San Quentin News

Written By Incarcerated - Advancing Social Justice

Archives for November 2020

SB 118 revises compassionate release

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Gov. Gavin Newsome has signed a bill increasing the chance for elderly and ill prisoners to obtain a compassionate release.

The measure, SB 118, provides those incarcerated who have been diagnosed with a condition which is determined to either result in death or incapacitation to the point of an inability to perform the activities of basic daily living, may be released under Compassionate Release to live out the remainder of their lives in the community.

Medical stethoscope with red paper heart on white surface
Photo by Karolina Grabowska

The new law amends Penal Code Section 1170. It says the time an individual may have remaining to live has been extended from six months to one year. This bill also changes the process and streamlines release by removing the necessity of approval by the Board of Prison Terms. These modifications are effective Jan. 1, 2022.

Much of the language of Section 1170 remains the same as before. The process begins with the primary care doctor notifying the chief medical officer of those in an incapacitated state. The requirement includes coma, persistent vegetative state, brain death, ventilator-dependency, loss of control of muscular or neurological function, or other incapacitating conditions that did not exist at the time of the original sentencing, and for those diagnosed with a life-ending condition within one year.

If the chief medical officer agrees, this information is handed to the warden’s office. Within 48 hours, the prisoner shall be notified of the recall and resentencing procedures, and arrangements can be made with a designated family member or another outside agent to be notified as to the prisoner’s medical condition and prognosis.

This then goes to the secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. If it is determined that the prisoner satisfies the criteria, the secretary may recommend to the court that the prisoner’s sentence be recalled, and submit a recommendation for release within 30 days.

The warden’s office shall provide the prisoner and their family member, agent, or emergency contact, updated information throughout the recall and resentencing process about the prisoner’s medical condition and the status of the prisoner’s recall and resentencing proceedings.

Also, the prisoner or a family member or designee may independently request consideration for recall and resentencing by contacting the chief medical officer at the prison or the secretary.

Wherever possible, the same judge from the county of commitment, who conducted the sentencing, shall have the case. If the court grants the re-sentencing, the prisoner shall be released within 48 hours. The exceptions remain that the condemned and those who are serving life without possibility of parole do not qualify.

Kathleen Allison the new Secretary of CDCR

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CDCR Press Release

CDCR Secretary Kathleen Allison

Kathleen Allison was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on October 1, 2020.

In her over 30 years at CDCR, she has held several leadership roles, including most recently Proposition 17 frees the vote for the formerly incarceratedUndersecretary of Operations.

Before that, she was Director of the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI) from 2016 to 2018; Deputy Director of Facility Support from 2012 to 2016; and Associate Director for the Female Offender Programs and Services from 2011 to 2012.

Ms. Allison also served in several positions at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in Corcoran from 2002 to 2011, including Warden; Chief Deputy Administrator; Correctional Administrator; and Correctional Health Services Administrator II.

She also held several positions at Avenal State Prison from 1987 to 2002, including Community Resources Manager and Senior Medical Technical Assistant. Ms. Allison began her career as a Medical Technical Assistant at Avenal State Prison in 1987. She is a licensed Registered Nurse.

Ms. Allison has experienced nearly all aspects of corrections in her tenure at CDCR, from health care and custody operations to fiscal administration, rehabilitative programs, mental health services, and community relationships. Most recently as Undersecretary, she has been critical in the response of CDCR to the COVID-19 pandemic in some of the state’s 35 prisons. Those efforts have included the suspension of intake, visiting and volunteering, the expedited release of eligible inmates, the reduction of the prison population to its lowest level in 30 years, and the response to the outbreak in San Quentin State Prison.

Additionally, Ms. Allison has overseen the evolution of the Department over the past three decades, including the implementation of various criminal justice reforms, such as the voter-approved initiatives Proposition 36, Proposition 47, and Proposition 57. She has also successfully led the development of policies and programs that focus on rehabilitation, restorative justice, and successful reentry, which have made prisons safer for staff and incarcerated people, and has strengthened partnerships with both governmental agencies and community organizations to create a system focused on public safety, personal accountability, and positive change.

Gov. Newsom signs prison reform bills into law

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Gov. Newsom at San Quentin with Richard Richardson and Officer E. Sanford

California prison reform got a boost as Gov. Gavin Newsom signed various legislative bills into law. But some of the incarcerated  remain skeptical about whether  there will be any real changes. 

Parole for the elderly, prison closures and transgender correctional housing requests are among the changes that the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will see in the new year. 

The Elderly Parole Program was formerly reserved for those who were 60 years old and had served  25 years. With AB 3234 signed into law, parole consideration is now for those 50 years old and who have served 20 years. For those eligible,  a parole hearing will be held by December 31, 2022. 

“This should be beneficial, but in reality, we had a lot of bills. We had  60-25 and how many went home off that?” said Anthony “Habib” Watkins, 61, who has served 22 years.  He is eligible for an early parole hearing. “I still have high hopes that this reform may make a difference.  At least we will have a chance to demonstrate our cognitive behavior to the parole board and do our part in restorative justice,” he added. 

