San Quentin News

Let the People Speak: Letters to the editor

February 13, 2020 by San Quentin News

I got to CIM level one minimum yard Feb 22, 2019 and have yet to see any of the things that they told me about. At this place it still seems to be about punishment and not rehab like it says in the title of CDCR. There is so much division here amongst staff, inmates, free staff, it is very discouraging. We were promised microwaves and here at CIM the other two yards has gotten theirs and we have yet to receive ours or a reason as to the delay.

Some yards are still being stand offish towards the LGBTQ community. They refuse to let them be housed in the West dorm setting, which is a single cell unit. South dorm allows them to house there where I am currently housed and there have been no problems between them and the rest of the inmates in here.

No one can stop all the things that go on in a prison setting. Violence, drugs, removals, it’s going to happen because there is nothing new under the sun. What’s done has been done and it will continue to be done. Each of us is created for a purpose, some for honor some for dishonor. So in order for things to stop, the good Lord would have to create robots with no free will. And according to the Word, that’s not something he is going to do. Or whoever your higher power is because if he/she was go- ing to do it, it would’ve been done long ago.

I have spent the last 10 plus years working my way down this prison system. You would think the lower you go the better it would be, but no. It gets worse. Some of us have made mistakes whether it’s the first or however many it’s been. To be on this low yard most of us have learned a lesson and just want to go home. I know I am. Lord willing I’ll be home soon, but I will still try and fight for the rights and the equality for all inmates no matter who they are or what they done. I’m not the judge God is.

Sincerely,
J. Arnold
California Institute for Men

Jonas Koel – Outside Reader

Hello San Quentin News,

Just want to say that you are doing a really good job and San Quentin News is one of the few newspapers that I read regularly. The difference between San Quentin News and other media is that it is genuine and credible, which in this context means everything.

I am from Sweden myself, live in Denmark and I look forward to more good articles and hope you all have a good day,

Best Regards Jonas

To San Quentin News,
I write to you because there is a problem that

many inmates are having with the interpretation of SB136, the new law that removes the 1-year prison prior enhancement. The counselors are telling us that they know nothing about it. The case records departments are saying that it is up to the inmate to petition the court, and the courts are saying that it is up to the prison admin to recalculate your time. On top of that some people are saying that SB136 isn’t retroactive so people already sentenced don’t qualify. But even if that’s true SB136 clearly states and I quote, “SB136 removes the 1-year sentence enhancement that is applied to current sentences.” Please can you bring some clarity to this very important issue?

Your loyal reader, S. Chase

California Rehabilitation Center Norco

To SQ News,

Since the Row @ CCWF was able to receive SQ News monthly about 3 years ago I was faithfully collected as much as any issues other rowers had done, so I can send them to my pen pals in other states, including England and Germany. I’ve taken the task as a privilege to spread- ing the good info to people in free world.

Tanya Nelson
Central California Women’s Facility

Chowchilla

Nuff Blessing ‘n Guidance My Youths!

Realistically I’m a 39 year old Fella from New York City born and raised!

I’m of West Indian descent; My parents are natives of the islands called “Trinidad & Tobago”. True in deed it dawned upon me to holla at you because fact is Life is a Test & I’m speaking from the perspective of been there * done that from all the crap you seen on TV or heard in songs bottom line. Be Smart & Think Twice cuz drugs, gangs, guns & crime is not fun!

I’m also a survivor of the 9/11 event & the recent Ve- gas shoot out! The best I can do is instill my advice & philosophy as a Role model that changed from that life- style. I’m now focused on my purpose in life. To be real & up-front Drugs will make you do things you’ll regret. It plays tricks with your mind. Stay away from it all—No Tobacco, No Vape, No Alcohol, No Cocaine, No Crystal Meth, No Heroin, Look up the word tobacco it is a poisonous substance. Also, alcohol is poison.

Enjoy your life & health take vitamins, listen to mom & dad. That’s gangster you heard-getting a job, paying off on a house and going to college.

Kari Anthony Hunkar

I get released January 2020, I’ll be okay this time cuz I’m a new person. In the past I’ve done 20 years…it’s a long story, you just pray & think positive!

Affected California Inmates Hope to Challenge Their Restitution Obligations

California inmates have privately expressed hope in reducing or possibly eliminating their restitution obligations in the wake of Timbs v. Indiana (Timbs), 2019 US LEXIS 1350,203 L. Ed. 2d 11, the United States Supreme Court decision that found the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution applies to the states under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due process clause.

