Being incarcerated offers an unusual gift for those who find themselves behind bars: time. There is an abundance of it! Modern American life is hectic. There simply isn’t time to do everything. There are demands on our time from work, family and community. When you are serving time, you receive the gift of time. When you are incarcerated, there’s no social media. You can’t put off a task to check Twitter or Facebook. There are no cell phones for our bosses to call us on the weekend. The distractions of the 21st century evaporate behind prison … [Read more...] about Letters to the Editor
Dear Kid CAT
My name is Saul Martinez and I have been incarcerated for the past 20 years and on Jan. 9, 2018, I was found suitable for parole during my first board appearance. My hearing lasted five hours, and when the time came for the victim’s family to speak, they spoke about pardon and forgiveness. By the time the board announced their decision, they said I no longer posed a danger to society and they found me suitable for parole. I was able to have a successful hearing through a number of groups that I have attended. Of particular importance in my … [Read more...] about Dear Kid CAT
Armed with horsehair bow, The cellist reaches down through, Vertical teachings, Through horizontal stratagem, Discovering subtle, powerful sound itself, Spreading life in its natural state, Floating in songs disciplines compiled, Colliding far above the, Serpent’s judgment, Above digital, electric lies, Acoustical sound resonates across time, Penetrates false bravado, Like the point of a dagger, Buried to its hilt and twisted, Acoustic sound binds us all together, Fuses us into one culture, Indifference and prejudice shudder, Confused, They try … [Read more...] about
San Quentin News Launches Wall City Magazine
San Quentin, California – May 21, 2018 – The premiere issue of Wall City, a magazine that reflects the curiosity, intellect, dedication and professionalism of the men working as journalists inside San Quentin, will be released on May 29, the editors of San Quentin News announced. Copies of Wall City will be distributed to the libraries and administrators of every California prison. Members of the public can access a free digital version or order print copies via MagCloud . A link will be published at sanquentinnews.com for easy access. … [Read more...] about San Quentin News Launches Wall City Magazine
Coming back to prison to help bridge the digital divide
Behind San Quentin’s walls, there is a pair of programs dedicated to closing the digital divide, Code.7370 and TLMWORKS https://tlmworks.org. Tulio K. Cardozo, a former San Quentin inmate, runs one of them. Cardozo is in charge of TLMWORKS, a coding development joint venture. It pays a whopping wage of $16.49 an hour to inmates. “I’ve got to make four client calls this afternoon,” said Cardozo as he guided me to the TLMWORKS offices. “Why don’t you speak with a few of our team members first?” The men of TLMWORKS are completely quiet as they … [Read more...] about Coming back to prison to help bridge the digital divide
Robot Lawyer for Refugees
Robolawyer-chatbot tool to complete anti-deportation and immigration paperwork. The use of robolawyer-chatbots promises to be a significant advance in social justice, its supporters say. As with Airbnb and Uber, new artificial intelligence technologies have transformed many industries in the past few years. Now they are seeking to transform legal dealings with government as well. From traffic tickets and renter rights to immigration, DoNotPay has a free artificially intelligent chatbot that guides users through the legal appeals process to … [Read more...] about Robot Lawyer for Refugees
Deportation Crimes
In Trump’s first six months of 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested more than 65,000 immigrants, up 37.6 percent from the same period last year, reports The Washington Post. Almost three out of four of those arrested have criminal records. Immigration advocates question whether ICE is truly prioritizing the most serious criminals. “We see a ton of people deported for misdemeanors, probation violations, petty theft, shoplifting,” said Alisa Wellek, executive director of the Immigrant Defense Project, a legal services … [Read more...] about Deportation Crimes
Domestic Violence
Intimate partner violence accounts for 15 percent of all violent crime. “The key question concerns the relationship between threats and actual violence,” reported the Wall Street Journal on a new study of domestic violence. “To me, threats are clues,” said Dr. T.K. Logan, author of the study. “We tend to dismiss them because there are so many. We should hone in, not tune out.” She believes the central issue in domestic abuse troubles is being able to measure when words signal real danger. San Quentin offers an effective tool to convert … [Read more...] about Domestic Violence
San Quentin News’ Senior Editor honored
For giving a voice to the voiceless, Juan Haines, the San Quentin News senior editor, was honored with The Silver Heart Award by the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. “I was never after the gotcha story or the investigative piece trying to find corruption,” Haines said. “I just wanted to tell regular people’s stories because outside these walls, those are the voices that are never heard. “I couldn’t do my job without the trust of my fellow prisoners,” Haines said in an interview. “A lot of my fellow … [Read more...] about San Quentin News’ Senior Editor honored
Overburdened public defenders
“You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you.” We have all heard the Miranda rights promise more times than we can count, either when catching a case or on TV where cop shows dominate. They always arrest their man and promise a fair trial. The police arrested Shondel Church for felony theft in 2016. They read his Miranda rights and his Missouri public defender said his case was winnable. All he had to do was wait six months in county jail for his defender to prepare his case. After three … [Read more...] about Overburdened public defenders