Under the law, the board will give special consideration to whether age, time served and diminished physical capacity, if any, have reduced an elderly prisoner’s risk for future violence. This law does not alter the rights of the victims at the parole board hearing. Those who are on Death Row, serving life without the possibility of parole or are convicted of first-degree murder of a peace officer are not eligible.

Prison closures are now a reality, after decades of prison overcrowding. Initially, CDCR had to identify two facilities to close by Jan 10, 2021. Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI), also known as Tracy, is slated to be closed by September 30, 2021. The other prison has yet to be named but must be chosen by January 10, 2022. Before the choice is made, CDCR will consider the relatively high operational cost or infrastructure needs compared to prisoner capacity, flexible housing assignment capacity, and long-term operational costs, etc. according to the Legislative Counsel’s Digest and the October 2020 Legislative Update from the Legal Service for Prisoners with Children Newsletter.

“If the state is going to confine us the conditions should be liveable,” said Robert Ebertowski, an SQ resident. “I was at Tracy and the water there was not even drinkable. But the closures are a step in the right direction because as American citizens and human beings, our rights didn’t stop when we came to prison.”

The Transgender Respect, Agency and Dignity Act was also signed. Transgender, nonbinary (those who neither identity exclusively male or female) or intersex may be housed in men’s or women’s facilities (including residential programs) based on the individual’s preference. The CDCR will privately ask for gender identity (female, male or nonbinary) or whether the person identifies as transgender, nonbinary or intersex during initial intake. An individual may decline to answer and may not be disciplined for refusing to answer. They will be called by their preferred gender pronoun or surname. And at any time the person may inform staff of their gender identity and staff will start the process over.

by wikipedia
State Capitol building

“I really hope it helps staff to respect us more,” said Cassandra Evans, SQ resident. “We still face discrimination from some C/Os (Correctional Officers) telling us things like ‘man up’ or not calling us by our correct pronouns. It’s not like we are going to tell on them all the time—which we should. But retaliation is real, even when the law says they can’t.”
Evans thanked State Sen. Scott Wiener (D), the author of the bill, and his staff for coming to San Quentin and talking with them during their Trans-Remembrance Day event. She also reflected on what the housing choice may bring.

“I think it will be about comfort. Most of us have been in men’s prisons for so long that you don’t know how others will accept you at the other prisons,” said Evans. “It’s good that we have the choice. Now, it will be about how things transition. We just have to wait and see how people will adjust.”
Other noticeable changes that will take effect are: formerly incarcerated firefighters are now eligible to have their record expunged, making a path for them to become firefighters and EMTs; some convictions are excluded.
Pregnant incarcerated people can have a support person present during childbirth. Officers are prohibited from using tasers, pepper spray and other chemical weapons on pregnant prisoners. Women also will be offered pregnancy tests and prenatal care and services, both in jails and prisons.

The California Racial Justice Act is another major change. It prohibits the state from seeking or obtaining a conviction or sentence based on race, ethnicity or national origin, which must be shown by the evidence. Also, California’s jury pools have been expanded to include everyone who files income tax returns and not just those who registered to vote or have a driver’s license.

Not all bills were signed. Gov. Newsom vetoed the Prisons: Confidential Informants bill (AB 1064), which would have prohibited a CDCR employee or a private entity under contract with the CDCR from finding an incarcerated person guilty of a rule violation if the decision is based on information from an in-custody confidential informant that is not corroborated or reliable. It would have also prohibited the parole board from using such uncorroborated allegations to deny parole.

“I’m mortified,” said an SQ resident who wanted to remain anonymous. “Without the signing of AB 1064, my due process rights as an incarcerated person will be blocked. Any statement by another person or C/O claimed in uncorroborated facts or false accusations can go unchallenged no matter what the motive is. It can be used to keep us in the SHU (Security Housing Unit) or get us a for-sure denial at the [parole] board. So you may have to plead guilty to an untruth just to get out of the SHU or get a parole date, which is not right,” the person added. The bill has to go back to the full Assembly for a vote.

The Youth Offender Parole Credit-earning Law (AB 965) has been placed on hold. Due to COVID-19, CDCR officials have yet to release the regulations for AB 965’s implementation, according to the Initiate Justice Newsletter for September 2020.

“This is a huge disappointment being that this is a critical aspect in helping eligible folks be heard for parole suitability sooner rather than later,” reported the Newsletter.

The CDCR also has not released the regulations for the Expansion of Good Conduct Credits. The credits will not apply retroactively, according to the Newsletter.

As for the bills that did not succeed or had to be dropped, some prison reform advocates said they are gearing up for the next legislative cycle in 2021.

Proposition 17 frees the vote of the formerly incarcerated

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More than 40,000 parolees will head to the ballot box in the future.  California voters approve the Free the Vote Act this November. 

