San Quentin News

Written By Incarcerated - Advancing Social Justice

Historical fiction gives account of the slave trade

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Homegoing, a debut novel by Yaa Gyasi (2016), explores the unhealed wounds of slavery, compellingly rendered through several hundred years, seven generations, fourteen characters over a span of two continents. The title, “Homegoing,”comes from an old African-American belief that death allowed an en- slaved person’s spirit to travel back to Africa.

The saga, which is conveyed in interlinked stories, follows two African tribes connected by half-sisters unknown to each other. One sister becomes a part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, while the other grows up in Africa.

The narrative has a distinctively feminine and African-based voice, making it a thought-provoking read, particularly to an American audience.

As an example, she de- scribes the sensitivity that comes from caring for someone as if it’s: An unapologetic, unquestioning love like that of the stray dog that follows the man home from work every evening, happy, simply, to be allowed to walk nearby. She describes The Castle’s interior, a place where slaves were kept prior to their trans-Atlantic voyage to the Americas as such: There was no sunlight. Darkness was day and night and everything in between.

According to a blurb on the cover by The Christian Science Monitor, Gyasi has “a poet’s ability to paint a scene with a handful of phrases.”

Homegoing’s chapter structure reminded me of There There by Tommy Orange (2019), reviewed in SQ News August 2019, where each chapter is an experience of a character. Orange shaped the storyline in the characters’ desire to arrive at a place they all had in common, but Gyasi chapters are a character’s experience that lasts a generation. Each of Gyasi’s chapters also ties historical relevance to events, examples include: what it was like for African tribes to trade slaves to the English; how blacks lived through the convict lease laws after the Civil War; what it means to be a sharecropper; the reasoning behind The Great Migration; Africa’s decolonization efforts.

Gyasi’s narratives interject a subtle sense of cruelty into how a racist society drains the life out of Black people; meanwhile, the desire of Black people to live peacefully and on its own terms is never lost.

(Editor’s note: The saga of Black people striving for meaningful existence was told in The Southern Phoenix, Rosemary Jenkins (2017), reviewed in SQ News February 2018, an historical novel that examined The Great Migration and its connection to civil-rights.)

Both novels point out what happened during the height of Jim Crow when Blacks left the south, headed north and west to leave the direct and deadly racism of the south, only to land in a place where to the sophisticated and subtle racism of the rest of America still existed—it’s called “unconscious bias” today.

Gyasi’s characters reveal the emotional toll The Great Mi- gration had on Black Ameri- cans as keenly shown in Wil- lie’s take on getting out of the south:

The first inhale of Harlem air was clean, no coal dust traveling in through the nose to hit the back of the throat, to taste. Just breathing felt exciting.

Gyasi’s description of European treatment of Africans and its reconciliation through Christian forgiveness is particularly insightful:

Forgiveness was an act done after the fact, a piece of the bad deed’s future. And if you point the people’s eye to the future, they might not see what is being done to hurt them in the present.

Two thought-provoking chapters: Yaw addresses inter- generational trauma from an American perspective while Akua addresses the topic from an African perspective.

Gyasi does not leave out the “Back to Africa” movement. In the chapter titled, Marcus she describes African-based slave history as follows:

The dirty skeleton of a long-past shame that held the place together began to show itself in blackening concrete, rusty- hinged doors.

In spite of the acute pain and sadness threaded through each chapter, Gyasi finds a way to tie things together in a satisfying ending of an epic tale of struggle and triumph.

Stanford professor audited Creative Writing class

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Adam Johnson

Professor Adam Johnson of Stanford University came to San Quentin to sit in on a creative writing class for incarcerated men, facilitated by Zoe Mullery and sponsored by the William James Association. The Aug. 21 get-together between students and professor focused on: what led to Johnson’s writing career, what creates a compelling narrative, and a review of Fortune Smiles (2016), Johnson’s collection of short stories.

