San Quentin News

Written By Incarcerated - Advancing Social Justice

Nearly 15,000 meals per day served at San Quentin with a special touch

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Correctional Food Manager II. (CFM) Martha Garcia

San Quentin’s newest food manager says in a predominately-male prison, it takes a woman’s touch to balance out the population, especially when it comes to food.

“I worked with men and around men my entire career,” said Martha Garcia, Correctional Food Manager II.https://www.calhr.ca.gov/state-hr-professionals/Pages/5480.aspx (CFM). “So it’s no big deal to be a woman in charge of a situation like this. This is not my first rodeo,” she adds with a big smile.

Known as the “Big Boss” by her nine staff members, Garcia and her crew are responsible for feeding nearly 5,000 men at San Quentin Prison three times a day, 365 days a year.

Garcia says her love of cooking began at home but evolved into a passion to cook for the public. Her first gig was teaching young adults how to cook in a state funded program. She has worked in restaurants and participated in cooking clubs. She also has experience in catering. Her first job in a prison was at Salinas Valley State Prison,https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/svsp/ Level IV.

She rose through the ranks over the years as a cook in several other prisons, Tehachapi State Prison, Old Folsom Prison and California State Prison,(CSP) Sacramento just to name a few. It was at CSP that she wanted to make a difference in the diet for the older incarcerated men.

“I always loved food,” Garcia said compassionately, “I always want to put the best food forward. I saw a lot of older men getting sicker, and I wanted to change the medical condition.”

Garcia came to San Quentin over a year ago because she liked its historic relevancy. When she arrived, she estimates the kitchen was under staffed by at least 50 %. Since she became Food Manager, the food and services have improved.

“When she came here the breakfast eggs changed for the better,” said part time incarcerated kitchen worker Maurice Reed. “Yeah the eggs are cooked better now. In fact, breakfast, lunch and dinner got better. Lunches got them granola bars in them and fresh veggies and the food is good at least 3 times a week now. I miss the real catfish for dinner; I cannot wait to have that again. The only thing I can say that I wish would happen is that it be more consistent.”

Reed has been at San Quentin for almost 8 years now and he said he definitely has seen the food change for the better.

Garcia added new meals and a variety of foods, such as fresh yogurts, puddings, tangerines and chocolate milk.

The lunches are bagged with treats such as granola bars and BBQ potato chips. Dinner meals on Fridays are not the usual processed breaded fish. The men in blue now dine on real fried catfish and potato wedges, (fish and chips). One recent Friday meal was chicken covered pizza.

Although Garcia loves cooking for the men-in-blue, her other main concern is the staff. At the sound of an alarm, she is quick to make sure her staff is okay.

She oversees day-to-day operations from her office. However, that is not where you’d find her most of the time. She is usually helping her, “overly strained and over worked,” staffers with their duties.

“She is doing an exceptional job,” said five-year veteran Supervisor Correctional Cook, (SCC) I. Sapao.

Sapao is usually the morning supervisor but is working the night shift due to a staff shortage.

“I never seen a manager who helps out, but she helps,” she said.

From unloading the trucks on the dock, to the preparation of the food, Garcia is involved in it all.

“I remember my humble beginnings,” Garcia said, “To deal with people you have to be a people person. You have to have a sense of humor and be a little quirky. Just because you’re here (in prison) don’t mean that you have to be down.”

She added, “I learned that it’s important to respect people and incarcerated men have always showed me respect.”

Garcia gets along with people she works with—free staff and men in blue alike.

“I never had a problem with her, and she is always easy to communicate with,” said two-year incarcerated worker Jose Ledesma. “She never gives us problems, and she is just a good food manager. She’s the same every day.”

The men in blue receive fresh whole veggies and fruit daily. Garcia credits the previous food manager for that. However, she smiles while she takes the credit for adding all of the “crazy ones,” like red bell peppers and squash.

Not everyone likes all of Garcia’s changes.

“Only complaint I received so far is that I put too much spice in the food or too many onions or something of that nature,” Garcia smiles modestly.

The gratitude form the San Quentin residents have not gone unnoticed.

“I really appreciate the addition of the yogurt,” said San Quentin resident Stu Ross.

