread agreement that non-violent drug offenders need treatment, not punishment. However, the focus of most reform is almost entirely on nonviolent and drug offenses. Nonviolent drug offenders make up 5% of the prison population. Violent offenders make up at least 50%. If the U.S. is serious about undoing mass incarceration, the long sentences violent offenders serve must be addressed.

Two recently published books do just that: The Meaning of Life—The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences (2018) by Marc Mauer and Ashley Nellis, (Kerry Myers, contributor); and Until We Reckon—Violence, Mass, and A Road to Repair (2019) by Danielle Sered.

While most people know that the US has more people serving life terms than all other countries, how many more is surprising. The authors of the Meaning of Life, point to a 2016 international study of life imprisonment revealing that the number of people serving life sentences in the U.S. is higher than the combined total in the other 113 countries surveyed.

A cross-country compari- son with the U.S. disclosed that:

• The U.S. accounts for 40% of the world’s lifer population.

• The U.S. locks up its citizens at five to 10 times the rate of Canada and western European nations.

• State and federal governments in the U.S. spend $60 – $80 billion annually on incarceration.

In Meaning of Life, contributor Kerry Myers, an award-winning writer and former lifer, chronicles the lives of six people, whose reckless behavior was responsible for destroying or damaging many lives, including their own. The book, however, is not about hopelessness. Lifers in the book were able to achieve a degree of redemption but only after honestly confronting the ways in which their behavior seriously damaged their victim’s lives. Accountability is also one of the focuses of Until We Reckon by Danielle Sered.

Sered proposes that we reconsider the purpose of incarceration and argues that the needs of everyone, perpetrators of violent crime as well as the survivors of those crimes, are better met by asking people who commit violence to accept responsibility for their behavior and make amends in ways that mean something to the people they have hurt.

One of the six lifers featured in The Meaning of Life is Sam Lewis, who was convicted of a gang-related killing when he was 18 years old.

While incarcerated, Lewis took advantage of every available educational and life skills opportunity. He used his own life experience to offer gang members a way toward societal betterment.

When Lewis got out of prison 24 years later in 2008, he made time to come by the SQNews office with Scott Budnick, a movie producer and the founder of the Anti-Recidivism Collation (ARC) a non-profit that advocates for criminal

justice reform and works to prepare prisoners for life after incarceration. Budnick had just appointed Lewis executive director of ARC. In The Meaning of Life, Myers writes that Budnick appointed him because he was impressed by Lewis’ transformation and believed his experience would be invaluable to people in the same situation. Budnick may have been impressed but, according to Myers, Lewis insists that he’s not the exception to the rule.

“There are others like me who want to do good things and give back, so I try not to allow anyone to exceptionalize me,” Lewis said. This was consistent with the attitude he expressed when we talked in the SQNews room.

There is now a wide body of research that has concluded that the deterrent effect of the criminal justice system is not achieved by long sentences; deterrence is a function of the certainty of punishment, not its severity. These assumptions hold true for crimes ranging from shoplifting to murder.

Mauer and his Sentencing Project colleague, Ashley Nellis argue that there is no practical or moral justification for sentences longer than 20 years.

Myers/Nellis cite numerous studies, reports and statistics that show keeping a person incarcerated for life is not only inhumane, it’s counter-productive. Harsher sentences have been shown to have little effect on crime rates, since criminal thinking declines as people mature. Thus we’re spending a fortune on geriatric care for older prisoners who pose little threat to public.

Original play offers intimate look at doing time in prison

September 16, 2019 by San Quentin News Contributer

Instructors and the performers of Theatre Workers Project’s More Than A Number

Behind miles of razor wire and an electric fence, 23 prisoners housed in California State Prison – Los Angeles County (Lancaster) performed an original theater piece titled “More than a Number.”

For 10 weeks, the men gathered in the same place, at the same time, in preparation for their performances for the Theatre Workers Project led by Susie Tanner.

“I am touched by the humanity and willingness of the men and women to share”

Like clockwork, Tanner and her performance troupe traversed the Progressive Programming Facility (Yard A) waving and smiling in the direction of the cluster- ing men. It was the evening of their final rehearsal before their show and for most of the men; it would be their first time performing in front of an audience.

“Our performance speaks our truth in a way that words alone could not express,” said Larry Torres, one of the participants, who is serving 70 years to life. “I want to share this experience with others— I want people to see how prisoners can change.”

