The San Quentin News editorial department in conjunction with the San Quentin Media Center filmed a town hall style meeting with responsive prisoners at the North Block barbershop area.
This town hall meeting generated constructive criticism, positive recommendations, and enlightenment regarding prison conditions and their effects on the men incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison.
Michael Harris, Editor-in-Chief of the San Quentin News, opened the discussion by asking the men, “What is your connection to the streets?”
Many attributed their positive attitude to an ability to maintain a solid and wholesome family relationship. The men told of their appreciation for the persistency, dedication, and strength of loved ones.
Several prisoners, who spent decades behind bars, spoke of the pro-social atmosphere at San Quentin and how beneficial its unique self-help programming is toward boosting healthy relationships.
There was also an understanding for “letting go” that many loved ones succumbed to having “a life to live.” The men identified with the phrase, “out of sight, out of mind” knowing it’s a reality for those who feel rejected or abandoned.
Harris’ open style of communication allowed the men to depict on film, how it feels to do time in California prisons. The men unashamedly revealed how isolation and banishment overshadows the psyche of incarcerated men, as they spoke of deflation, lost expectation, and the misconceptions they had about prison life as youngsters. These negative influences inside the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation were well documented, Kevin Tindall said, “There’s all kinds of thoughts in this prison system. There’s a whole other dirty perspective about life in prison.” Harris implored youngsters who may see this film, “If you got action at missing this, miss it.”
The film is expected to air on San Quentin’s CCTV, and to be available to the public on the newspaper’s web site, at sanquentinnews.com
Unique Assistance For Parolees
A community-based nonprofit organization and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department have opened the Santa Barbara County Day Reporting Center in Santa Maria.
The community-based organization, Community Solutions Inc., utilizes motivational interviewing techniques and a curricula-driven, evidence-based model intended to find out the specific needs of each client and guide them to a successful re-entry into the community.
The center is located at 1775 S. McClelland Street.
Bids Opened for Start Of Death Row Expansion
The Marin County Board of Supervisor filed a lawsuit challenging efforts to expand San Quentin’s death row, but it failed to halt bidding for the first construction phase of the $356 million project, according to reports by Nels Johnson and Richard Halstead of the Marin Independent Journal.
The lawsuit claimed that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger violated the law when he vetoed funding that would have delayed expansion of death row until studies on overcrowding, and legal justification for plans to double-bunk prisoners were completed.
Corrections officials opened nine bids it received ranging from $126 million to $145 million on the part of the project that involves demolition, site grading, utilities, housing units and towers. McCarthy Construction of St. Louis, Mo, submitted the low bid of $126 million. Amoroso Construction of Redwood City submitted a high bid of $145 million.
Marin officials contend that the project is wasteful spending that could balloon up to $1.3 billion and feature beds costing $500,000 each. The “facility (will be) obsolete three years after it is built.” according to State Assemblyman Jared Huffman.
S.Q. Journalist After 41 Years
Forty-one years ago, a young reporter’s story about the living conditions at San Quentin caused its warden to defend his treatment of prisoners.
Joan Lisetor’s 1970 interview of San Rafael attorney Salle Seaman Soladay caused then Warden L.S. Nelson to respond to the attorney’s assertion, “Leading a safe, everyday life you don’t know the horrors of prison. When you have been into a prison, it is a moral obligation not to walk out without attempting to change the conditions…the public must be made aware…society has no idea what happens inside prison. Wardens are careful not to let out information, and no one will listen to a con. The public assumes what happens is what is supposed to happen.”
Nelson refuted these claims in an editorial entitled, Warden Attacks Lawyer’s Report: “I do not normally reply to irresponsible statements made by people seeking publicity for some cause best known to them. However, the statements made in an article on the subject, ‘Prison Conditions,’ in the Dec. 11 issue of the Independent Journal are so far removed from facts that in fairness to the staff and men of San Quentin, a reply must be made.” Nelson then countered each “Statement” made by Soladay with what he described as “Fact.”
Lisetor continued to work as a reporter for the IJ until 1979. She then moved on to teach journalism at the College of Marin, and was a member of the Marin County Board of Education, which facilitated the educational programs in San Quentin.
She came into the prison sometime in 1981 to watch a graduation. She was introduced to the managing editor of San Quentin News, Joe Morse, who convinced her to assist the paper as a publication adviser. Lisetor said Morse was a “great guy” who was instrumental in producing a newspaper every two weeks. However, Lisetor commented, “The paper was shut down around 1984 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that prison newspapers could not be censored.” Nevertheless, Lisetor has never been discouraged about her mission – to teach journalism techniques to prisoners in all the state’s prisons.
After 24 years of being out of print, then Warden Robert Ayers Jr. allowed John Eagan to reactivate the paper in 2008. A short time later, Steve McNamara and Lisetor joined Eagan as advisers.
Lisetor is running for the 2011 Marin Community College District Board of Trustees.
Criminologist Suggests Options To Early Releases
Stanford Criminologist Joan Petersilia spoke recently to San Quentin prisoners concerning California’s current prison healthcare and overcrowding crisis and the federal court’s intervention into California’s prison operations. The court’s aim is to force development of a plan to end the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) violation of prisoners’ right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.