San Quentin gets about $5.4 million annually according to Garcia, which is spent quarterly to provide food for the prison. Prison officials in Sacramento create diet meals and issue the budget that Garcia has to follow. She stays within budget by searching the internet for the bargains.

“I’m a foodie,” said Garcia, “I don’t believe that you need all that expensive stuff to have a good meal. I work toward the goal of having a palatable meal. Plus, I look for deals that will provide opportunity to save money plus provide a good meal.”

Funding for higher education in prison

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Incarcerated men and women seeking a college education face challenges due to funding restraints, a new report finds.

Funding for incarcerated college students stalled when the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act was enacted in 1994 and eliminated federally funded Pell grants. Student enrollments dropped 44% in one year, and 20 states reduced college courses.

The report, ITHAKA S+R (Unbarring Access) found that Pell grants cover a small percentage of incarcerated college students. The numbers could be dropping even lower.

Some prisons prioritize access to higher education based on the amount of time that person has left on his or her sentence.

Several barriers also hinder efficient higher education:

• Write ups, (Prison infractions)

• No GED or High school diploma

• Age

• Crime and conviction

• Tab test

• Length of incarceration

• No U.S. citizen and

social security number

• No one receives a Second Chance Pell grant if the applicant has any government loans in default or has not registered for Selective Service.

• Funds are suspended if the incarcerated student is convicted for the sale or use of illegal drugs.

The report said prison education programs use a “carrot for good behavior,” an incentive for those incarcerated who “behave the best.”

Despite push back from correctional officers, the report found programs have awarded thousands of Associate, Bachelor’s and even Master’s degrees across the nation since 1972.

Coalition for Social Justice graduates 17 participants

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Karen Lovaas, PhD, the program coordinator of Coalition for Social Justice saw 17 of her 21 participants graduate from its sixth cycle on Feb. 12, in the ARC Building in San Quentin.

“The primary goal of the group is to help develop community leaders who deal with criminal behavior from a perspective of social justice and transformation,” Lovaas said, explaining the mission of the group.

“I learn more in here about justice than I do on the outside,” said Lovaas about her graduates.

Lovaas teaches The Rhetoric of Criminality and Punishments at San Francisco State University. She has been involved in American studies for 16 years, and she loves to share the prison experience with her students, she said.

“When I bring my students from the outside in here to see the men in class, it has a profound effect on the kids when talking about justice from the guys’ [perspective] on the inside,” said Lovaas.

Although, coming inside prison has a joy to it for the kids, said Lovaas, it also is a heartbreaking one for the kids having to leave the men behind.

“Amazing how characters are missed from the outside world,” Lovaas said. “It’s magical how communities form in different ways.”

I takes four months to graduate, and the men form close bonds in that time.

“It’s beautiful how a group of strangers can form a community like this,” said chairman and facilitator Royse Rose, 44, referencing Lovaas’ statement. “How are you gonna want justice if you never say anything about the injustices you go through?” Rose told the men.

Rose has been facilitating the group since 2014, and he said it is an honor to give back and see the light of knowledge turning on for the men who get it. To give back is his greatest pleasure, he said.

A graduate who shares the same joy as Rose is Jamar Henry,40.

“I’m excited to be graduating, and I plan to take the knowledge I learned in this class out on the streets with me when I parole in eight years,” said Henry.

He is incarcerated for great bodily injury and said that the class has helped him see life more clearly now.

Third session volunteer Mary O’Sullivan has been coming to the prison for a year and a half. She called the ceremony “sweet” and said in response to Henry, “The world needs people like you who really know the system to be out there and guide the lawmakers to just laws.”

During the passing out of certificates it is customary for each graduate to speak.

First time graduate Chase Washington, known as the class joker, made light of the times when he spent many days in jail.

“My mama used to always tell me that a hard head makes a soft ass,” Washing- ton said. “Well, my ass is cot- ton right now.”

The intimate crowd burst into laughter.

Other graduates Reese Rackley, 23, and Arthur Freeman, 39, are excited to find out how the law really works and are enthusiastic to go back to their communities to help make them better.

“I want my son Malik Freeman, who is in prison at Susanville, to see me graduating,” said Freeman. “I want him to know that education is the best route. I want him to be a better example for his little brothers and sisters.”

When it was time for spon- sor Nate Moore to speak, he kept it direct and to the point.

“Keep doing what you do- ing and get free.”