“He really encourages all of us, me included, to go to the difficult story – don’t turn away from it – go to the story that we don’t fully understand or have any understanding of,” said Mullery.

The Pulitzer Prize winning author, who worked as a mason in his youth, said building solitary confinement cells in Arizona changed his life.

“We’d bring the walls up, and then I’d think about who’s going to occupy this thing, and it was depressing the hell outta me,” Johnson said.

After that, Johnson took a creative writing class to boost his grade point average and “that’s that,” he said.

Johnson talked about what he learned from Ron Carlson, his first writing teacher.

“The secret to great writ- ing is learning to tolerate the not knowing of what might be and moving forward in a story in the face of uncertainty and that it might fail,” Johnson said.

The students had read Johnson’s collection of six short stories prior to his visit and were ready with comments about the stories. Dark Meadows is the only story Johnson said he did not research.

Johnson said it was about people “who could go down paths where they could do the unthinkable” and be redeemed.

“The character was in a situation of struggling every day in his life to do the right thing,” Johnson said. “He was a character that readers don’t want to like, but he had characteristics that readers find likable.”

Johnson said Dark Meadows challenges readers’ beliefs about good and bad.

He told the students that the space for fiction is getting smaller and smaller as publishers looking for longer stories are dwindling.

As an early writer, he says, he had great experiences with editors. But, as he developed, he has found his own voice, even if he has to labor to write a single paragraph.

“The act of writing is a noble endeavor,” Johnson said. “It’s meditative – I feel that I’m an average person, but to orchestrate my thoughts, I can say something above myself.”

Mullery noted later that she’s “picky” about people interacting with the class.

“The writers that I invite are people that I really re- spect, not only as writers, but also how they conduct themselves as a writer—not to just make a buck or be famous. And I think Adam Johnson is a great example of that,” said Mullery.

Poet and thespian Donté Clark visits San Quentin

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Donté Clark

Poet and thespian Donté Clark, 29, visited a classroom at San Quentin on Aug. 11 to talk about his experiences of being a young Black writer from North Richmond, Ca.

“On the surface, my writing is about my feelings, but it’s also about freedom,” Clark told a group of six incarcerated men sitting with community volunteers, who are educators for Academic Peer Education Program (APEP).

Clark added, “I always wanted to come inside a prison to teach–but what can I offer? I came to understand, if I can’t give information, I’ll get information.”

James Metters, one of the APEP incarcerated educators, said, “Donté came in and taught me the power of resilience. He models success as an African American growing up in an urban community. He reminds me that the sky is not the limit.”

Clark talked about his early days of writing. He said the anger he felt from the lack of social or community issues showing up in literature was quelled through his own writing.

“When I was growing up, I was going through a lot,” Clark said. “My parents and teachers didn’t know how to handle me. But, writing down my feelings not only made me feel better, it helped other people.”

Clark said appreciation for his writing passion showed up through community support for a workshop geared toward youngsters. The workshop participants began performing for each other, which gained attention—which grew the workshop until the performances became community shows.

“I’m trying to help raise awareness of what’s happening in Richmond,” Clark said. “I’m getting rid of that anger. If you still have anger and bitterness, you’re still lost. I want to get to that place of harmony. I have to get rid of that emotional blockage.”

Rick Ayers, an APEP volunteer, chimed in saying, “Donté would show up any- where, paid or not paid.”

Clark responded, “The workshops are for kids in the community — they help keep them out of trouble, inspire them to stay in school— with the goal of keeping the kids going.”

Clark performed a couple of poems from his new book, KnowFreedom. Peer educators Raiveon “Ray Ray” Wooden and Philippe “Kells” Kelly followed with original spoken-word pieces of their own.

Referring to the performances, Diane Kahn, a PREP volunteer, said, “I felt as though Donté is on the level that he could speak to the experiences that incarcerated people go through.”

Clark is working on a new piece called Money and a book based on a 14-day trip he took to Indonesia that speaks to peace and love.