In Timbs, a defendant pled guilty drug and theft offenses. Based on these criminal convictions, the State of Indiana initiated a civil suit under its civil forfeiture laws to seize Defendant’s Land Rover (“vehicle”) since it was used to transport drugs. Since the vehicle’s value ($42,000) exceeded the maximum fine allowed under the applicable penal statutes ($10,000) defendant pled guilty to, the trial court and Court of Appeals found that the forfeiture of the vehicle would be “grossly disproportionate to the gravity” of the defendant’s offense and thus, would be unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment.

However, the Indiana Supreme Court, without decid- ing whether the fine was excessive, held that the Excessive Fines Clause only applies to the federal government and does not apply to the fines imposed by a state.

In reversing the Indiana Supreme Court, the Timbs court held that the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution applies to the states under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Pro- cess clause and remanded the case back to the Indiana courts for further proceedings not inconsistent with its holding.

In California, recent California appellate decisions have come to conflicting decisions on whether a defendant must object to the restitution amount at his or her sentencing. For example, in People v. Frandsen (2019), 33 Cal.App. 5th 1126 the Second Appellate District, Di- vision Eight, found the restitution challenge forfeited on appeal because the defendant did not object to the restitution fine at sentencing. But in People v. Jones (2019) 36 Cal.App.5th 1028, the Fourth Appellate District, Divi- sion Two, found the restitution challenge not forfeited on appeal, even if the defendant did not object to the restitution fine at sentencing. Clearly, many restitution issues will need to be decided by the California Supreme Court and California Appellate courts to provide guidance to trial courts and the legal bar.

If inmates believe that their restitution amounts may violate the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment, an inmate may obtain relief by exhausting their administrative remedies through the CDCR 602 process and, if the issue is not resolved at Third Level Appeal stage, then filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus with the appropriate court may be necessary.

R. V. Morales
California Men’s Colony

CDCR and CCHCS Unveil Expanded Priorities

Through Renewed Mission and Vision Statements

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) have unveiled expanded mission and vision statements meant to reflect the joint priorities of creating a prison environment that provides the incarcerated population with the tools necessary to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society upon their release.
The expanded priorities in the new mission and vision statements focus on enhancing public safety by providing treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs to our population, in a safe and humane environment. The new vision and mis- sion statements result from legislation in 2016 (AB 2590) that added restorative justice to the purpose of imprisonment, along with punishment and rehabilitation, and directed CDCR to update its mission statement accordingly.
“We are envisioning new ways of fulfilling our mission of public safety that align with our ideals and values for 2020,” said Ralph Diaz, CDCR Secretary, and J. Clark Kelso, CCHCS Receiver, in a joint statement. “Most of California’s incarcerated individuals will one day return to their community. When we address the roots of criminality through addiction treatment, mental health care, and education, combined with reentry services in the community, we are helping to make California safer and more productive.”
Vision

We enhance public safety and promote successful community reintegration through education, treatment and active participation in rehabilitative and restorative justice programs.

Mission
To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with

the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.
Some highlighted examples of how CDCR and CCHCS are fulfilling their new missions:
Expanding substance use treatment: In 2020, CDCR and CCHCS will roll out an enhanced Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment program, which uses a scientifically based treatment approach to battle the chronic illness of addiction. This program will offer participants medicated assisted treatment, comprehensive cognitive behavioral interventions and safe, therapeutic housing. This initiative will focus on whole-person treatment from incarceration through return to the community.

Addressing criminality: CDCR has increased capacity in Cognitive Behavioral Intervention programs focused on criminal thinking, anger management, family relationships, and victim impact by almost 300 percent over the last five years. Career training: The department has more than doubled the capacity of Career Technical Education opportunities, providing our population with real-world job skills. The new “Microhome” initiatives at Correctional Training Facility in Soledad and Folsom State Prison in Sacramento provide in-demand job training to help inmates succeed when they return to society.

College education: CDCR offers face-to-face community college programming in 34 prisons, with more opportunities growing every day. When California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi offered only distance learning college courses, it averaged 200 to 250 participants a year. When the prison introduced face-to-face courses, in partnership with Cerro Coso Community College in 2017, enrollment in those classes jumped to 740 with an additional 200 enrolled in distance learning courses. Providing face-to-face instruction at Kern Valley State Prison, offered through Bakersfield College, increased the number of students from 30 to 498.