Moore has been volun- teering in the prison for seven years.

Mentors and facilitators congratulated the men and shared their sentiments for the graduates.

“The men grew into a co- hesive crew of a community,”

said facilitator Aron Roy. The purpose of the group is to learn more than law, said mentor Eric Crutcher,46. “I’ve been a mentor for seven years, and I learned about many different justices,” said Crutcher. “I saw this class save so many lives. I also helped a kid get off drugs, and to me that’s priceless.” Coalition for Social Justice provides reentry services for returning citizens, and Lovaas recommends men who are returning to contact the organization Bonifide.

Coalition for Social Justice Graduates:

Graduates: Patrick Bellard, Jesse Blue, Matthew Brown Lll, Authur Freeman, Jon Golberg, Mario Gomez, Harry Goodall , Angelo Green De, Jamar Henry, Dejon Joy, Christopher Miranda, Wayne Mobley, Don Nicora, Reese Rackley, Vincent Rivera, Jasjit Singh, Ivan Staich, Jake Stebler, Curtis Thiessen, Clenard Wade and Chase Washington

Facilitators: Royce Rose, Phillippe Kelly, Bennett Alan, Aron Roy, Adamu Chan, Authur Jackson
Mentors: Ronald Carter, Eric Crutcher, Elton Kelly, John “Yahya” Parratt, Charles Ross

SQN Johnson earns first Master’s Degree in 10 years

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Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson

Striving for a good education has its challenges for anyone, but for incarcerated students those trials and tribulations are greater. However, one incarcerated man has persevered and has become the first student to earn a Master’s of Business and Administration (MBA) degree at San Quentin State Prison in almost a decade.

Michael Johnson, 37, earned his MBA with an emphasis in “Leadership” from Adams State University of Colorado, where the motto is “Great stories start here!”

“He is the first guy to receive that level of a degree since I started overseeing the education department in 2013,” said Michael Wheeless, the principal of San Quentin’s education department. Wheeless is in charge of handling educational tasks and the overall education responsibilities, plus keeping track of who receives AA degrees and BA degrees.

There are other outside correspondence colleges active at San Quentin, as well as the Prison University Project that offers face-to-face classes and awards Associate Degrees upon graduation.

“For an incarcerated person to achieve any accomplishment in education is remarkable,” Wheeless said.

“Since Proposition 57 was implemented in November of 2016, there have been plenty of instances when inmates have earned time off their sentences for achieving AA and BA degrees, but this is the first time under the San Quentin rules of Prop.57 that I’ve seen a Master’s earned.”

Smiling while leaning back in his chair and beaming proudly, Wheeless continued,

“I’m impressed with Mr. Johnson’s educational achievement, at having earned an MBA degree while incarcerated. It means even more to have earned it while in prison rather than being on the streets.”

However, Johnson is modest about earning the MBA during his prison stay. Although he received his bachelor’s degree while at another prison, the challenges there were much greater to overcome.

“I treated my prison time as if I was away at college,” Johnson said, “I did my time and did not allow the time to do me.”

Johnson took such courses as Managerial Accounting and Business Management along with a laundry list of other business classes– and emerged triumphant.

He maintained a 3.86 grade point average, earning “A’s” and “B’s,” grades that he could not imagine earning back in Woodland, California where he was born.

“When I was in the fourth grade I could not even read; I was like in what they call, “slow learning classes,” said Johnson. He was a late starter and said that he actually started learning after he got to high school.

“I was determined to learn, though,” said Johnson.

Other SQ residents stopped by to congratulate Johnson even during this interview, but he modestly accepts compliments on his achievements from his peers. His wish is that he can encourage other guys in prison to pursue their dreams like he did.

Johnson understands the challenges an incarcerated person can face while in prison. During his humbling six year prison experience, Johnson was not always on the right path to education. It was a life-altering experience with a family member that sparked his desire of higher learning.

“My first year in prison my grandmother passed away,” Johnson recalls, “Her name was Mary Rita Moncrif. She was my inspiration to do better. She raised me and when she passed, it pained me that I could not be there for the funeral.”

He somberly sank back in his seat at the memory. So, in honor of her memory, Johnson wanted to do something that would make his grandmother proud of him. For Johnson, education was the best way to show his appreciation to his grandmother for raising him.

