Implementing Arnulfo Garcia’s vision for an outstanding inmate-run magazine DEDICATION by Bo Kovitz I just can’t bring myself to write about Arnulfo in the past tense. Months into being a free man, Arnulfo was killed in a car accident while on his mission to build a supportive community for the men and women who would follow him across the walls of prison. In recent weeks, I, like everyone who knew him, have had serious trouble coming to terms with what happened. It seems unreal, because he was and is so real to everyone who … [Read more...] about WALL CITY VOLUME 1: Introducing Wall City
Lower Yard gets upgrade with new guard shack
When the guard shack fell on San Quentin’s Lower Yard, it wasn’t an accident or an earthquake — it was inmates tearing it down. Charlie Spence drove a forklift, circling it four times, bringing down the old 7-foot-by-7-foot shack. Watching with anticipation, his co-workers cheered until the final bits hit the dirt. “Driving the forklift for this project was a challenge,” Spence said. “We had very little room for error.” The certified forklift driver added, “The guys wouldn’t have been happy with me if I tore the roof off. I would have never … [Read more...] about Lower Yard gets upgrade with new guard shack
A journey to freedom filled with pain and survival
After serving nearly 30 years behind bars, Duane Holt was a changed man who convinced a parole board that he was no longer a danger to public safety. Holt’s journey to freedom was not easy. He was diagnosed with cancer in January. The possibility of dying in prison was a reality check, he said. He thought about how his family would be affected by his death. At the beginning of his incarceration, he felt he’d never make it out of such a violent place. Later he wanted to show his mother that he was not the same person who was arrested for … [Read more...] about A journey to freedom filled with pain and survival
Prisoners save correctional officer’s life
A man is choking on a piece of meat in his throat. Three onlookers see him in distress, and they come to his rescue. What makes this scenario unusual is that the stricken man was a San Quentin correctional officer, and the rescuers were three prisoners, each serving life terms for murder. Thanks to their quick reaction and the Heimlich maneuver, a correctional officer’s life was saved, and he went home to his family. “While I was eating my lunch of steak and rice, I began choking, and there was no one in sight but the education clerks,” said … [Read more...] about Prisoners save correctional officer’s life
Easter Day Banquet Celebration at SQ
The doors of the Catholic Chapel were swung open to approximately 250 invited guests on Sunday, April 3. They came to dine, fellowship and listen to the smooth sounds of jazz pianist Matthew Lee Jaspar, a quartet of Spanish musicians and songs by Michael Adams. As Father George Williams welcomed the congregation, he told them, “The doors to the church are always open and not just to come to eat food. We are here to serve all, at all times. “Easter is the most important celebration of the Catholic Church; it’s the Resurrection of Jesus … [Read more...] about Easter Day Banquet Celebration at SQ
Editor-in-Chief Steps Aside to Pursue Other Dreams
In 2011 I was asked to step into the shoes of Editor-in-Chief; a job that I knew was going to be difficult, but former Editor-in-Chief Michael Harris had confidence that I could do the job. Until then, I had run from all my problems, afraid to face the unknown. People always saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. Michael believed in me and told me with confidence that I was given the opportunity to be a voice for those that were not able to speak for themselves. As the days, months and years went by, I started to build that … [Read more...] about Editor-in-Chief Steps Aside to Pursue Other Dreams
America’s Prisons Need To Focus On Healing, Education and Training
Prison is designed to break you, not to make you better. Our prison system takes people who have had traumatic lives and puts them in circumstances that expose them to even more trauma—like living in a cage with a stranger or being subjected to riots or having live ammunition fired by correctional officers trying to break up fights involving weapons or being isolated from family, friends and significant others. People are placed in traumatic circumstances—when they’ve already demonstrated they are not able to handle trauma well, and it … [Read more...] about America’s Prisons Need To Focus On Healing, Education and Training
Departing C.O. Plagman Aimed to Gain The Respect of Inmates
When an inmate first comes into the prison system, the demeanor of correctional officials generally gives him an indication of what prison is going to be like. Rarely is that demeanor upbeat or positive. Correctional Officer E. Plagman is one of those rare people with a different outlook. His is the voice North Block inmates hear over its PA system on many mornings. Plagman’s last day at San Quentin State Prison was Nov. 4. He is scheduled to transfer to Old Folsom State Prison. “We are going to be sorry to lose him. He is definitely … [Read more...] about Departing C.O. Plagman Aimed to Gain The Respect of Inmates
Reaching Beyond the Future and Walls of San Quentin
As we reflect upon a year’s worth of hard work, the writers of San Quentin News renew their commitment to the state’s prison population. We recognize that finding a solution to California’s reliance on mass incarceration is a mission that both our staff and readers must take seriously. The vision of the San Quentin News is to lead the way toward a better future for California’s criminal justice system. Warden Clinton Duffy created San Quentin News in the 1940s to dispel prison gossip about prison policy. This gossip led to conflict among … [Read more...] about Reaching Beyond the Future and Walls of San Quentin
Barrios Unidos Visits Newsroom
The founder and executive director of Barrios Unido, Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez, came to San Quentin on July 19 to discuss his commitment to the community, prison and county jail reform, and the California criminal justice system. Alejandrez’s life story is no different from that than many men of color who grew up in low-income communities. He said that he struggled as a youth; at age 13, he stabbed a young man, and at 17 he shot someone. He later became addicted to heroin and used drugs while serving in the Army in Vietnam. Heroin also … [Read more...] about Barrios Unidos Visits Newsroom