San Quentin workers donate more than $7,000 to non-profits

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San Quentin workers donated more than $7,000 of their paychecks to two non- profit organizations selected by Warden Ron Davis that serve young people in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I took so much from society. Now I can give back,” said Ronald Bruce Carter at the Oct. 15 check presentation.

Tracy Herrmann said, “It’s a big difference from the past, when I’d take.”

JVP employee Tracy Herrmann

Paul Huyck added, “It’s a good thing to donate money to help society.”

The three men are part of the Joint Venture Program, which was set up by prison administrators to coordinate local business with inmate labor. The local business, Big Dawg, builds refrigeration fan units for commercial refrigeration and freezers. Big Dawg pays prisoners industry-based wages for their labor. Prison officials manage the money.

• 20% pays for the worker’s room and board
• 20% goes to pay off the worker’s restitution or to victim’s compensation
• 20% goes for family support, such as child support
• 20% goes to the worker’s savings account
• 20% goes to the worker’s inmate trust account for discretionary spending Carter said the job allows him to do something constructive.
“I take pride in everything I do,” Carter said. “Build- ing something from scratch that could go anywhere in the world—from something I did.”

Tracy Herrmann said the job “keeps my mind occupied and being productive. Plus, I’m giving back to society.”

Paul Huyck said, “It gives us a chance to put money in the bank and have a better chance of making it.”

The nonprofits, Misssey and Seneca Family of Agencies, each received a check for $3,611.29.

Misssey serves sexually exploited girls and women between the ages of 12 and 24 with personal development training and how to create life goals. The organization also provides clients a safe place and daily lunches.

“It’s a place for the girls to talk about trauma and bad experiences,” representative Destiny Webster said. “It’s a place where they could be honest.”

In regards to receiving money from people who might be responsible for some of the harm, Webster said, “There should always be a place to start over. You are proving a resource to help us to do our work. I’m honored to be here and see the people who’ve made these donations.”

Webster, born and raised in Oakland, said it was her first time inside San Quentin. “Walking through the courtyard, it looks so much like my community,” she said. “It’s a humbling experience. I believe that everyone should be offered multiple chances.”

Seneca Family of Agencies serves young people with mental health issues who suffered trauma or were negatively affected by the foster care system. The organization collaborates with local schools that have students with disabilities or have been impacted by trauma, abuse or neglect.

“The goal is for students to fully access their educational goals and thrive in school,” said Representative Harben Porter. “We strive to close the achievement gap in California.”

Seneca representative Caleb Hervey said that he joined the organization because of his personal experiences and seeing people disenfranchised in his family and the larger community.

“I wanted to be someone who gave back,” Porter said. “My values line up with the family values of Seneca.”

While receiving the check, Porter said to the workers, “A lot of people are just one choice from a life change.”

He then thanked the prisoners for the donation, adding that the money would go toward “providing education, mental health care that is family centered, with a goal of getting rid of the intergenerational problem of people having to go through the prison system.

“The contribution will move beyond our organization to those in our network—the money will be well used. You are providing healing in our community,” Porter said.

Study advances alternative form of criminal justice

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A new study outlines a restorative justice strategy based on “public redemption” that the authors claim produces lower recidivism rates than traditional criminal justice punishment strategies.

Public redemption, the study claims, produces an avenue for offenders to tell the truth and be accountable for bad deeds with an outcome that’s beneficial to all parties in the community.

The University of Pennsylvania Law School wrote the research paper, “The Opposite of Punishment: Imagining a Path to Public Redemption.”

“Our criminal justice history has been almost exclusively based upon advertising the negative example of conviction and punishment as the means by which we condemn prohibited conduct,” the research concludes. “Perhaps it is worth at least experimenting with a system of positive examples to promote these same important goals.”

The paper “explores how and why such a system of public redemption might be constructed, the benefits it might provide to offenders, victims and society, and the political complications that creation of such a system might encounter.”