Restorative justice: In 2019, CDCR awarded grants to eligible nonprofit organizations to implement victim impact programs in California prisons. These programs will share a common goal of giving victims the opportunity for their voices to be heard and for incarcerated men and women to fully understand the consequences of their actions.
Reentry: Since 2014-2015, CDCR has increased its Transitions reentry program capacity from 2,430 to 20,734, a more than 753 percent increase. Transitions is a five-week program provided near the end of an inmate’s incarceration to focus on their community reentry needs; such as, financial literacy, job search skills, and provides community resources. This increase aligns with our priority of facilitating the successful reintegration of individuals in our care back to their communities.

Community partnerships: We continue to expand our relationships with community partners throughout California, including an historic undertaking to open the first-ever firefighter training program for recently-paroled firefighters. Through a partnership with CAL FIRE, California Conservation Corps and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, the Ventura Training Center provides advanced industry training and reentry services aimed at helping those who served as incarcerated firefighters find success in the fire service field.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: (916) 445-4950

SQ News 2019 Sports Writing Team

December 16, 2019 by San Quentin News

It takes more than one person to cover all the sporting events that take place weekly at The Q. From celebrities to the weekly volunteers, to the once a year appearances, The Q has events that it takes a team to fully cover. The sports writing team and photographers have their hands filled 52 weeks each year, and SQ News wanted to take the time to honor them. Without the following individuals, the sports couldn’t get into the paper. Not pictured: Jonathan Chiu (Photographer), Aaron Mikkelsson (Contributing Writer – Basketball), Salvatore Solorio (Contributing Writer –

Tennis), Brendan Newanforbi (Contributing Writer – Soccer), Paris Williams (Contributing Writer – Tennis) and Aaron “Showtime” Taylor, Sports Editor

Michael Johnson “MJ” Contributing Writer

Anthony Faulk “Tariq” Contributing Writer

Malik Ali “Wise Thought” Contributing Writer

Timothy Hicks “T Bone” Contributing Writer

Dre’Quinn Johnson “DQ” Contributing Writer

Tare Beltranchuc “Cancun” Contributing Writer

Rahswaan Thomas “Brownsville” Contributing Writer

NEWS BRIEFS

December 16, 2019 by San Quentin News

Raleigh, North Carolina — The ACLU Statewide Campaign for Smart Justice is moving to end putting incarcerated pregnant women in solitary confinement—some before convicted of any crimes, reports WNCN CBS17.com. Records that show in 2018, there were a total of 256 pregnant women behind bars at the North Carolina Correctional Institute for Women in Raleigh.

Alabama — Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law a measure requiring anyone convicted of sex crimes with children younger than 13 to be chemically castrated as a condition of parole, NBC affiliate KUAM reports.

New York — New legislation has been introduced to give people still serving time inside the state’s prison system the right to vote in all elections, CBS New York reports. Only two states, Maine and Vermont, allow prisoners to vote. New York is one of over 20 states that restores voting rights only after the completion of a prison sentence.

USA — The Office for Victims of Crime has released awards totaling more than $2.3 billion to state victim assistance and compensation programs, funding thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and providing millions in compensation to victims of crime.

Florida — Sunshine State News reports ongoing problems in the state’s prison system. Lawmakers heard statistics showing high rates of violence, contraband being smuggled into state prisons, and high turnover rates among correctional officers.

Olympia, Washington — After a nonviolent food strike by prisoners at Clallam Bay Corrections Center, prison officials transferred three dozen of the men to other facilities, The Seattle Times reports. Five of the men who were transferred are suing, claiming that after transfer to the prison in Walla Walla, they and 10 others were put in solitary confinement for no reason.

Tallahassee, Florida — Courthouse News Service reports that state officials cannot deny the right to vote to people convicted of a felony because he or she cannot pay restitution or fines, a federal judge ruled. The ruling, however, only applies to the 17 plaintiffs in the case and suggests the state set up a process for people convicted of a felony to prove their inability to pay.

Santa Fe County, New Mexico — Two inmates are accusing the New Mexico Department of Corrections of negligence and violations of their constitutional rights in a lawsuit, alleging they were subjected to unsanitary and degrading strip searches at a state prison south of Roswell, reports CorrectionsOne.com.