Throughout his life, Johnson has been familiar with loss in many other situations. Due to alcoholism he lost his wife and other assets. “Now I know how to appreciate the things that really matter in life, like family and loved ones, not the material things, the superficial things.”

He credits his Aunt Elizabeth for supporting him financially and helping him achieve his education goals.

“Feels good to be the first one to achieve this milestone at San Quentin,” Johnson said.. “I encourage other guys to go ahead and do it, too.

“If the government would focus more on education instead of just locking people up, I believe that would help communities out there a lot better.”

Nevada introducing bill for the formerly incarcerated to vote

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Nevada Democratic Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson is introducing a new bill that would restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated men and women.

According to The Nevada Independent, the 90,000 Nevadans who were not able to vote in the 2016 election because of their prior convictions may now have the right to vote in the upcoming election in 2020.

“I believe when we have folks involved in the criminal justice system and expect them to reintegrate into society, there is, especially in this day and time, no better way to motivate someone to stick to the rules, to comply with societal norms, than to allow them to participate in the electoral process,” said Frierson.

The Independent notes that, before 2003, all those with felony convictions in the state of Nevada could not serve on juries or vote unless they individually petitioned the Department of Public Safety or were granted a pardon.

In 2003, lawmakers approved a bill allowing for the automatic restoration of voting rights for most people convicted of a felony. According to The Independent, the law included a few exemptions including whether the person had an honorable discharge from parole or probation and whether the person had committed a category A felony or certain types of category B felonies.

According to the article, former Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed a 2011 bill that would have automatically restored the voting rights to any person upon release from prison. Instead, he signed AB181 into law in 2017, restoring voting rights to individuals convicted of a nonviolent Category B felony or lesser felony charge or was dishonorably discharged from parole or probation. The bill also retroactively restored civil rights such as jury services and voting rights to anyone released from prison or discharged from parole or probation prior to Oct. 1, 2017.

The article said that the 2017 bill did not apply to individuals convicted of multiple felonies. Category B and Category A felonies would not meet the criteria. That law took effect in January and was not in place prior to the 2018 midterm elections.

Felonies in Nevada are categorized from A to E with Category A being the most severe and subject to the most punitive punishments.

According to the article, Frierson’s bill would automatically restore the voting rights to any person regard- less of the severity of their crimes. Likewise, the bill would almost instantaneously restore the rights to vote for any person released from prison living in Nevada, even if they had not served time in the state or were released prior to the passage of the bill.

“We don’t have thrown away citizens,” Frierson said. “We believe in second chances in my opinion. The spirit behind the existing law came from a period where we threw away citizens, where we didn’t value everyone’s input, and it was only those who had the wherewithal to fully participate that were able to do so.”

Few Republicans have shown their support of the bill. Senator Keith Pickard and former Assemblyman Paul Anderson were the only two Republicans who supported the 2017 legislation.

Other states are also making adjustments to their laws to allow felons the right to vote, while others never even took felons’ voting rights away to begin with. Nearly 65% of Florida voters approved a 2018 ballot measure automatically restoring the right to vote for any person with a prior felony conviction upon their release from prison, except for murder or sexual offenses.

Oklahoma initiates new parole reforms

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Oklahoma recently began a new way to parole inmates in its prison system.

In 2018, the Legislature approved House Bill 2286 among a host of criminal justice reform measures, reported the Oklahoma Watch.

They established it as what they called administrative parole, rather than the traditional way of paroling, according to the article.

“If you meet the five statutory requirements, we skip that part,” said Justin Wolfe, general counsel for the Pardon and Parole Board. Wolfe is referring to the process where inmates have had to appear in front of the board and then undergo a pre-review investigation before the board members approve them. The new “truncated” parole process cuts out those two parts, said the article.

Eligible inmates must have served one-quarter to one- third of their sentences, and they must be “substantially compliant” with Department of Corrections case plans, the Oklahoma Watch said.

Oklahoma has standard requirements that are similar to those implemented by California’s Proposition 57 in 2017. Proposition 57, which was passed by California voters in 2016, allows California inmates to earn good time credits that will shorten their prison or jail time by significant margins. Both nonviolent and violent offenders capitalize on the bills.