The mood was light- hearted, yet they understood the weight of the rare opportunity to share their truths and demonstrate their growth and rehabilitation.

Tanner had reminded the men that they have value, and that there is strength in vulnerability.

“This theater (program) touched my life, heart and soul,” said Athan Phillips, who is serving life with- out parole. “The volunteers made me feel like a human being and given me hope.

“I want people to take away from our performance [that] on the other side of these walls are human beings; we are all under the same sun, and we are capable of change,” Phillips added.

Many of the men have been incarcerated for most of their adult lives and are beginning to learn healthier ways to express their emotions while developing positive solutions to life’s challenges before returning to their communities.

The prison theater program is a safe space where the men can retell their experiences creatively through movement, writing and performance.

Inside the main room, the talented choreographer Alexa Kershner, renowned poet Ruben Guevara and famous teaching artist Whitney Wakimoto mingled with a group of the men while others talked quietly near center stage, discussing their scene.

The men were thrilled to learn their families would be able to attend the show and that the performance would be filmed by teaching artist Marlene McCurtis and camera person Megan Mitchell.

“The first prison I performed in was in Massachusetts,” said Tanner. “I was a teaching artist then. I’ve taught and performed all over, but it is something special about working in prison.

“I am touched by the humanity and willingness of the men and women to share,” she added.

Tanner, standing behind an oil-stained wooden podium just inside the chapel’s hallway, was dressed in black pants, black blouse with a black sequined scarf and bright red tennis shoes.

There was a low buzz of excitement filling the room as everyone prepared to begin. The men formed individual groups with the volunteers and began rehearsing their scenes. The scenes were emotional and traumatic, some were funny, yet they all addressed forgiveness and second chances.

“When artists share their artistry it is a high point in my life, it is a reminder why I do
this work,” said Tanner. “They have a hunger for our work that is so satisfying.”

The men clustered together for the epilogue. Their bodies swayed rhythmically side to side, then angling slightly back, their hands reached upward toward the evening sun. Slowly one of the men stepped forward directly in front of the audience. “My name is Dara Yin, I am more than a number. I am a human being.”

Each man began to step for- ward one at a time, saying their names, repeating the mantra “My name is: Anthony Graham, Jesse Luna, Tyson Atlas, Louie Brash, James Heard and Jerimicahael Cooley….”

“An artist takes something they really believe strongly in and wants the rest of the world to know,” concluded Tanner. “These men are rehabilitated, and I’ve been rehabilitated too.”

By Allen Burnett Contributing Writer

Di Dân Và Tội Phạm

September 16, 2019 by Anthony Manuel Caravalho

Nghiên cứu gần đây cho biết không có sự tương quan đáng kể giữa những di dân bất hợp pháp và tội phạm.

Một nghiên cứu mới do Marshall Project và New York Times tiết lộ rằng tội bạo hành và trộm cướp tài sản trong khu vực mà những di dân bất hợp pháp cư trú đã giảm từ 2007 đến 2016.

Nghiên cứu đó cũng bác bỏ những lời Tổng Thống Trump nói trong cuộc vận động tranh cử. Theo báo cáo do David Knowles của Yahoo News, ông Trump cho rằng quốc gia Mễ đang gởi qua Mỹ những người có rất nhiều vấn đề. “Họ mang qua thuốc ma túy. Họ mang theo tội phạm. Họ là những người cưỡng dâm.”

Nghiên cứu đó cũng phù hợp với kết quả từ những phân tích quá khứ:

• Trong năm 2018, học viện Cato tại Texas đã xác định những di dân tại Texas—

hợp pháp và bất hợp pháp—phạm tội ít hơn những cư dân sanh tại Mỹ.

• Một nghiên cứu khác của Cato đã kết luận rằng xác xuất của những di dân bất hợp pháp vào tù thấp hơn những người sanh tại Mỹ.

• Báo tội phạm học (Criminology) đã làm một nghiên cứu riêng vào tháng ba năm 2018, thuật trình rằng những tiểu bang với nhiều di dân bất hợp pháp có mức phạm pháp thấp hơn so với những tiểu bang ít di dân bất hợp pháp.