Petersilia is currently Co-Director of the Criminal Justice Center at Stanford Law School. In her lecture she explored the complexities of California’s parole policy. She is the author of a report, “Understanding California Corrections,” that found that more than 70,000 parolees are returned to CDCR annually with approximately 17,000 “pure technical” violations. (Not arrested for a new crime but have violated a term or condition of parole.)
Petersilia’s report explained, this “… high return-to-prison rate for parole violators is creating a destructive situation by constantly cycling offenders in and out of prison…this churning or catch-and-release disrupts the inmate’s ability to participate in community-based rehabilitative programs, encourages the spread of prison-gang culture in communities and wastes parole processing resources.”
Petersilia focused on a plan authorized by Assembly Bill 900 that calls for building numerous re-entry facilities around the state to solve some of CDCR’s overcrowding problems.
However, this plan is contrary to the federal court’s stated finding that AB900 is “… essentially is a prison expansion measure which increases the number of prison cells without addressing the fundamental structural issues that have caused the crisis and that have created unconstitutional conditions within the prisons.”
The plan in AB900 runs counter to the court’s earlier decision that “…we are convinced that neither prison expansion, nor re-entry or medical facilities construction, nor any other construction effort offers a meaningful and timely remedy for the constitutional deficiencies in the delivery of prison medical and mental health care caused by crowding.”
During a question period some inmates asked Petersilia to address the court’s order that capped the prison population at 109,764 or 137.5% of designed capacity of 79,828. Petersilia said that the state has the capacity to expand and maintain a prison population of approximately 160,000 inmates, in spite of the court’s position.
As for causes of the growth in number of inmates, Petersilia said, “The expansive growth of the prison population in California is due, in part, to the state’s adoption of determinate sentencing in the 1970s…and the countless increases in criminal sentences enacted by the legislature or in initiative measures in succeeding years. In addition, California’s prison population has increased because of its post-sentencing practices. The state has been widely criticized for not doing a better job of preparing inmates to return to society.”
Q&A On Learning to Play The Guitar
An Interview With KURT HUGET
What influenced you to work with prisoners?
Because of my work with Bread & Roses, I had been to San Quentin several times, presenting music workshops. When Steve Emrick told me that the arts program wanted to start a weekly guitar class, it sounded like an interesting challenge to me, so I accepted his offer to teach it. I had only taught sporadically before, so I had to prepare for teaching a group, particularly one with varying degrees of musical experience among the students.
I knew that the students had a genuine interest in learning to become better at playing music. And I wanted the opportunity to further my teaching practice, so I figured that it would be a good experience for all of us, and that’s what it’s turned out to be.
What are your expectations for the guitar class?
First and foremost, I wanted everyone to have some fun and be creative. I’m trying to pass along, in a quick and easy way, the things that I’ve learned over many years of playing. I teach the basics (chords, strumming patterns, etcetera) to the first-time players, and advanced techniques to the more experienced pickers. I want playing the guitar to be enjoyable and satisfying every time you pick one up. And I always encourage players to experiment, not to be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes mistakes turn out to be brilliant ideas.
What are your musical roots?
I started off playing classical piano when I was eight, but like many guys my age, as soon as The Beatles came along, I switched to the guitar. I’ve always been interested in listening to, and trying to play, different kinds of music: rock, blues, folk, jazz, country, reggae, Irish music, etcetera. For me, listening to one kind of music would be like eating the same thing every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Also, since I’m a songwriter too, I’ve paid a lot of attention to the great American songwriters, going back to the 1920s.
How can new students enroll in your class?
New students can just show up for the class, on Thursday nights from 6 to 8. If they want to get a loaner guitar, they’ll to need to ask Steve, and also demonstrate that they’re committed to staying in the class for the long run.
What would you like to say to the prison population about music?
Playing music is just about the most therapeutic thing I know to do. It makes me feel better when times are tough, it makes me feel like I’m creating something and expressing myself in a way words can’t do, and when I play with others, it makes me feel connected in a brotherly way. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this class, as well as the other activities in the Arts In Corrections programs.
Author Dave Eggers Speaks On the Sudanese Struggle
More than 40 San Quentin prisoners were afforded the opportunity to hear the acclaimed New York Times best- selling author Dave Eggers, review one of his novels.
Eggers’s introduction by prisoner Teiiamu straightened backs and let the San Quentin audience, including staff from Patten University, know that they were privileged to hear something rare in today’s times, uncut truth and reality.
Eggers’s 2007 novel, What is the What, was read by many of the prisoners who came to listen to this humble man give an account of the plight of the Dinka people in war-torn Sudan, which inspired him to write the book. The book is an epic account of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Valentino Achak Deng as his heart-felt voyage from Marial Bai, a small village in Southern Sudan, to a refugee camp in Kenya.
Eggers’s biographical narrative took him over four years to complete. “The book is bigger than me,” said Eggers.
It is not difficult to understand this sentiment, as he explains that the proceeds of the novel go to helping the children of East African strife.