Oklahoma’s bill took effect on Nov. 1, 2018, and a list of eligible inmates was recommended to the board the following month. The initial list of 138 was eventually reduced to 74.

The board approved one- third of nonviolent offenders in Oklahoma in 2018, an increase from the 27% approved two years prior.

The new approach is draw- ing skepticism from criminal justice policy analysts on whether it will work or not. Damion Shade, an analyst with the Oklahoma Policy Institute, is taking a “wait- and-see” approach, said the article.

“I think the biggest issue with the administrative pa- role part of the process is that it began in November of last year…Those individuals who came into the system before November 1 don’t have ac- cess to the remedy of administrative parole,” Shade said.

Wolfe disagrees. Unlike California’s Prop. 57, the administrative parole of Oklahoma is retroactive. This means that the time inmates served before the law went into effect would count toward eligibility, he said.

71 year old breaks new record in rainy three-mile race

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Mike Keeyes, 71, the oldest 1000 Mile Club, runner ran three miles in 21 minutes and 40 seconds
Mike Keeyes, 71, the oldest 1000 Mile Club, runner ran three miles in 21 minutes and 40 seconds

Despite the torturous weather conditions on Feb. 15, Markelle Taylor, who was fighting off a cold, still managed to come only 27 seconds short of beating his own record. He had a finish time of 17:14 on the 3 mile (5k) run that the 1000 Mile running club hosts annually.

“Even though I run because it’s therapeutic, I dedicate this run to my daughter, who has lupus,” Taylor said. “I hope to not only race in prison but I want to represent the men in blue and go race in the Boston marathon, if I get released.”

The 1000 Mile Club prepares the runners for the SQ marathon, held at the end of the year, by gradually increasing the miles each meet, starting at one mile. There have been 12 marathons thus far.

Commitment is what it takes. Last year’s newcomer Fidelio Marin gave Markelle “The Gazelle” Taylor a run for his money but came in second place with a completion time of 19:01.

For the 5K race, the storm beat down on the runners as they strived through the rain and light thunder.

Assistant coach Jim Morris, 70, is an ex-marine biologist. He advised the runners: “Don’t blast too fast; take it slow and keep an even pace and especially watch out for slippery spots.”

But last year’s ankle problem did not stop veteran Chris Scull from stomping through and taking third place. Time: 19:31.

Starting at a moderate pace, Jonathan Chiu suddenly got a burst of energy and took a leading stride past Steven Brooks and flowed through the finish line placing fourth, with Brooks graciously taking fifth place. Michael Ybarra took sixth while veteran Tommy Wickerd settled for seventh.

“I was just expecting to finish and not slip and get hurt again,” said Wickerd after recovering from a knee injury last year. “Here we have the option to program and make good choices, and running keeps me away from the negative influences.” He was referring to his 17 years of being sober and away from gangs.

Michael Keeyes, 71, set a new San Quentin 3-mile-race 70+ record, finishing eighth. Bruce Wells came in ninth, John Levin took tenth, and Ismael Altamirano finished in 11th place.

Moua Vue took 12th place. Vue started running last year; he joined through a commitment that he made to a friend. He began by running short distances to build up his stamina. “Training does matter,” he said. “I was gonna set a goal and break a record, be- coming faster and faster than my last time. This race I just want to do well.”

Michael Johnson took 13th.

Although the track was muddy and the rain—and even hail, at times—was sporadically beating down, Coach Frank admonished the runners to run a comfortable race because he is not taking excuses.

First timer Ben Tobin, 30, said, “Markelle ‘The Gazelle’ inspired me to participate. It’s amazing to see his level of focus. I never ran long distance before, and it’s a new adventure for me. I want to prove to myself that through commitment I can get better with time.”

Coach Frank Ruona said that Tobin started out too fast, and that’s why he came in 14th.

The race was completed when the 23rd place was taken by Edward Scott, who caught the end of the pouring winter rain.