New York — Courthouse News Service reports a continuing clash between state lawmakers over the use of solitary confinement. A new bill that sets limits on the use of solitary confinement has wide support in the Democratic-led Legislature but was never brought to the floor for a vote because Gov. Andrew Cuomo had indicated he would veto it, citing retrofitting costs of $1 billion.

Oklahoma — (KFOR) After a historic vote by the state parole board, 527 incarcerated men and women were recommended for commutation of their sentence. Scheduled for release are 469 prisoners, which would be the largest single-day commutation in U.S. history.

Washington, DC — U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) announced the reintroduction of the National Criminal Justice Commission Act, bipartisan legislation that would task a National Criminal Justice Commission to assess the entire system and propose reforms to address the most pressing issues facing the nation’s criminal justice system.

AROUND THE WORLD

December 16, 2019 by San Quentin News

Sister Helen Prejean, Mike Farrell and Nan Sincero Holding an issue of Wall City magazine

Sam Lewis, Ralph Diaz, Kai and Adnan Khan in Bastoy Prison Island, Norway

Brits Perry Neech and Jessica Spinks in Rafina, Greece

Andrew Beale and Taylor Gannon in Teotihuacan, México

LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK: Letters to the editor

December 12, 2019 by San Quentin News

My utmost respects are extended in full fashion. Let me get right down to this article. I’ll be brief and direct. Hope to make a direct impact in today’s network that has been evolving over these decades. I’ve read a prior article that was written about militarization of CDCR that is today’s darkest secret.

I’m sure your paper news media will as your slogan states report on things that will impact the whole population. Yes, it’s cool to read about different programs, milestones, so on and so forth. But the real impact is to touch on the other things going on all across the state.

Saul Garcia J57568

Delano Modified Community CF

10/7/19

To San Quentin News

I’m from Seattle, Washington, bound to move out to California upon my release. One bigger problem with correctional system: they don’t really correct you as a person or know their only successful function is to enforce corruption and to worsen you. But [we can] put our thoughts and minds together, combine forces as people to use each other’s ways and outside support from honest and caring people who will be dedicated to making our lives better and as good as free people.

Demar Rhome

838720

Washington State Penitentiary

10/17/19

Just released on the market today, a palatial residence located in the heart of Golden California, nestled in the lush almond orchards and fields of alfalfa of beautiful North Kern Valley. The residence features a private security service, gated entry, concierge services, on site medical and dental teams and a fully stocked and stuffed gourmet kitchen. Meals are delivered to your door twice daily with health conscious menu options. This luxury townhome features multiple double-planed windows providing gorgeous views of the sun setting over the valley each evening. With a two-story floor plan and a large open-air central area, you will never lack space to accommodate guests or to entertain. With six showers and six bathrooms, getting ready for a night on the town was never easier. The central area features vintage built-in bench seating and burnished stainless steel dining tables for intimate gatherings or grand, formal dining. Access to your own private yard ensures that you will remain in peak physical condition or have space to soak up the warm sunshine as you relax on one of multiple benches around the track. Providing the best in private security, luxury accommodations with every need met, this is the townhome for you. Double staircases provide ample access to the second level, providing unsurpassed views of the surrounding orchards and natural landscape. Escape gridlock and the hassle of searching for parking and trying to find stuff to meet your needs. We have it ALL here on the ground of the North Kern Stately Palace Estates. Visit today and discover you are home. Starting in the low 400s, this is your home. Visit today.

Drew Bueno-Potts

BI732

North Kern State Prison

5/29/19

On a Tuesday afternoon, Frank and I were sitting across from each other in the day room. While people were busy talking or playing cards, we were busy with weighing out life, and how Frank came to be the man he is today. With all the hullabaloo around us, I felt very at ease when he answered the questions for this letter. But he fell back into his old lifestyle due to the pressures of life, on a day-to-day basis. After the first month Frank did a line of crystal meth. Frank felt he was being led by God towards a newness of life. He started attending groups like GOGI, Lifers’ Group, NA, and CGA. Frank stated, “We all can change, it is hard but satisfying work.” His favorite group is GOGI. This group has opened up his eyes to old behavior, and his life in general. It gives him insight on how to change his thoughts and actions. He now has tools from GOGI like breathing exercises and the five-second light switch. Frank has learned how to turn negative situations into positive ones.