“Each book sold represents three bricks for Valentino’s non-profit organization dedicated to assisting poor Africans throughout the region,” said Eggers.
Educated at the University of Illinois, Chicago, Eggers is a talented writer. He took the oral history of Valentino and developed a spirited, witty, emotional, epic story of real life events that give the reader deep empathy for Valentino enduring his 800 mile quest across East Africa.
The New York Times Book Review wrote, “Eggers’s generous spirit and seemingly inexhaustible energy…transform Valentino and the people he met on his journey into characters in a book with the imaginative sweep, the scope and, above all, the emotional power of an epic…Eggers has made the outlines of the tragedy in East Africa—so vague to so many Americans—not only sharp and clear but indelible. An eloquent testimony to the power of storytelling.”
Giants Capture Opener, 12-11
The San Quentin Giants pulled out a ninth-inning victory over the Oakland Oaks to open their 2009 baseball season, 12-11, on April 4.
The opening day match-up between the two teams has been a long standing tradition. Marching in unison from right field, the Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin opened the game by presenting the flag. Larry “Popeye” Faison led the baseball players, outside guests, camera crews and inmate fans in the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.
Acting Warden R. K. Wong, threw out the opening pitch, a perfect strike from the pitcher’s mound. “It’s been 35 years since I’ve thrown a baseball, I was worried I might bounce it,” he said later.
After walking the leadoff batter, the Giants made quick work of the Oaks, holding them to no runs. Giants second baseman James Bautista led off the inning with a double, followed by Mario Ellis’ inside the park homer, for a 2-0 lead after one inning.
The Giants defense held up to shut down the Oaks, and after five innings of play the score was 10-0.
After substitutions and pitching changes by Giants manager Kevin Loughlin, the Oaks made a comeback, scoring nine runs in the sixth, and one in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 10-10.
Tied 10-10, Frankie Smith, coach for the Giants said, “The Oaks are all veterans, they’re a good-hitting team, but we’ll prevail in the end I’m sure.”
In the bottom of the seventh, an error allowed Giant Steve Negrete to get on base, and with two outs, an error by the Oaks shortstop allowed Negrete to score the go-ahead-run.
In the top of the ninth, the Oaks roared back with Davis scoring the tying run, making it 11-11.
Looking to avoid going into extra innings, Eli Sala hit a single and stole second base, and with a passed ball by the catcher he advanced to third. Negrete, who is known for getting hits in crucial situations, grounded to Smith at third, who held Sala at third and threw out Negrete at first base.
With one out, the Oaks chose to walk Bautista, hoping to turn a double play and to take the game into extra innings.
Bautista, one of the fastest runners on the Giants squad, immediately stole second base to break up any attempts at the double play.
Bottom of the ninth, one out, runners at second and third, infield playing in, Jeff Brooks drove in the game winning run with a base hit between the shortstop and third baseman for a 12-11 victory.
The Giants swarmed the field congratulating Brooks on his hit, and each other for a hard-fought game.
Asked about his game winning hit, Brooks said, “The coach just told me to win it, and I did. I really needed that because I hit poorly last season.”
Mike Deeble, a volunteer assistant coach for the Giants, said, “I love this game, I came in here six times last year to play, and now I’m lucky enough to be able to coach. I like coming here because all the guys always show up for the games (he laughs), unlike some of the teams I’ve played for outside.”
Some days later the Giants shut out a Mission team, 18-0, to remained undefeated in the young season.
$200 For Parolees Doesn’t Make It
In 1974, the state of California began providing funds for newly released prisoners in the amount of $200. Thirty-five years later, in spite of inflation, an explosive rise in housing costs, and a state cost of living which is one of the highest in the nation, that $200 figure is as fixed as the granite walls of San Quentin State Prison.
According to the cost of living index, better known as the consumer price index (the most common measure of inflation), the price for goods totaling $200 in 1975 would have inflated to about $570 for those same goods in 2007.
It is not difficult to understand why newly released inmates step into financial dire straits on day one of their parole. The inflationary squeeze, coupled with the scantiness in housing and employment, brings the realization that the value of the 1974 $200, in 2009 times, is greatly diminished in its original conceptual purpose, listed in section 2713 of the California Penal Code, which was implemented to assist the reintegration of the newly released prisoner into society.
In 2003 while 160,000 men were incarcerated in California prisons, a mere 7,500 of those released had opportunity to take advantage of drug treatment programs. Recently, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, along with the state, have intensified their concept of drug treatment through pre-release, with links to residential treatment and housing assistance, which is encouraging.
Expanding this concept, with an emphasis on employment, would assist many more prisoners by providing treatment, housing and the jobs they desperately need for a successful parole.
The 1974 California Legislature’s noble aim to aid the reintegration of prisoners into society, by providing $200, fell short of its goal then and continues to fail to offer realistic financial support to prisoners being paroled now.
Most parolees want to be drug free with a stable home and steady employment Providing a cohesive financial plan to men released from prison would be one step towards ending California’s dismal 71 percent recidivism rate, and a concept that, if implemented, will help the reintegration into society of formerly incarcerated citizens.
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