Trong một bài báo vào ngày 13 tháng 5 năm 2018, New York Times nhận xét rằng bản báo cáo của Marshall Project và Upshot là một sự phân tích qui mô đầu tiên về những di dân bất hợp pháp đã ảnh hưởng đến tội phạm như thế nào từ năm 2007. Nó cho thấy rằng những thay đổi trong dân số

di cư bất hợp pháp không có ảnh hưởng hoặc ảnh hưởng rất ít đến sự phạm pháp trong những khu vực đã thăm dò.

Pew Research ước lượng khoản 10.7 triệu di dân bất hợp pháp sống trên đất Mỹ vào năm 2016, giảm 1.5 triệu từ năm 2007.

Những nghiên cứu phân tích về tác động của tội phạm gây ra bởi những di dân bất hợp pháp thường xuyên xảy ra. Giáo sư Robert Andelman theo dõi những nhóm như Marshall Project qua sự nghiên cứu của ông tại đại học ở Buffalo, SUNY.

Kết quả của ông xác nhận những kết luận của Marshall Project rằng di dân bất hợp pháp không có ảnh hưởng đến tội bạo hành và có liên quan đến sự giảm bớt tội trộm cướp tài sản.

Yulin Yang, một thành viên trong đội nghiên cứu Adelman, bình luận rằng những người di dân, hợp pháp hay không, “thông thường đến Mỹ để tìm việc làm, không phải để phạm tội.”

—Dịch giả: Dũng Trần

Thống Đốc Newsom Ngưng Hoản Việc Tạm Tha

September 16, 2019 by Noel Scott

Vẫn còn quá sớm để biết được nếu Thống Đốc Gavin Newsom sẽ làm theo chủ ý riêng—hoặc là nhiệm kỳ của ông ta trùng hợp với nghị trình của cựu Thống Đốc Brown, được tường trình bởi Anita Chabria và Taryn Luna cho tờ báo LA Times.

Từ khi nhậm chức, Thống Đốc Newsom đã ngưng hoản sự tạm tha cho 46 người phạm tội giết người. Chuyện này đánh dấu sự gia tăng cao so với hành động của cựu Thống Đốc Brown, người chỉ có thâu hồi lại sự tạm tha cho 28 người phạm tội giết người trong năm 2018. Newsom đi với tốc độ ngang hàng với cựu Thống Đốc Brown về việc lấy lại 133 sự tạm tha vào năm 2014, báo cáo bởi Chabria và Luna.

Lập trường này trái ngược với quyết định ngưng án xử tử của Thống Đốc Newsom, mặc dù cử tri Cali không chấp thuận bãi bỏ án tử hình trong năm 2016.

Thống Đốc Newsom cũng xét lại 33 vụ tạm tha cho những người phạm tội nghiêm trọng chẳng hạn như tội có liên quan đến tình dục.

Trenton Veches là một trong 33 vụ bị xét lại. Veches bị kết tội vào năm 2003 và bị tuyên án chung thân cho nhiều tội lạm dụng tình dục với trẻ em. Tuy nhiên Veches vẫn được hứa tạm tha, báo cáo bởi Chabria và Luna.

Sự can thiệp của Thống Đốc Newsom làm cho nhiều người đặt câu hỏi về chính sách của ông ta và không biết ông ta đang cố gắng giữ những người phạm trọng tội trong tù hay là chỉ thận trọng cho tương lai chính trị của ông ta.

Luật sư của Veches, Charles Carbone, tự hỏi không biết là hành động của Thống Đốc Newsom tiêu biểu cho chính sáchmớihaychỉlàloâuvề những cải cách trong hệ thống công lý như là Proposition 57.

Trong năm 2016, những thay đổi về pháp luật, chẳng hạn như Proposition 57, và những phán quyết theo pháp luật đã cộng thêm nhiều tội mới vào danh sách được thả sớm. Luật sư Michael Romano, người đứng đầu Three Strike Project tại Standford Law School nói rằng, “Hiện tại tình trạng trì trệ không tin được” khi nói đến parole hearings, và chỉ riêng Proposition 57 có thể cộng thêm 4,000 vụ vào danh sách.

Một trong những sự tạm tha mà Thống Đốc Newsom ngăn chặn là cho Jesus Cecena, 57 tuổi, người đã cố sát cảnh sát viên Archie Buggs vào năm 1978 trong lúc anh ta 17 tuổi và bị phán án chung thân. Trong năm 1982, án được giảm xuống từ 7 năm cho đến chung thân. Trong sự quyết định, Thống Đốc Newsom viết rằng “Mặc dù sau nhiều năm giam cầm, ông Cecena không có giải thích đầy đủ về hành động nhẫn tâm của mình trong đêm phạm tội.”