The right to vote is an integral part of this democratic process in America, but there is a portion of Californians who are unable to have their voices heard at the ballot box, making Prop.17 a priority bill of the California Legislative  Black Caucus, the Oakland Post reported. 

Seeking fundamental fairness for disenfranchised persons, ACA 6, now Proposition 17, was introduced by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and sponsored by Secretary of State Alex  Padilla, the ACLU, and Initiate Justice, an advocacy group focused on ending mass incarceration. 

#Freethevote Supporters Photo courtesy of Initiate Justice

“This bill says once you have paid your debt to society and have returned to society to work and pay taxes and contribute, that you should also have the right to voice your opinion about your elected representative,” said Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). 

Proposition 17, which passed both the Senate and the Assembly as a constitutional amendment (ACA 6) would allow the state’s currently disenfranchised minorities the opportunity of having their voices heard during any elections while on parole.

California has long held that parolees forfeited the right to vote as long as they are under the supervision of the parole department—with the exception of persons on probation, county Post-Release Community
Supervision and federal supervised release.

Supporters of the bill have argued that by not allowing parolees the freedom to vote, there remains an imbalance in our justice system aimed primarily at California’s Black and Brown communities.

“People of color have been systematically locked out of the ballot box in
California for years,” said Brittany Stonesifer, Voting Rights Attorney at the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of California. Adding, “We applaud
lawmakers advancing racial justice and strengthening our democracy with
ACA 6. Voters in November will finally have the opportunity to end this
ballot box discrimination.”

Proposition 17 passed on Nov. 3, 2020 allowing formerly incarcerated
citizens the right to vote.

Resources, Nov 2020

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All of Us or None
4400 Market St
Oakland, CA 94608
All of Us or None is a grassroots organizing project of Legal
Services for Prisoners with Children. All of Us or None fights
for the full restoration of our civil and human rights of formerly-and currently- incarcerated people and families. They
are fighting against the discrimination that people face every
day because of arrest or conviction history. The goal of All of
Us or None is to strengthen the voices of people most affected
by mass incarceration and the growth of the prison-industrial
complex. Through their grassroots organizing, they are building a powerful political movement to win full restoration of
our human and civil rights.


Center for Constitutional Rights
666 Broadway
New York, NY 10012
Non-profit legal and educational organization committed to
the creative use of law as a positive force for social change and
dedicated to advancing and protecting constitutional rights.
CCR recently litigated the Ashker v Governor challenge to
solitary confinement in CA. May not respond to individual
letters.


Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
PO Box 2310
Washington, DC 20013-2310
CURE organizes prisoners, their families and other concerned citizens to achieve reforms in the criminal justice system, and has a presence in 24 states. Write for complete listing
or addresses of state chapters. Serves people nationally.


Coalition for Prisoners’ Rights Newsletter
PO Box 1911
Santa Fe, NM 87504
Publishes a monthly newsletter with news about prisoners
nationwide and is free to prisoners who send an SASE. They
also have a variety of prisoner resource lists available.


Critical Resistance
1904 Franklin Street, Suite 504
Oakland, CA 94612
CR seeks to build an international movement to end the
Prison Industrial Complex by challenging the belief that caging and controlling people makes everyone safe. CR also publishes “The Abolitionist,” once a year, printed in both English
and Spanish, which is free to prisoners.


Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf
(HEARD)
PO Box 1160
Washington, DC 20013
All volunteer organization that provides advocacy services
for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind inmates across the nation. HEARD’s mission is to promote equal access to the justice and legal system for deaf defendants, detainees, prisoners,
and returned citizens. HEARD created and maintains the only
national database of deaf and deaf- blind prisoners and is the
only organization that focuses on correcting and preventing
wrongful conviction of deaf people. May not respond quickly
to letters. Serves people nationally.

National Resource Center on Children and
Families of the Incarcerated
405-7 Cooper St. Room 103
NRCCFI at Rutgers–Camden
Camden, NJ 08102
NRCCFI is the oldest and largest organization in the U.S. focused on children and families of the incarcerated and programs
that serve them. Has a library of resources downloadable from
its website; publishes fact sheets and a directory listing programs in the United States and around the world that offer services specifically for children and families of the incarcerated.


Root & Rebound
1730 Franklin St, Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94612
Mostly focused on services for released Californians in
reentry, but has a number of publications to plan for reentry,
including the 100-page Reentry Planning Toolkits. The toolkit
is not intended to give legal advice, but rather general legal
information about people’s rights in reentry. Also publishes a
1211 page manual, the Roadmap to Reentry legal guide. Now
also has developed resources in Minnesota, Hawai’i and Connecticut, and have pending projects in South
Carolina. Serves mostly Californians.


Solitary Watch
PO Box 11374
Washington, DC 20008
Solitary Watch works to expose and oppose the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails and offers a free
quarterly newsletter to prisoners. Solitary Watch also welcomes submissions of writing by those currently or formerly
serving time in solitary. In Sept. 2017, published an anthology
called Hell is a Very Small Place, although it does not sell the
book directly. May not respond timely to letters. Serves people
nationally.


Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
4400 Market Street
Oakland, CA 94608
LSPC publishes manuals, reports, fact sheets and pamphlets for CA prisoners in the following areas: Family Matters (guardianship, visitation, pregnancy); Reentry Services;
Prison Conditions (isolation and other), and Divorce Issues.
They also publish A Manual on SSI/SSDI for Prisoners and
Their Advocates. Serves California only.


National Lawyers Guild Prison Law Project
132 Nassau St, Rm 922
New York, NY 10038
The NLG helps publish the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook
(JLH) on bringing civil rights claims to allege the violation of constitutional rights in prison or jail. NLG does not provide lawyers or legal assistance but does provide free membership for
jailhouse lawyers, which includes the ability to vote on national
resolutions and to receive the quarterly publication, Guild
Notes. If writing in for a copy of the JLH, donations of $2 to
cover postage are greatly appreciated. JLH is also downloadable online. Serves people nationally.


Prison Law Office
General Delivery
San Quentin, CA 94964
The Prison law Office litigates and monitors California and
Arizona class action lawsuits regarding medical care, mental
health care, and disabled access for prisonersy. Also has extensive set of legal informational handouts. Write with your
specific questions and they will send you a packet if they have
one that applies. Se habla Español.


Prison Legal News
PO Box 1151
Lake Worth, FL 33460
Prison Legal News (PLN) is a project of the Human Rights
Defense Center. It is a 72-page monthly journal covering prison related news, summaries of recent case-law decisions affecting prisoners, and analysis from across the country. A one-year subscription is $30 for prisoners, $35 for individuals and
$90 for lawyers and institutions. Single copies of current or
back issues are $5. PLN also sells many books related to prison
issues; write for a copy of their book list – see PARC’s recommendations at the back of this directory! Serves nationally.


Stanford Justice Advocacy Project
Stanford Law School
559 Nathan Abbott Way
Stanford, CA 94305- 8610
The Stanford Justice Advocacy Project represents inmates serving unjust prison sentences for minor crimes,
assists released prisoners successfully reentering their
communities, and advocates for fairer and more effective criminal justice policies in California and across the
country. Mostly works on three strikes cases out of California. Expect delay or no response if they cannot serve you.


The MacArthur Justice Center
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
75 E Chicago Ave · Chicago, IL 60611
The MacArthur Justice Center is a nonprofit law firm with
locations in Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and
Washington D.C. It takes on cases regarding police misconduct,
solitary confinement, wrongful convictions, and class actions
around prison conditions and parole. Now also a law clinic at
Northwestern law school. Write to Chicago address for other
locations. Serves nationwide but expect delay or form response.


US Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Special Litigation Section
Office of the Assistant Attorney General
950 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC
The Special Litigation Section works to protect civil rights
in the following areas: 1) the rights of people in state or local
institutions, including: jails, prisons, juvenile detention facilities, and health care facilities for persons with disabilities; 2)
the rights of individuals with disabilities to receive services
in their communities rather than in institutions; 3) the rights
of people who interact with state or local police or sheriffs’
departments; 4) the rights of youth involved in the juvenile
justice system; 5) the rights of people to have safe access to
reproductive health care clinics; and 6) the rights of people to
practice their religion while confined in institutions. Usually
responds with a form letter.


California Innocence Project
California Western School of Law
225 Cedar St · San Diego, CA 92101
Accepts cases only where the conviction occurred in the following Southern California counties: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis
Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura (for all other CA counties,
see the Northern California Innocence Project). In addition to
DNA cases, they also review cases that may involve witness
recantations, changes in science, government misconduct, or
ineffective assistance of counsel – so long as there is evidence
of innocence to support the claim. Serves people convicted in
Southern California counties only.


Center on Wrongful Convictions – Women’s Project
Northwestern University Pitzker School of Law
375 E Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611-3069
The Center of Wrongful Convictions Women’s Project monitors potential cases of wrongfully convicted women across
the country, facilitates the sharing of information about such
cases, and educates the public about relevant issues. They consider cases in which he person seeking assistance must be in
no way responsible for the crimes of which she was convicted,
and the trial must be completed and have resulted in a conviction and sentence. Serves women nationally.


Innocence Matters
PO Box 1098
Torrance, CA 90505
A very small number of post-conviction cases are accepted
where Innocence Matters assumes the role of the lead lawyer,
but only if the following criteria are met: the defendant is indigent; the accused is factually innocent and willing to submit
to and pass a polygraph exam; case originates in Los Angeles
County; he or she has already been rejected by a California
Innocence Project; and Innocence Matters is not already at capacity. To be considered for Direct Post-Conviction Representation, send a letter to the above address. Only serves people
convicted in LA County.


Loyola Law School’s Project for the Innocent
Alarcón Advocacy Center
919 Albany St · Los Angeles, CA 90015
Loyola Law School’s Project for the Innocent is dedicated
to the exoneration of the wrongfully convicted. If after a thorough investigation of a case, a true claim of innocence is provable, clinic students will help draft a habeas petition so that the
case can be litigated in court. The Project is only able to represent inmates from the state of California who claim factual
innocence, have exhausted all their appeals, and are no longer
represented by an attorney. Serves California only.