Ryan Goodson

BD7849

High Desert State Prison

8/29/19

CCWF is in great need of IDAP pushers on all yards. Since the pay rate was seriously lowered, no one wants this job. It is a position that requires screening for exclusions and is a great service to the aging population at CCWF. It is a community service that should be recognized and validated with a pay rate that rewards the incentive to apply, the good behavior required, and in light of exclusions, not to mention one needs to apply for it. I am sure the BPH (Board of Parole Hearings) would think it commendable that an inmate would choose this job assignment.

Is there any way their pay rate can be increased so that inmates want to apply? The vacancies are not being filled because there is no one on the waiting list to fill them. That is simply sad when this can be so easily remedied. The staff at CCWF has been awesome in trying to get applicants, but the pay for this specialized work is a deterrent.

Inmates learn to work with people in general—both inmates and staff—and can gain skills that would help them on release. Please take this under consideration and do what you can for the entire state of California. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully

Dana Gray

W76776

Central California Women’s Facility

10/1/19

Hello there,

I don’t know who writes your “News Briefs,” section or how you find out information for your paper. Let me just say, once again, women are still—and have been—overlooked…still in 2019. The first woman has made history, from Condemned Row, and nobody knows or printed it. Thank goodness you can fix this “overlooked woman” by printing and reporting it. On Friday, July 19, 2019, the first woman got her death sentence overturned at the state level of appeal… (not federal). Dora Buenrostro should not be in prison at all. But her life was saved on July 19 by the Riverside County D.A. who admitted to doing Dora wrong 22 years ago in giving her a death sentence. So he chose not to redo her penalty phase—giving Dora life.

This should be a wake-up call to all mental health advocates and prosecutors alike: do the right thing. Dora’s the sweetest person you’d ever meet. She’s not “evil,” nor is there an evil bone in her body. She has a childlike innocence about her. All of us women on the Row love and now miss Dora. We all pray for her peace of mind, safety and happiness in her future…LIFE. Dora singlehandedly brought us together in friendship, love and kindness on Death Row in Chowchilla (which now houses 22 women). God bless you, Dora.

From all of us,

Name withheld by request

Central California Women’s Facility

Death Row

9/11/19

Ed. note: Thanks for making us aware of this story! It hadn’t come across our radar. We will be reporting on it fully in Wall City magazine. We do hear your concerns and apologize for overlooking our valued women readers. We are taking steps to be on the lookout for and report more stories related to women. We also look forward to considering any suggestions and submissions from you and any of our readers.

ReStore Contributor

By LaTonya Stewart

I am the mother of two sons: Charles Stewart, who we called C.J., and his younger brother Aaron Stewart. I raised them both as a single mom, from when C.J. was nine and Aaron was 6. I worked full-time to keep them in a steady and stable home environment.

On Feb. 29th, 2012, I dropped my younger son Aaron off at his work, not knowing it was the last day I would be able to imagine driving him home again. About 6 o’clock in the morning on March 1st, I accepted a collect call from my son Aaron. He told me he had been arrested for murder.

The next two years were incredibly difficult, having Aaron in jail, waiting for his trial. And to make matters worse, at one point C.J. also found himself in the very same jail, Santa Rita, alongside his brother. Trying to be there for both my sons, finding emotional energy to support each of them, was very difficult.

On Oct. 24th, 2014, after a month-long trial that ended in April, Aaron was sentenced to three life sentences plus 72 years. He was 19 years old: a mama’s boy, a football player, a kid with a good heart. By trying to fit in with the in-crowd, trying to be accepted, he ended up out there in the street, and he made a bad decision that changed all of our lives forever.

On February 15, 2015, I received a call from my older son C.J., just saying hi, wanting some general conversation, checking on me. Right before he hung up, my child told me, “Okay, mom, I love you.” Later that night, I received a call from some of C.J.’s friends, saying my son had been shot. I rushed to Oakland, hoping that it was a mistake. After arriving at the crime scene, I fell to the ground, and I just cried. I said, “God, why? I already lost one son. Why is this happening to me? Please don’t let it be my son.”

Waiting at the scene, trying to get any information I could about C.J., I had all these thoughts going through my head, and I felt so empty. I thought, “This is really real. Why would somebody kill my son?” That night, C.J. was 26 years old.