Căn cứ theo bộ sữa chữa và cải tạo của tiểu bang Cali, 15 trong 33 vụ mà Thống Đốc Newsom xét lại có liên quan với tù nhân phạm tội về tình dục.

Chỉ có Thống Đốc Newsom mới biết được nếu ông ta sẽ đi theo đường lối của cựu Thống Đốc Brown về việc tạm tha cho tù nhân hoặc là thiết kế một lập trường khó hơn. Những thành viên chủ trương thay đổi hệ thống công lý chờ đợi sự biểu lộ lập trường của Thống Đốc Newsom. Dù sao thì sự lạc quan của cựu Thống Đốc Brown đã cho tù nhân niềm hi vọng, và niềm hi vọng đó đã thúc đẩy tù nhân tham gia vào các trương trình cải tạo.

—Dịch giả-Hiếu Thái

Concert showcases Mad Mama, the Bona Fide Few, and the Bangers

September 16, 2019 by Marcus Henderson

Mad Mama Lopez (right) with the Mad Mama

The sounds of guitar riffs being shredded and vintage rock ’n’ roll rang throughout San Quentin’s Lower Yard for the prison’s annual Rock Concert.

The July 27 event showcased Mad Mama and the Bona Fide Few and punk rock band the Bangers. Mad Mama’s band hails from San Francisco and the Bangers made the trip from Sacramento.

The lively personality of Mad Mama Lopez set the stage ablaze with her bubbly demeanor and sharp wit. Mad Mama’s airy high-pitched vocals, similar to Minnie Mouse, the iconic Disney character, blended perfectly with the impressive play of the Bona Fide Few.

The band’s musical vibe was a mixture of ’50s and ’60s rock ’n’ roll with a modern twist and a country twang, known as Whisky Soaked Americana.

The Bangers on stage on the Lower Yard performing

“I’m here to shed a little light in a dark place,” said Mad Mama. “You are not alone. We all make mistakes. We’re meant to be loved.

“We all are struggling,” she added, encouragingly.

After a few moments of technical difficulties with microphones and equipment, Mad Mama led the band in a sizzling 45-minute show. The group performed “Texan Boy” a spicy relationship song.

“I didn’t tell my mama I was coming to sing in prison—not because I was coming into a dangerous place, but because Mama knows I love a bad boy!” yelled Mad Mama as she started the song.

The infectious fast paced beat sounded like a Chuck Berry tone mixed with some Johnny Cash. Mad Mama, with her squeaky country vocals, swayed left and right as she played her ukulele.

Tony Velour’s magical fingers danced around the large upright bass, Paul Monteiro provided the masterful rhythm on the drums, and Steve Egelman rounded out the band with superb guitar riffs and vocals.

“It’s a blessing to bring in this music,” said Egelman. “Good or bad, we’re still people. Music is only going to be a good thing.”

Armed with an array of original songs, the band performed “Trouble,” “Mercy Me,”

“Honey Tonight” and “God, What’s Your Plan for Me?” The mid-size crowd of 60 to 70 men showed the band appreciation with loud ovations and whistling to each chorus of the songs.

Mad Mama worked the crowd into a frenzy with the cover song “Mojo”—with a call-and-response on the song hook: “I got my mojo working.” She yelled it and the men responded.

Mad Mama showed her vocal range as she performed Janis Joplin’s hit “Me and Bobby McGee,” generating a sing-along fest by older prisoners. Mad Mama and the Bona Fide Few left the audience with huge smiles, as the band enchanted the men with something old mixed with the new rhythms.

“I loved it,” said Chris Thomas. “This bought me back to my childhood. Music makes me feel good. I love this,” Thomas added, bringing his hand to his heart.

Mad Mama Lopez (right) with the Mad Mama The Bangers kicked off the
show with their heavy metal-in-spired and punk rock flavored set, inspiring a lot of
head banging by the crowd. The band entertained with songs such as “Break- ing the Law,” “Lost,” “Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll” and a crowd favorite, “Mistreated.”

As the band’s lead singer and guitarist, Bill Heston’s gravely vocals complement- ed the frantic tempo played by group members: Brian Young, drummer; Zoran The odorovic, bass; and Guy Jone, on guitar. All the members provided background vocals.