The research takes into account the power of confessions and apologies, making amends, deserved punishment, future criminality and exceptional cases. It also considers that “there will be political objections to such a system from both the anti-punishment school and the law-and-order school, making legislative creation of such a program complicated.”

The researchers suggest that the policy could begin with governors using their clemency and pardon power toward offenders who go through the redemption process.

Retail giant Alibaba gives workshop on working in E-commerce

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As part of an interviewing workshop, Peter Stern, from online retail giant Alibaba, told about two dozen incarcerated computer coders that learning Mandarin is a big plus, if they want to get a job with the E-commerce company.

Although the Chinese firm does not have a policy on hiring formerly incarcerated people, Stern said that his inspiration to be involved with San Quentin’s incarcerated population came after visiting the entrepreneurial program, The Last Mile (TLM).

TLM, established in 2012 by venture capitalists Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, prepares prisoners for today’s business world by teaching them how to engage in social media and other new technologies. The nine-month program helps students develop business plans that are presented to corporate leaders during a Demo Day.

Redlitz and Parenti expanded TLM in 2014 by creating Code.7370, which is a computer-coding course. Since then, Stern has dropped into the Code.7370 class to inspire the students.

Prior to the Aug. 21 workshop, Stern prepared a PowerPoint presentation to show the incarcerated coders Alibaba’s rapid growth. It currently has surpassed Wal-Mart with over $1 trillion in sales.

The workshop began with Alibaba representatives using employer/potential employee role players to demonstrate the STAR system.

The STAR system role players show that when a potential employee understands an employer’s Situation (S) the job requirements are revealed. The role players then illustrate that potential employees must be able to identify the specific Tasks (T) that are needed to perform the job. Understanding the

Situation and Tasks allows a potential employee to understand what Action (A) he or she needs to take in order to secure the job. Successfully demonstrating these aspects would Result (R) in employers recognizing that the potential employees know the job and would be a successful hire.

At the end of the workshop, there was a question and answer session. Many of the coders’ questions centered on when to bring up former incarcerations to employers.

“When to bring up being incarcerated is important. Tell the employer what you’ve learned from your incarceration experience. Tell them about the programs that you’ve taken. Show them the change in your life. Look at it as an opportunity to demonstrate who you are at the time of your interview,” Stern told the incarcerated men.

Alibaba representative Tobie Louw told the incarcerated coders, “Thank you for letting us know about your world.”

No More Tears violence prevention program originates from the heart

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No More Tears’ Lonnie Morris right) and members of Healing (center) with Mattie Scott (center for Our Families and Our Nations

As the sun was setting on San Quentin, dozens of incarcerated men and Bay Area citizens gathered in the Protestant Chapel to break bread, on Sept. 14, in celebration of No More Tears, a violence prevention program.

Mick Gardner, executive director of the program established in 2002, revealed that in the last three years, 43 participants of No More Tears returned to the community and none returned to prison.

Pointing to the incarcerated men, Gardner said, “They put it together— the idea came from the heart and mind of Lonnie Morris. The sincere passion that this man has for this organization—he deserves an award, and with that said, this certificate is for the shining success of No More Tears.”

Morris accepted the award as Gardner chanted, “We are community—stop the violence,” and asked the audience to respond with, “We’re community stopping the tears.”

The give and take was repeated several times.

“When I received the appreciation award, I felt overwhelmed,” Morris said later. “We don’t work to stop violence because we look for awards or recognition but because it is work that is de- signed to save lives. However, it’s good to know that your peers recognize the work you do.”

Morris has served more than 40 years in prison on a 7-year-to-life sentence. He was recently denied pa- role in May 2019. His next parole board appearance is scheduled for 2022.

“We recognize the unique perspective of former perpetrators and value their ability to bring solutions to the communities where they once contributed to the problem,” the event program read. “Our work is made possible by the support of community leaders, correctional staff, concerned citizens, and families impacted by violence and crime.”