Northern California Innocence Project
Santa Clara Univ School of Law
500 El Camino · Santa Clara, CA 95053
Accepts cases of actual innocence in Northern and Central CA; DNA and non-DNA; case three or more years left
to serve. The applicant must have been convicted in CA state
court of a serious felony or a three-strikes sentence. Will consider shaken baby syndrome, police misconduct, ineffective
counsel, fire investigation, firearms and fingerprint analysis,
false confessions, prosecutorial misconduct, and death penalty
issues.


Black and Pink
6223 Maple St #4600
Omaha, NE 68104
Black and Pink is a volunteer organization that lists LGBTQ on a pen- pal website, a monthly newsletter of primarily
queer/trans prisoner writing, and in some cases will advocate
for specific prisoner needs while also working to abolish the
Prison Industrial Complex as a whole. May not timely respond
to letters. Serves individuals in CA, NM, CO, NE, WI, IL, NY,
RI, and MA.


Sinister Wisdom
2333 McIntosh Road
Dover, FL 33527
Publishes work by lesbians only – prose, poetry, essays,
graphics, and book reviews. Free to women in prison. Nationwide.


Transgender, Gender Variant, and
Intersex (TGI) Justice Project
370 Turk St #370 · San Francisco, CA 94102
The TGI Justice Project works primarily with transgender
prisoners and formerly incarcerated transgender people in
California, and sends out their “Stiletto Prison Newsletter”
and their very informative 72-page “Still We Rise-Prison Resource Guide” to all TGI prisoners. TGI also supports TGI
prisoners being released to the SF Bay Area, and are part of a
broader movement fighting for racial and social justice. Some
services nationwide but more services for Californians. Expect delays in response to letters.


Transgender Law Center
PO Box 70976 Detention Project · Oakland, CA 94612-0976
510-587-9696 collect line for inmates & detainees: 510-380-
8229 · http://transgenderlawcenter.org
Transgender Law Center’s Detention Project works to end
the abuses transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC)
people experience in institutional settings such as prisons and
jails. Resources include state DOC and BOP policies on trans
rights; guides for filing grievances and lawsuits; know-your rights guides for trans and LGBT people; medical information
about transition-related health care; reentry resources; and
other information. Serves people nationwide, but more specific information for Californians.


Tranzmission Prison Project
PO Box 1874 Tranzmission Prison Project
Asheville, NC 28802
Tranzmission Prison Project is a queer- and trans-powered
prison abolition organization that provides free literature and resources for incarcerated members of the LGBTQ
community. Also publishes a queer-friendly National Prison
Resource List. Serves people nationwide.


Action Committee for Women in Prison
769 Northwestern Dr
Claremont, CA 91711
The Action Committee for Women in Prison advocates for
the humane and compassionate treatment of all incarcerated
women everywhere, and works for the release of all women
who are unjustly imprisoned, including individual women
prisoners who pose no danger to society. They also strive to
reduce the over reliance on incarceration by shifting the focus
from punishment to rehabilitation and restorative justice. May
not respond to individual letters.


California Coalition for Women Prisoners
4400 Market St.
Oakland, CA 94608
LA Chapter
PO Box 291585
Los Angeles, CA 90029
CCWP is a grassroots social justice organization, with
members inside and outside prison, that challenges the institutional violence imposed on women, transgender people, and
communities of color by the prison industrial complex (PIC).
The struggle for racial and gender justice is central to dismantling the PIC and CCWP prioritizes the leadership of the
people, families, and communities most impacted in building
this movement. CCWP also visits women prisoners in CA and
produces a newsletter “The Fire Inside,” free to women prisoners. Serves individuals in California only.


Hastings Women’s Law Journal
UC Hastings College of Law
200 McAllister St.
San Francisco, CA 94102-4707
Since 1989, the Hastings Women’s Law Journal has provided a forum for voices outside the traditional scope of legal academic scholarship. They offer and maintain an inclusive space
for feminism, race theory, queer theory, multi-culturalism,
animal rights, disability rights, language rights, international
human rights, criminal defendants’ rights and human rights
of people in prison, among others. They are actively seeking
submissions from women in prison about their experiences.
Submissions should be double-spaced, typewritten on 8.5′′
x 11′′ paper, with citations in footnote style. All submissions
should by accompanied by a cover letter and a brief abstract,
if applicable. All necessary contact information should also
be included.


Justice Now
1322 Webster St, Suite 210
Oakland, CA 94612
Justice Now focuses on the needs of women prisoners. They
work on alternative sentencing; document human rights abuses in prison; provide legal services around women’s healthcare
access, and offer assistance with compassionate release. Their
collect call line (for women inside) is 510-832-4357, 1pm-4pm,
Tuesday-Friday.