Heston, the self-proclaimed “Crank Sinatra” and “Lord Banger” teased the groups of entertainers signed autographs and mingled with the audience before driving off the yard. The prisoners and guests all waved goodbye, ending a totally satisfying concert..

“I’m into rock music— I heard they were coming. I figured I’d come take a listen,” said Glenn R. “It’s nice to hear a live band. It’s been 15 years since my last concert, Iron Maiden. It was awesome and a great experience.”

—Anthony Faulk contributed to this article

Correr le ayuda a superar la vida en prisión

September 16, 2019 by Carlos Drouaillet

Fidelio Marin corriendo detrás de Markelle Taylor

Fidelio Marin nació en 1970 en el ejido San José, cerca de Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla en México, y su niñez fue muy parecida a la de otros niños de su pueblo, con pobreza, limitaciones y quehaceres en casa sin tiempo para estudiar. El creció sin aprender a leer ni a escribir pues no había escuelas ni maestros en su pueblo.

Marin, se encuentra actualmente en la Prisión Estatal de San Quentin cumpliendo una condena de 16 años a vida, de los cuales ya lleva 11 años cumplidos. En sus primeros años en la prisión sufrió de tensión-nerviosa y obesidad llegando a pesar 205 libras en el 2013.

Marin llego a San Quentin en agosto de 2018 y en poco tiempo se dio a conocer por su dedicación al deporte como corredor y su deseo de superación. Actualmente estudia inglés y matemáticas en la clase ABE 1 del programa educacional de San Quentin, donde acumula créditos “Rehabilitation Acheivement Credits” que se dan a los alumnos por su dedicación en las clases.

Como miembro del club de corredores de las 1000 mile club, Marina completó las primeras mil millas en un tiempo record entre octubre del 2018 y mayo del 2019. El club de corredores de San Quentin le otorgó el certifica- do, “Completion Award” por su esfuerzo.

Sus conquistas más notables como corredor han sido el 1⁄2 maratón (13 millas) con un tiempo 1:22 horas; las 10 millas las corrió en 1:04:28; en la carrera “The Skid Row Running Club One Hour Fun Run” en San Quentin el 20 de julio quedando en segundo lugar, solo unos cuantos pasos atrás de “La Gazela de San Quentin”, Markelle T. Taylor. Taylor se anotó 10-11/16 millas; seguido por Fidelio Marin con 10-5/8 millas, siendo su nuevo record en una hora.

Antes de que empezara la competencia, Taylor se refirió a Martin como “el próximo nuevo campeón”.

Su más reciente hazaña la consiguió el 2 deagosto en el Décimo Medio Maratón
Anual de San Quentin, donde Marin obtuvo el primer lugar.

En el reporte del San Quentin 1000 Miles Club, el entrenador Frank Ruona escribió, “Fidelio Marin continúa su dominio en las carreras del club competecia en San Quentin, desde que Markelle Taylor recibió su libertad condicional en marzo 2019, ganando fácilmente su tercera carrera seguida con un tiempo sobresaliente de 1:24:05 que es el tercer Medio Maratón mas rápido de San Quentin”.

Marin es reconocido por los que conviven con él como una persona muy jovial, humilde y amistosa.

“ El entrena fuerte y escucha; está aprendiendo la técnica de un buen corredor”, dijo Darrell Mora, uno de sus compañeros. “Él es probable- mente el nuevo líder; lo que me gusta es que es humilde”.

Durante el tiempo que Marin ha estado en prisión ha participado en “Programas de Ayuda Personal” (self-help programs) como: Alcohólicos Anónimos (AA), Manejando el Enojo (Anger Management), Justicia Restaurativa (Restorative Justice), y Estudios Bíblicos en la capilla, entre otros.

“Gracias a Dios y a los programas ofrecidos en San Quentin he logrado superarme y he aprendido a tomar buenas decisiones en la vida; y los programas han sido de gran ayuda en mi rehabilitación diaria”, comentó Marin. “Y le agradezco a San Quentin por los programas de rehabilitación que están disponibles; pues en otras cárceles que he estado no tienen los programas que hay aquí”.

Marin ha estado anteriormente en Wasco Reception Center y en Soledad State Prison que fue donde empezó a prepararse como corredor.

“Estando en prisión he decidido y he logrado dejar los vicios, los malos pensamientos, los rencores y las impaciencias en el pasado”, dijo. “Aquí también he aprendido a leer y escribir en español que es mi idioma natal”.