And when it came time for C.J.’s murderer to face justice, despite a previous history of felony convictions, his murder charge was lessened to manslaughter, with a 15 year sentence, due to witnesses’ unwillingness to cooperate. I lost all faith in the criminal justice system. My son Aaron, who had no criminal record before his arrest, is left hopeless. And the man who killed my son is left with some hope for life after prison.

Healing from these traumas has not been easy, and I have some good days and some bad days. One powerful experience I have had is in participating in restorative justice circles with survivors and inmates. I only found out about restorative justice after my son Aaron graduated from a class called Restorative Justice at Lancaster. Aaron told the staff to reach out to me because I was a mom on both sides, because Aaron lost his brother, too. And so that’s how I got hooked up with Re:Store Justice.

I’ve witnessed men in restorative justice circles show real remorse and take responsibility for their crimes. And I’ve been able to offer forgiveness and compassion in exchange. The more I participate, helping to show the impact of crime and of the criminal justice system, the more I feel like I am walking in my purpose and exercising my belief in having faith, even if it’s just the size of a tiny mustard seed. Each time I tell my story, it helps me to heal even more. And the process brings everyone together to try and make the system better.

To everyone reading this who has a second chance to go home: make the decisions that will help get you there. Your decision-making will affect you, your family, your friends, the community – it’s not just you. Especially for people who are 18-25, if the system allows you a second chance for freedom, take advantage of the programs available, whether it’s getting your GED, or starting college (like Aaron is now, currently taking a class at Folsom College at Mule Creek), or participating in programs to help you rehabilitate yourself to be a better person when you’re allowed to go back to society.

San Quentin Athletics: 38-2

November 20, 2019 by San Quentin News

The San Quentin A’s finished the regular season at 38-2, having a 33-0 win streak
to begin the year. This is the best sporting record at The Q, ever.
Below are the San Quentin Athletics coaches, general manager, players and game officials.

Anthony “T Tone” Denard co-captain, 1st Base, pitcher

Angelo “The Meech” Mecchi infield, catcher

Carrington “Suit & Tie” Russelle 2nd Base, pitcher

David “By the Numbers” Booth, Scorekeeper

Brandon “Logo” Riddle-Terrell co-captain, Short Stop, pitcher

NEWS BRIEFS

November 18, 2019 by San Quentin News

1. Texas — The Death Penalty Information Center re- ports that Texas has scheduled 13 executions between August and December, which is more than the rest of the U.S. combined. Two of the men have strong claims of innocence; two, authorities know did not kill anyone, and eight that show serious mental health problems.

2. USA — The Death Penalty Information Center re- ports that there have been 1,506 executions in the U.S. since 1976. The race of per- sons executed: 55.8% Black, 34.1% White, 8.5% Hispanic and 1.6% other. The race of the victims of those executed: 76% White; 15% Black, 7% Hispanic, 2% other. As of April 1, 2019, there were 2,673 people on Death Row in the U.S.: 42% Black, 42% White, 13% Hispanic, 3% other.

3. Missouri — Russell Bucklew was executed on Oct. 1 by lethal injection for killing a man in 1996.

4. Tennessee — The state’s attorney general has petitioned the state Supreme Court to set execution dates for nine Death Row prisoners, The Associated Press reports. The state has executed five people since it restored executions over a year ago. There were three people executed in the state last year.

5. Juneau, Alaska — A federal judge has signed a settlement agreement between the state’s correction department and two Muslim prisoners. Prison officials agreed to change the department’s policies to accommodate Muslim prisoners during the holy month of Ramadan and to perform Friday religious services and hold study groups, The Associated Press reports. The department also agreed to pay $102,500 in damages, costs and attorneys’ fees.

6. Michigan — A bill was introduced to prohibit the state from housing its prison- ers in private prisons. In an interview with The Center Square, state Sen. Jeff Irwin said, “The private prison industry was inherently im- moral because their financial incentive doesn’t match with the rehabilitation goal of the criminal justice system.” Ir- win also said that since the state has instituted criminal justice reform, the prison population has declined from a high of about 53,000 to around 38,000, and he intends to continue pushing the trend.

7. Madison, Wisconsin — There are 23 counties in the state that charge inmates for room and board for the time they are incarcerated, The Associated Press reports. At least 40 other states also mandate incarcerated people to pay daily room and board fees.