National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women
990 Spring Garden Street, Suite 703
Philadelphia, PA
The Clearinghouse assists defense teams on cases involving domestic violence survivors charged with crimes related
to their abuse. It does not provide directly legal representation, but consults with defense teams. They have a number of
publications downloadable for free on this issue intersecting
with criminal cases, immigration, and family law proceedings. Serves women nationally, but expect delay in response
to letters.


Women’s Prison Book Project
c/o Boneshaker Books 2002 23rd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55404
The Women’s Prison Book Project (WPBP) provides women
and transgender persons in prison with free reading materials
covering a wide range of topics from law and education (dictionaries, GED, etc.) to fiction, politics, history, and women’s
health. WPBP also has a free resource guide for women and
trans prisoners and a newsletter which publishes prisoner articles. Also runs the Midwest Trans Prisoner Penpal Project.
Ofrecen materiales de lectura en Español. Only serves women
and trans prisoners.


National Hepatitis Corrections Network
1621 South Jackson Street, Suite 201
Seattle, WA 98144
The NHCN serves as a hub of resources and information about
hepatitis C in prisons and jails, including publishing resources
about Hep C treatment in prison and producing educational materials for incarcerated people about hepatitis. The NHCN is a
program of the Hepatitis Education Project (HEP), a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, WA. Serves people nationally.


Prison Health News
4722 Baltimore St
c/o Books Through Bars
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Prison Health News is a quarterly newsletter and health
resource. Their newsletter is published four times a year for
people in prison and strives to lift up the voices, experience
and expertise of currently and formerly incarcerated people.
On their website, articles on many health topics are available
for download. Write to them for a free subscription or with
health questions. Serves people nationally.


Center for Health Justice
900 Avila St, Suite 301
Los Angeles, CA 90012
CHJ serves prisoners in the Los Angeles County Jails and
throughout CA, and also provides a free national prisoner HIV
prevention & treatment hotline service that accepts collect
calls from inmates during regular business hours (MondayFriday 8 to 3pm, PT). Their hotline provides general HIV
treatment and prevention information, support for callers who
are ill or newly diagnosed HIV+, and advocacy support regarding medical care, medications, or other health related issues inside the jails and prisons across the country. CHJ also
provides the following publications for prisoners: HepC Inside
and HIV Inside. Write for further information about their services or to obtain a copy of their publications.


Test Positive Action Network
5537 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
Publishes Positively Aware, a bimonthly magazine covering HIV/AIDS treatment, research, policy and lifestyle. Offers
free subscriptions to prisoners.


NYC Books Through Bars
c/o Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen St.
New York, NY 10002
Specializes in political and history books, as well as literary
fiction and other educational books with a priority for New
York prisoners. Does not send religious literature.


Prisoner Express
130 Anabel Taylor Hall Durland Alternatives Library
Ithaca, NY 14853
Prisoner Express News is published every six months and
sent free of charge to incarcerated individuals throughout the
United States. They are also available for download online. It
also sends books and educational packets as available. Serves
people nationally.


Prisoners Literature Project
c/o Bound Together Books
1369 Haight St · San Francisco, CA 94117
The Prisoners Literature Project is an all-volunteer grassroots organization that sends free books to prisoners across the
U.S. Please request types of books, not specific titles. They do
not carry Christian books or legal texts. Please limit requests
to once per year, and be patient while they try to find books to
match your requests. Inform them of any book restrictions at
your prison. PLP is one of PARC’s partners – ask them for your
next copy of the PARC directory!


Providence Books Through Bars
c/o Paper Nautilus Books
5 Angell St
Providence, RI 02906
Providence Books Through Bars is a grassroots, all-volunteer book program. Books may be requested by subject. Serves
people nationally.


Rogue Liberation Library
PO Box 3418
Ashland, OR 97520
The Rogue Liberation Library meets monthly to read letters
and send books to people in federal and state prisons in OR,
CA, ID, TX, and NV only.


Grant Publications
PO Box 28812
Greenfield, WI 53228-0812
Magazine subscription services with years of experience
servicing inmates. Send SASE for more information. Order
any five (5) magazine subscriptions and get one (1) year magazine subscription for free from specially marked list with (*).
Serves people nationwide.


The Angolite
Louisiana State Penitentiary
c/o Cashiers Office
Angola, LA 70712
The Angolite is published and edited by prisoners at the
Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, LA. Subscriptions are
$20 per year, $38 for 2 years, or $54 for three years. Write for
order form.


The Prison Mirror
970 Pickett St North
c/o Pat Pawlak
Bayport, MN 55003-1490
The Prison Mirror is published monthly by and for the men
of the Minnesota Stillwater Correctional Facility. Subscriptions are $12. The Prison Mirror was founded in 1887 and
is the oldest continuously published prison newspaper in the
United States.