Runners & Finish Times
1. Markelle Taylor – 17:43
2. Fidelio Marin – 19:01
3. Chris Scull – 19:31
4. Jonathan Chiu – 20:28
5. Steven Brooks – 21:10
6. Michael Ybarra – 21:21
7. Tommy Wickerd – 21:35
8. Michael Keeyes – 21:40
9. Bruce Wells – 22:10
10. John Levin – 22:13
11. Ismael ALtamirano – 22:22 12. Moua Vue – 22:38
13. Michael Johnson – 23:03 14. Benjamin Tobin – 23:20 15. Nicola Bucci – 24:43
16. Darren Settlemeyer – 24:56 17. Malcolm Jones – 25:53
18. Eric Rives – 25:53
19. Eddie Deweaver – 27:07 20. Al Yaseng – 28:00
21. Ernie Soltero – 28:51
22. Jeery Gearin – 33:32
23. Edward Scott – 19:20

Advocacy group for the incarcerated finds home in Oakland

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An organization established 40 years ago to advocate for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people recently relocated to Oakland, reports Carla Williams on oaklandnorth.net.

“If we don’t protect Oakland, we won’t have an urban community to call our own,” said Dorsey Nunn, executive director of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC). He was referring to the fact that Black people now make up only 4 percent of the population in San Francisco.

“We lost San Francisco, but we have the opportunity to do something great here in Oakland,” Nunn said.

LSPC was based in San Francisco until the organization bought a building across the bay as its permanent location.

The organization is staffed with the formerly incarcerated and family members of those who are currently incarcerated. Nunn is also a formerly incarcerated man who served more than 10 years in prison for a robbery/ homicide committed at age 19.

One of the employees, Oscar Flores, said he thinks the reason why the group lasted these 40 years is its power in leadership.

According to Flores, the LSPC answers every letter it receives from inmates. The organization assists inmates with litigation or finds an attorney to help with legal affairs. Flores added that they also help people get information about child custody, divorce and, if people have children, parents or guardians who leave the country, they can help with locating them.

Williams reported that in 2017, the group helped sponsor the bill AB 412 that became law to help protect low-income people who fail to appear in court from a penalty fee that could have charged them more than $300.

“So much history takes place over 40 years,” Director Nunn said. “I think that LSPC is evolving in a good way.”

To celebrate their 40-year anniversary, the organization hosted a sold-out event at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. Guest speakers at the event included Marc Lamont Hill of BET News, Vonya Quarles of Starting Over, Inc. and Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: MassIncarcerationintheAge of Colorblindness. All three advocate for alternatives to prison and say imprisonment is not the only form of punishment that can be used.

Journalist Hill emphasized, “We’ve got to get rid of this idea that justice means punishment…and for too many of us punishment means confinement.” He continued, “Our ultimate goal can’t be a world where cops get locked up for killing us. It has to be that cops are demilitarized and disarmed so they can’t kill us, so prison does not become our end goal.”

10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy arrested by ICE

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After a 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy left a Texas hospital for treatment in October 2017, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested her, The Guardian reported.

The arrest happened because five days after Donald J. Trump took office, he signed an executive order that changed the focus of ICE deportations from undocumented immigrants with criminal records to every undocumented immigrant.

The result of the policy is that ICE is arresting more people with no criminal record than ever before, according to The Guardian.

In October 2017, the number of those arrested by ICE with no criminal record was almost 40,000. The year before then it was less than 20,000. As of June 30, 2018, it’s 58 percent of the now al- most 45,000 people held by ICE, The Guardian reports.

“Why would you take that budget that’s limited and not use it to say we’re going to go after the worst people who are illegal and here?” said Alonzo Peña, former ICE deputy director, and its predecessor, the U.S. Customs Service, since 1984.

Peña raised a question, “The target goal (for ICE to arrest) is the 12 million people who are here illegally. Why are you going to target a little girl with cerebral palsy?

“Most of the 20,000 ICE employees oppose some of Trumps immigration policies, such as family separation.”

Another undocumented immigrant arrested by ICE was New York City resident Pablo Villavicencio, a father of two who worked as a pizza delivery man.

Villavicencio had applied for a green card but when he went to deliver a lunch order to an Army base, ICE arrested him. The case was fast-tracked for deportation but dropped after it received media attention, The Guardian reported.

“The idea is to try to send the message to communities that everybody is at risk of deportation by arresting all sorts of people who are no kind of threat,”said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Right Project.

The ICE tactics have made it a target by lawyers, said The Guardian.

“What they would like to do is deport people and skip the whole legal process right,” said ACLU’s Jadwat. “That was the idea initially behind this and I think their legal position is still they can sweep these people up and put them on a plane and they’re gone before you know it.