No More Tears’ inside and outside facilitators with participants

Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who regularly visits the program, talked about seeing people who once participated in No More Tears walking around or working in the community.

“We continue to struggle to come in here on a regular basis to provide services for housing and employment,” Carson said. “My instruction and learning is what can I do for your return to be successful. I’m blessed to work with other elected officials that listen to you to understand what you need to return you back home.”

Returning citizen Joey Mason with volunteer Chérie McNaulty in the audience

Joey Mason, a former No More Tears participant, left San Quentin to freedom about a year ago.

“One thing that struck me here is that there was a lot of empathy in this room,” Mason told the audience. “We know to keep showing up, keep doing the work. Our lives are being enriched by being here.”

Incarcerated No More Tears facilitator Dwight Kennedy added, “Doing the work—that means getting to know yourself. Don’t do it for the board, do it for yourself.”

While everyone feasted on hamburgers with cake and cookies for dessert, musical acts provided entertainment.

The hip-hop vocals of Jennifer Johns and keyboard of Kev Choice were inspired by “love, humanity, love and community,” Johns said.

Rafael Banskton on stage

Rafael “Nephew” Bankston performed spoken word, highlighting how the No More Tears philosophy affected his incarceration experience by focusing on its workshops aimed to put “a face on violence.”

What no more tears means to me, truthfully
All the workshops combined confined in my sleep Reflecting who I was— not who I be
Allow me to express my no more tears dream.

Ear Hustle podcaster Antwan “Banks” Williams acknowledged the people who inspired and mentored him throughout his incarceration.

“The way that these men have treated me has changed the way I treat others,” Williams said. “It was the people who told me that I was some- body to them. Now that I am somebody, I want to tell somebody that you’re some- body to me.”

Williams then went into a spoken word performance repeating the lines:

I never really felt like somebody
Till somebody told me that I can Be somebody
Now I’m somebody who just wanna tell Somebody that you’re somebody, you’re Somebody to me!

Big Wheels to the Big House covers victimization as well as hopes and dreams

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“The world is cold and dark…Who cares?!” That’s what’s on the book cover of Juvenile Offenders: From Big Wheels to the Big House (2018) by Rosemary Jenkins.

The page-turner is a learning journey of what it’s like to survive unthinkable victimization, learn to be accountable and then, in the process, generating personal hopes and dreams.

Juvenile Offenders is an anthology from about two dozen writers, all living in that cold, dark place called prison. That being said, it’s hard not to care after taking in their stories — each from a person directly affected by the criminal justice system. Readers get the opportunity to peek into the writers’ lives through candid commentaries that depict what it’s like to live behind bars. Articles from San Quentin News are included in the anthology, some that I’ve written.

Writer Mark Edwards Vigil is one of the strongest voices in the anthology. He navigates readers chapter by chapter, aptly called Juvenile Offenders, described as “…the collective journey through time of those whose articles are included in it. Each writer has run the gam- ut of the prison system and has come to realize that there is more to life than wasting what remains of it — lost in the grips of drugs, gangs, and criminality.”

Writer Ronald Patterson describes the grip of criminality and coming to realize it as follows: my friends and I were fascinated with players, hustlers, gamblers, dealers, and gangsters because they played by their own rules, despite the law. Ignorantly, we admired and emulated them and would eventually turn into monsters who killed people and destroyed our community.

Patterson’s ability to articulate the impact that his crimes have had on others al- lows readers to witness maturity under the most unlikely circumstances; Patterson il- lustrates the resilience of the human spirit.

Juvenile Offenders is far more than the realization of mistakes and redemption thereof. It is divided into sections that address criminal justice reform advocacy, among the examples: it touches on the benefit of offering aid to college bound incarcerated students; it looks into the “ban the box” campaign (an effort to end employers from asking formerly incarcerated people about prison convictions prior to hiring); as well as the connection between mental health and incarceration.