Edward R. Hamilton Books
PO Box 15
Falls Village, 06031-0015
Vendor of overstock and bargain books, some hardbound
and others paperbound (type of binding listed in catalogs).
Sends out free book catalogs, organized by the following subject areas: Arts & Education; Fiction; Healthy Living; History;
Home & Garden; Biography; Cookbooks; Military History;
Craft/Needlecrafts; Science & Nature; New Arrivals; and Bargain Books. Serves people nationally.


Freebird Publishers
PO Box 541
North Dighton, MA 02764
Freebird Publishers offers prisoner publications including
titles such as Cell Chef Cookbook, Life With A Record, Start
Thinking Outside Prison, and other books, guides, newsletters, collectible artwork photos, greeting cards, and niche
items created for and by incarcerated individuals. Send for
their packet of color brochures, and include a pre-addresses
stamped envelope for faster service. Produces Inmate Shopper (2018-19 Issue), America’s largest book of resources for
inmate’s services plus many other sections of reading and entertainment. PARC especially recommends the Inmate Shopper which reviews and rates many of the businesses that service inmates. Order online, phone, email or send a payment
for $24.99 (includes priority shipping & tracking) to the above
address. Accepts JPay and Corrlinks. MoneyGram also accepted.


Haymarket Books
PO Box 180165
Chicago, IL 60618
Haymarket Books is a nonprofit, radical book distributor
and publisher, a project of the Center for Economic Research
and Social Change. They believe that activists need to take
ideas, history, and politics into the many struggles for social
justice today. The books they offer reflect their values. Write
for a copy of their catalog (discounts for prisoners). Serves
people nationally.


Inmate Magazine Service
PO Box 2063
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549
Magazine subscription service for prisoners. Offers specials
such as 3 full year subscriptions for $20 and 6 for $25. Write
for their order form.


Pathfinder Press
PO Box 162767
Atlanta, GA 30321-2767
Pathfinder Press is a publisher that carries books on the
works of revolutionary and working-class leaders, in many
different languages. Prisoners receive a 50% discount off the
cover price, with a flat rate of $2.75 for shipping and handling
per order (one or more titles). Write for a free catalog. Serves
people nationally.


PM Press
PO Box 23912
Oakland, CA 94623
PM Press carries counter-culture, anti-prison, and similar titles including The Prison-Industrial Complex and the
Global Economy, Let Freedom Ring: A Collection of Documents from the Movements to Free U.S. Political Prisoners,
and more. Prisoners receive a 50% discount. Write for a free
catalog. Check your selection against the prison’s contraband
list as many political books are banned. Serves nationally.


Tightwad Magazine
PO Box 629
Catalog Requests
Burgin, KY 40310
This is a catalog for inmates where they can order all different magazines at discount prices. They have quite a large
selection. And even have magazines that can be paid for with
stamps. They do not have a website or a phone #. Send SASE
to the address above.


Adams State University Prison College Program
Prison College Program/Office of Extended Studies
Attn: Jim Bullington
208 Edgemont Bl, Suite 3000
Alamosa, CO 81101
Take courses and earn a degree through print-based correspondence Print-based course offered as part of the paralegal
I & II, and advanced paralegal certificate programs have a tuition rate of $645, and are offered in collaboration with the
Center of Legal Studies. All other print-based courses have a
tuition-rate of $220/ credit hour or $660 per 3 credit course. offers Associates and Bachelor degrees. Write for course catalog
and application information. Serves people nationally.


Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program
1938 Liacouras Walk
MB 299-06, Suite 301
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Organization supporting education model that brings together campus-based college students with incarcerated students for a class held inside jail or prison. This is a training
center for Inside-Out education programs all across the country. it does not directly teach students. Write to find out if there
is an inside-out program in your state.

Snippets, November 2020

by

Ruth is a common
female given name
noted from Ruth the
eponymous heroine of
the eighth book of the
Old Testament..


United States
Senate confirmed
RBG by a 96–3 vote
on August 3, 1993.
She received her
commission on August
5, 1993 and took her
judicial oath on August
10, 1993.


The Women’s Rights
Law Reporter,
the first law journal
in the U.S. to focus
exclusively on women’s
rights. was cofounded
by RBG.


Her family called
Joan Ruth “Kiki”, a
nickname Marylin had
given her for being “a
kicky baby”. When
“Kiki” started school,
Celia discovered that
her daughter’s class
had several other girls
named Joan, so Celia
suggested the teacher
call her daughter “Ruth”
to avoid confusion.

Domestic violence worsens in a pandemic

by

Domestic violence victims are experiencing perilous times.

Sheltering in place because of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has intensified the sufferings of adult victims in a violent household, reported the Oakland Post. Women speak of their feelings of uncertainty, ‘Should they try to leave or stick it out?’

“Many feel trapped while others are leaving due to the increased abuse,” said Carolyn Russell, executive director of A Safe Place Domestic Violence Assistance Program, who wrote the Post article.

“The grim effects of household traumatization on adult victims and children will be long-term, said Russell. “Feeling trapped in their home during the pandemic, victims fear the uncertainty of their future.

“Family and friends are reluctant to welcome another family into their homes due to safety issues created by the virus,” she added.