8. Nevada — Slightly more than 12% of the state’s prisoners were in solitary confinement from January 2016 through September 2017, the Las Vegas Sun reports. The Vera Institute of Justice reports that the state’s use of solitary confinement is more than double the national average.

Around the World

November 14, 2019 by San Quentin News

Andy Alpine, co-facilitator of SQ’s Developing A Positive Attitude, in St. Lucia

Project REACH Teacher Nan Sincero at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa

Gordon Melvin on the banks of the Peace River in Northern Alberta

SQ News Adviser Jan Perry at the Eiffel Tower in Paris

NEWS BRIEFS

October 28, 2019 by San Quentin News

USA — A new report Can’t Pay Can’t Vote by the Civil Rights Clinic at Georgetown Law shows that 30 states still keep people from voting by use of what can be called a poll tax. Eight states include explicit payment requirements within their election laws, two states retain permanent disenfranchisement laws and require payment of legal debts for clemency eligibility, and 20 states require completion of parole and or probation for voting rights restoration and payment of legal debt is included as a condition of one’s parole or probation.

NYC— Mark Denny was awarded $9.75 million by city officials for the 30 years he spent in prison for a rape and robbery that he did not commit, the New York Post reports. Court papers showed that “The NYPD’s fabricated and/or coercive evidence, which was presented to the prosecution prior to trial through false written and oral reports and to the jury through their false testimony at trial, was the sole basis of Mr. Denny’s conviction.”

St. Paul, Minn. — Prison officials sent a record number of more than 8,000 people to solitary confinement in 2018, according to WCCO/CBS. Last June, corrections officials implemented new regulations that increase the maximum time allowed in solitary from 90 days to a year.

Oakland, Calif. — Civil rights lawyer, Anne Butterfield Weills, known for ending the use of indefinite solitary confinement in California prisons, has been banned for life from communicating with prisoners amid allegations that she talked to incarcerated clients with contraband cell phones, The Mercury News reports. Weills alleged in a lawsuit, filed last March, that the ban is retaliation against her for joining a 2009 federal lawsuit against the state’s use of segregated housing units in the state’s prisons.

Chicago, Ill. — Cook County jail detainees are playing round-robin chess against detainees around the world, including England and Russia, CBS Chicago reports. The program began in 2012 as a way to help people develop critical thinking skills, patience and other qualities needed to navigate life behind bars and move inmates in the right direction when they get out of jail, officials say.

Chicago, Ill. — A new report by Reclaim Chicago, The People’s Lobby, and Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice shows during Kim Foxx’s second year in office, the number of sentences of incarceration decreased by 19%, reports of violent crime decreased by 8%, and that incarceration generally made communities less safe. The report recommends raising the thresh- old for felony retail theft charges to $1,000, increased use of resolving felony convictions that do not lead to incarceration by connecting people to mental health and substance abuse programs and improved training of prosecutors to use discretion in seeking alternative prosecutions and reasonable plea deals.

Mississippi — A lawsuit claims that the opportunity to win seats in the state’s legisla- ture are weakened for Black candidates by arbitrary voting rules, such as lifetime voting bans for a number of felonies that are mostly applied to Blacks, such as limber larceny and writing bad checks, according to the Starkville Daily News.

Tennessee — Death Row inmate, Stephen West, told prison officials that he wants to be executed by electric chair, News Channel 5, Nashville reports. West was convicted in 1986 for kid- napping and killing a woman and her teen daughter. He was sentenced to death the following year.

Hartford, Conn. — Corrections officials say they will begin testing prisoners for the Hepatitis C virus to avoid a lawsuit, the Harford Courant reports. State lawmakers estimate the cost for treatment at up to $158 million, depending on how many of the 13,000 prisoners have the virus.

Phoenix, Ariz.— The state’s incarcerated population has asked a federal judge to take over all healthcare operations in the state’s prisons, The Associated Press reports. Attorneys representing 34,000 prisoners claim that the state has not made improvements that were promised nearly five years ago in a previous settlement

Huntsville, Texas — Billy Jack Crutsinger, 64, was executed by lethal injection on Sept 4 for the 2003 killing of two women in their Fort Worth home. Crutsinger was the fifth person executed in Texas this year and the 14th executed in the US this year.