Here’s what Rosemary Jenkins writes about domestic violence:

“These victims are subject to constant threats, in part, because the offenders have the power to take advantage of their positions in the family hierarchy.” Her goal in Juvenile Offenders is to “define, inform, and educate about domestic violence, offering instruction in on how to recognize such cruel behavior and what to do about it.”

Jenkins’ article in the anthology, The Mentally Ill Do Not Belong in Jail, is also solution based. She writes that people with mental health and drug abuse issues should be treated with appropriate counseling, not punishment.

The chapter, “Vignettes, Poems, and Artwork by In- mates — Writings Meant to Inspire” is the most entertaining section of Juvenile Offenders. It begins with nine pages of artwork that depicts the emotional toll incarceration takes on human beings. From Big Wheels to the Big House is a drawing by A. Wilson that’s used as the book cover. The first image is of a mother holding a child and is placed next to Vigil’s piece, Thinking of You, a greeting card style drawing of flowers and roses—followed by pages of poetry and illustrations that cover subjects such as redemption, cause and effect, aging while incarcerated, and hope.

Juvenile Offenders closes with Vigil writing about get- ting out of prison after 36 years and working toward preventing anyone from go- ing down the road he once traveled. He now teaches youngsters how to recognize and seek authenticity and care from the people around them.

Two restorative justice classes celebrate completion

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Incarcerated men and community members from the local San Francisco Bay Area met in San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel on Aug. 16 to celebrate the graduation of two restorative justice programs.

The Victim Offender Education Group (VOEG pronounced “vogue”) and Next Step honored dozens of incarcerated men who completed the year- long programs, sponsored by Insight Prison Project (IPP).

“The transformation I see in so many of you is why we keep doing the work that we do,” said IPP Executive Director Leonard Rubio.

Rubio talked about the violence prevention program No More Tears, another IPP-sponsored program at San Quentin.

“It’s not about one individual, it’s about what we do together,” Rubio said, near tears with his voice breaking. “Hurt people hurt people and healed people heal people,” he continued. Rubio spent 23 years incarcerated before paroling from San Quentin in 2010.

Joyful Noise Gospel Singers opened the ceremony with several songs.

Glitches with clearances pre- vented some of the more important guests—formerly incarcerated VOEG participants—from attending. In fact, nearly half the choir, including its leader, didn’t make it to the event. The remaining members, however, recruited some community guests and renamed the choir Joyful Noise Gospel Singers plus Community.

Harmonica player Gary Harrell, an incarcerated artist and musician, rhythmically chimed in with the singing as the nearly 100 audience members kept the beat with hand clapping—two guitar players-in-blue stood stage left improvising with the upright bass player from Joyful Noise.

“As they were singing those songs, I wanted to start preaching up here,” said host Darell “Obadiah” Flowers. “VOEG has been a great experience for me. This year has been challenging,” he said. “Change and transformation has a struggle. But we are resilient. VOEG has been an intricate part of my life.”

Orlando Harris has been a VOEG peer educator for more than a decade.

“We’ve done some terrible things to get here, but they don’t define who we are,” Harris said. “If you’re serious about this work, it will change your life.”

Derrick Holloway talked about his experience attending the two-day Survivor’s Panel. The panel consists of survivors of crime who tell their stories.

“VOEG opened me up to what I’ve done,” Holloway said. “I was very scared…you know…when you’ve committed a terrible crime…when I had to share my crime is when it connected with me,” Holloway said. He is serving a life sentence for murder.

Spanish VOEG facilitator Christina Madariaga is so impressed by the program, she talks to her mother regularly about the work the men do on themselves. “Those men are so beautiful,” she tells her mother.

Romeo Bacos talked about how writing a crime impact statement and remorse letter affected him. He said the pinnacle for him was during the victim/ survivors panel.

“There is a saying, ‘You can know about Alaska, an Eskimo can tell you all about it.’ Our victim/survivor panel knows everything about pain, loss, and extreme heartache,” Bacos said. He said that during the lunch break, he asked one woman on the panel what he could do to help her on her healing journey. She replied, “Hold yourself accountable.”
In tears, Bacos said that those three words further motivated him to continue his mission to give back to all the people he’s harmed.