“It’s only because we and other lawyers have stepped up and said you have to provide some due process before you ship someone to a place where their lives could be in danger that they haven’t been able to kind of send people abroad immediately.”

A lawsuit was also filed on behalf of 1,900 Cambodian refugees by the Asian Law Caucus, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles (AAJC) and Sidney Austin LLP.

SF Archbishop blesses SQ men during holiday season visit

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Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco blessed the men and grounds of San Quentin Prison and delivered a message of salvation during a holiday season visit. 

The title of his sermon was, “Salvation is worked out right where we are at.” 

“God comes to meet us where we are at,” said the archbishop. He said part of his responsibility as Catholic leader of this region is to visit San Quentin two or three times a year, mainly around the holidays. 

“I look forward to coming here and getting to know the men here in the prison,” said the archbishop on his Dec. 30 visit. He also said that it is a “moving experience” for him when he comes to prison. 

The archbishop has been coming to bless San Quentin Catholic men for six years out of his 36 years in the ministry.

Eighty-six-year old Brian Gragan, an outside visitor, has been feeling welcomed at San Quentin for three years. Whenever the archbishop comes, “It’s a marvelous demonstration of what holiday and communion means to the men in blue,” said Gragan. 

Upon the archbishop’s arrival there was a Vietnamese Mass in session. When it ended, he greeted the Vietnamese priest and some of the participants in attendance.

Kelvin Ross has been the Catholic Chapel’s clerk for two years. He has seen the archbishop six times. 

“Every time I met him, I found him to be very personable and knowledgeable,” said Ross. “He and Father George allow us to speak candidly and they be respectful toward us and treat us like human beings. They encourage me to strive better in my walk.” 

Father George Williams, who everyone at the prison calls Father George, has been at San Quentin for eight of his 25 years in the ministry. 

“We are all brothers and we at the Catholic Chapel welcome all, no matter what your religion is,” said Father George. “I believe in helping all the guys in their spiritual journey.” 

Prison resident Richard B. Evans has worked closely with Father George for the past three years. 

“He has a loving heart towards the prisoners and gives a significant amount of his time to our needs. That’s huge!” Evans said. 

The archbishop stood at the door welcoming attendees by shaking hands. He was dressed in his white and gold Chasuble (robe), his Miter (hat) and held his pastoral staff that he calls “Shepard staff” in his right hand. By his side were alter service workers Arturo Huerta and Pablo Ramirez, holding lit candles. 

Kit Greerty , who was there with her husband, Tom, from Martinez, read the book of St. Paul on forgiveness and love. 

The archbishop led the singing of “Glory, Glory to God.” 

“One of my responsibilities is to stimulate the people,” he said. 

He spoke first in English and then Spanish to translate the message to the Spanish speaking community present. Video pictures of waterfalls were displayed in the background. 

“Salvation is an obedience to God’s will,” he said. “The one who is enslaved is the one who is entrapped in a vice of life.” He correlated that to human life. 

Father George prayed and personal petitions were allowed by the inmates and congregation. Many were voiced throughout the room, ranging from prayers for the sick, the immigrant communities to Death Row inmates. 

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Father George Williams conducting holiday service in 2016

A Bible reading from the book of Colossians was followed by music from the Spanish choir led by Michael Adams. 

After the song entitled, “All the ends of the Earth have seen the power of God,” the archbishop addressed the crowd in Spanish and English. A cross hung in the background as the archbishop read from the Bible. 

Michael Adams sang “Oh Holy Night,” and Father George wished all a happy new year. 

The archbishop blessed the congregation and charged them to go out and spread the gospel of Christ. 

Before service ended, the archbishop blessed the communion utensils and the members had communion. Father George held the big Bible for the archbishop while he prayed. 

San Quentin resident Kenny Rogers read from the scriptures, Luke Chapter 3 verses 1-6. 

Dwight Krizman, co-director of the choir, sang “Salve Regina” in Latin. He said it is a song asking the Virgin Mary to pray and show us the baby Jesus. 

“Being able to fellowship with Father George and the archbishop is a gift from God,” said Krizman. “ It was a privilege for him to come and I hope that he takes the experience of the incarcerated men with him to the streets.” 

“I have you all covered in my prayers every day,” said the archbishop. 

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