Another problem is that the courts were closed and though they’re open now they’re working at a greatly reduced level.

“Child custody orders, protective orders and other domestic violence-related matters are not getting the same attention due to restricted court schedules,” Russell wrote in the Post. Facing the loss of power, loss of control, mental and physical abuse and court closures, the victims of household violence are also exposed to an economic crisis. The perpetrator may withhold financial support from the spouse. “Women tell stories of perpetrators threatening to ‘put them out’,” Russell said.

Children at home have no escape now. The support they would normally get at school and extracurricular activities are gone. Russell worries that there will be long-term mental and physical effects because of these months spent in confinement.

“Minority communities are often most affected during disasters, often forced to compromise their health to maintain employment, and it is even worse for survivors of domestic violence,” wrote Russell.

Sheltering in place during this pandemic is critical and is an effective way to stay safe. Nevertheless, it has had a negative impact on adult victims
and their children, Russell concluded.

ACLU aims to free 50,000 from prisons

by

A nationwide campaign by the ACLU that urges state governors to broaden their executive clemency powers to release 50,000 prisoners over the next five years is now underway, according to the Coalition of Prisoners’ Rights newsletter.

“‘Clemency’ can come in the form of a pardon, which legally undoes a criminal conviction, or in the form of a commutation, which reduces or ends someone’s incarceration. Chief executives, that is governors, have the power to ‘correct systemic injustices and end imprisonment that is considered unjust or no longer necessary,’” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated.

The goal is to have state governors nationwide expand their existing clemency powers to diminish decades of punitive criminal justice
policies that targeted Black and Brown people.

To accomplish this, the ACLU suggests governors focus reform efforts on four specific areas designed to promote categorical commutations for large groups of individuals who meet these criteria: 1. If they were convicted under current laws, they would receive a shorter sentence than the one they got. 2. If they were convicted of drug distribution and possession offenses, regardless of the underlying substance. 3. They were incarcerated for technical probation or parole violations. 4. Older incarcerated people.

Popular support for these targeted categories ranges from 66 percent (for those who have drug convictions) to 84 percent (for those who would have received current shorter sentences) among the general population. Factoring in the fact that there are 1.3 million people incarcerated in state prisons, a more forward approach toward correcting prior injustices and liberating people who have spent years, even decades, behind bars, is a
critical step to take in healing racial disparities, the article noted.

State prisons currently house 165,000 people over the age of 55 (increasing
yearly), 191,000 for drug-related crimes, and 280,000 for probation and parole violations. Acknowledging and moving toward the release of 50,000 incarcerated people in the next five years, through governors’ grants of clemency, will redeem the rights of these prisoners and create their only chance for a timely release and a pathway to healing, notes the ACLU.

States collectively spend $43 billion a year on a prison system where Blacks and Latinos make up 57 percent of the prison population but are only 29 percent of the US population.

“Hundreds of thousands of people are trapped by extraordinarily long and punitive sentences that were never warranted in the first place,” the ACLU stated.

COVID prison death toll climbs to 1,170

by

As COVID-19 ravaged its way through the nation’s prison system at least
138,105 people in prison had tested positive for the virus and close to 1,170 incarcerated individuals have died in COVID-related cases as of the week ending October 2, according to a recent report by The Marshall Project in
partnership with The Associated Press.

The Marshall Project has been tracking the numbers from March through September. Their report shows that after a slowdown in June, new cases reached an all-time high in early August—citing the growth coming from prisoners testing positive in Florida, California, and the federal Bureau of Prisons. Arkansas, Hawaii and Oklahoma also made the list.

“Given the huge differences in how many people are being tested in prisons for the virus, the effects of the pandemic have varied widely between different state prison system,” stated the report. “The first reported cases began popping up in Massachusetts and Georgia on March 20.”

Georgia also had the first known COVID-19 death of an incarcerated person. Anthony Cheek 49, died March 26, while being held at Lee State Prison. In August, Hawaii was the last state to report its first confirmed prison case of
COVID-19, according to the report.

Texas leads the total death toll of incarcerated people at 161. Florida is second with 134 prisoner deaths and the federal Bureau of Prisons is
third with 133 deaths. California is sixth on the list with 67 prisoner deaths.

“While we know more about how prisoners are getting sick, another group of people is at risk in these facilities: correctional officers, nurses, chaplains, wardens and other workers,” noted the Marshall Project report. “We know little about how coronavirus is affecting them, though they have the potential to carry it both into facilities and back out to their communities.”

For the week ending October 2, 13 states (Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia) released the number of staff members who tested positive for COVID-19. Most state corrections departments include only the employees who voluntarily report a diagnosis, according to the report.

The Marshall Project recorded 83 publicly reported prison staff deaths, while more than 30,043 tested positive for the virus.

The Marshall Project continues to track and publish weekly data on COVID-19 cases and deaths in prisons. They calculate the rates of infection and deaths per 10,000 prisoners to allow for the easiest comparison among prison systems.

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