“It is my vision that there will be no need for a VOEG class, until then, I will not stop,” Bacos said.

One of the original out- side facilitators for VOEG, Rochelle Edwards, told the graduates, “It’s been a great honor and journey…I hope it continues.”

Spanish band Gerry and the Tornadoes played traditional Spanish music. The last song, “Blue by You” was performed in Spanish, with the last verse sung in English.

Gerry Sanchez-Muratal- la, guitar/vocals; T. Lamas Muratalla, guitar/vocals; B. Marroquin, vocals; J. Vieyra, bass

Jurists look to San Quentin

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Alameda Public Defenders seek input during forum

Prisoners seeking to understand the role of public defenders invited Alameda County Public Defender Brandon Woods to San Quentin to talk about his vision for public defense. He said he is working to make significant changes to improve defense outcomes.

The purpose of the Sept. 6 forum was to “promote public safety by building a bridge between public defenders and the incarcerated in order to develop strategies that address the social, environmental and economic conditions that foster criminal thinking and behavior,” the event brochure read.

The forum began with 30 prisoners and about 30 lawyers from the public defender’s office meeting in a large circle.

The participants broke into six small circles to discuss the prisoners’ experience with their public defenders and ways they could be better advocates.

When the groups rejoined the large circle, they talked about what they learned from each other.

The prisoners said they realized the difficulties that criminal defense attorneys undergo in performing their jobs and also the lawyers’ passion for defense work.

Woods told the nearly 30 prisoners that he takes his job very seriously.

“When we think about Oakland, home of the Black Panthers. But it wasn’t un- til 2012 that there has been a Black public defender,” Woods said.

As to why he became a public defender, Woods said, “I was born into a lower income home that was impacted by the system. I want to advocate for people so that they are not negatively impacted by the system.”

The three-hour forum included a PowerPoint presentation by Woods to explain a “Holistic Defense.” Slide-by-slide, he explained the duties of a civil attorney, the Clean Slate Program, the need for social workers and family defense attorneys as well as immigration attorneys, parent advocates, investigators and policy and community organizers.

“There are actors in the system that don’t want to see change,” Woods said regard- ing the difficulty in getting these programs running.

As an example, he pointed to changing the Public Defenders Mission Statement.

The old mission statement read, “The mission of the Public Defender is to provide a fully competent, effective and ethical defense for each cli- ent whose representation has been entrusted to the office; to conduct that representation in a manner that promotes fairness in the administration of justice; and to provide all mandated legal services in a cost effective and efficient manner.”

After reading the mission statement, Woods looked to the audience and said, “To provide all mandated legal services in a cost effective and efficient manner. What does that mean?”

He then read the new mission statement, “To zealously protect and defend the rights of our clients through compassionate and inspired legal representation of the highest quality, in pursuit of a fair and unbiased system of justice for all.”

He discussed Clean Slate, which is a program designed to assist people in obtaining or improving employment opportunities as well as improving access to housing and other services.

Of the 2,854 motions filed in 2018 for Clean Slate, 2,746 were granted. Woods said Clean Slate has a 96% success rate.

He also brought up the Social Worker Program (SWP).

To date, SWP served over 1,155 people. The courts accepted 85% of treatment plans instead of incarceration and 88% of clients who received treatment did not recidivate.

Woods is the first African American to be appointed Chief Public Defender in Alameda County and is the only Black Chief Public Defender in California.

To put the challenges that Woods faces in context, other Alameda County department budgets are:

• Sheriff – $299.5 million

• Probation – $114.3 million

• District Attorney – $69.2 million

• Public Defender – $40.7 million

The Alameda County Public Defender office is comprised of 105 attorneys, 18 investigators and 38 support staff to manage 3,300 new cases monthly.

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