In prison lingo, program refers to the daily routine of an inmate. For the most part, it involves rehabilitative groups, educational or vocational classes, sports activities, and religious services. There are roughly 79 active programs at San Quentin.
Asked on the Line conducted random, informal interviews with the men at San Quentin and asked three questions: How long have you been at San Quentin? How many programs are you actively involved in right now? Which has made the most impact on you?
The length of time the men had spent at San Quentin was from one to 15 years. Based on the interviews, the average stay was about five years, three months. The inmate with the most time, Randy Maluenda, arrived in 1997. Somewhere in the middle is Larry Histon, who has been at San Quentin since 2001.
On average, the men are presently involved in three groups or programs. Terrell Merrit is involved in six programs; the ones that have made the most impact in his rehabilitative progress are the Buddhist services, Alliance, GRIP, and Yoga. Many of the programs the men mentioned were: Centerforce, Breaking Barriers, VOEG, Patten College, SQUIRES, TRUST, Creative Writing, IMPACT, ARC, MVB (vocations), MOMAS, Hobby Program, Kid CAT, Non-Violent Communication, Shakespeare, Coastline College, and the Journalism Guild.
Do the programs make a difference in the lives of the participants? They definitely do. Kenyatta Leal said, “The programs make a difference in the culture of the prison community here at San Quentin. Programs like Centerforce and Breaking Barriers have helped me understand how important health is in our lives and how important it is to give back and help other people.”
Sam Johnson said he believes “VOEG helped me to be a better man, father, and member of the community.”
“The two programs I am involved in both go hand-in-hand. It gives me balance,” said Marvin Arnold.
Jeff Long attends Patten College classes and enjoys the Hobby Program.
–Kris Himmelberger contributed to this story.
