Residents of narrative workshop reveal the impact of adverse childhood experiences

San Quentin resident James Daly was sentenced to four life terms, plus 31 years. He blamed his harsh sentence and the unraveling of his life to a torn relationship between him and his father. 

“I could never be the son my father wanted me to be,” Daly said. “I would act out, and he would beat me.”

Daly was one of 16 San Quentin residents who shared their childhood traumatic experiences, as part of the Back to the Start self-help program, which honored them with an inaugural graduation. 

The program teaches incarcerated people to write their stories and describe their Adverse Childhood Experiences, which may have led to their incarceration.

The event was held in SQ’s Chapel B, moderated by Dr. Jenny Espinoza M.D. and hosted by residents Michael Callahan, and Juan Moreno Haines.

“It’s amazing to see everybody, I wasn’t sure everybody was going to show up,” Espinoza said.

Espinoza was employed at SQ as a Primary Care Physician, where she had an interest in childhood trauma. Although she had medical training, she said “[I] was shook to the core in learning about childhood violence.”

Kamau Bell, the celebrated Bay Area comedian, was asked by the physician to say a few words.

Bell said San Quentin “is one of the few places in my life where everyone is happy to see me.” He added, “It feels nice to think people [acknowledge that] I am doing nice work.” 

Warden C. Andes shared with attendees that he experienced childhood trauma himself, and that he was lucky that someone stepped into his life to help him.

The sharing of stories had already begun, but resident participants were eager to give their own accounts of their early lives.

Co-host Callahan told the audience his experience of breaking the cycle of a traumatic upbringing. 

“I was skeptical at first. I had never talked about childhood trauma,” he said. He once thought about hanging himself. “ I tried to take my own life by a tree that was a…sanctuary for me.”

He added that children need protection, which did not exist in his home. Drugs and alcohol use was a primary function, which provoked hostility, manipulation, and dysfunction within the family. 

SQ resident George Lopez shared his narrative, titled “Thorns and Roses.” He recalled that during his childhood he sold candy under the supervision of an adult. He said as a little boy he approached a male customer who directed racial slurs at the boy based on Lopez’s Hispanic background. 

“Things never looked the same after that day,” Lopez said.

Hugo Enrique-Campos spoke about his adverse childhood experiences and how they affected his social development, which led him to aggression.

“I used drugs, and drowned myself in alcohol, but through vulnerability I gained strength and courage,” Campos said. “In order to explain weakness, I needed strength.”

Resident Kojo Clutchette called his narrative “Palm Tree Shadows.” He said that the 1984 Olympic Games overshadowed his Los Angeles neighborhood near the Memorial Coliseum, because there were no athletes, no parades on his streets, just hustlers and drug addicts.

The next group of residents shared their experiences of near death experiences, and trauma through discovering literacy.

Alex Ross, 58, has been incarcerated 31 years of a 54-year sentence. He said he grew up with “literacy trauma,” unable to comprehend. He was bullied and teased. 

Freddy Huante, received four life terms that added up to 91 years to life. He shared his narrative, titled “Against all Odds”

He was born premature with undeveloped lungs, weighing approximately 1.8 pounds, his entire body fitted into the palm of his father’s hand, according Huante.

“The medical staff stated ‘he would not make it through the night’ but God had other plans,” Huante said. 

Members of the Spanish community shared their traumas about inclusion. According to program facilitator Edwin E. Chavez, when people are excluded because of their language barriers, and not able to articulate the English language clearly, they experience a form of trauma.

Donell Pimpton shared his loss of a family member, and program facilitator Joshua Strange shared his story about his divorced parents.

Pimpton said losing his grandmother to diabetes impacted his life. He watched his grandma’s leg turn blue because of her Type 2 diabetes. 

“When I think of her today, I remember her touch, her smell. I am so grateful for you, I love you, until we meet again,” Pimpton said. 

Strange’s called his parents’ divorce, a “nuclear bomb.” 

“My brother and I witnessed the lawyers, the courtroom, not knowing whom they were going to live with, and the possibility of being separated,” said Strange. “I learned a lesson in the dysfunction of the legal system.” 

The event held a panel discussion that included a state official and three medical professionals.

In attendance were Mia Bonta, Democratic Assembly member of the 14th district in Oakland, and Dr. Jeff Grant M.D, a primary care physician at SQ.

Kristine Madsen, director of pediatrics at U.C. Berkeley School of Public Health, and Palav Barbaria M.D. M.S. chief quality officer for the Calif. Department of Healthcare Services.

They discussed how childhood trauma impacts lifelong behavior, leading to violence and drug use and how pain and trauma affect incarcerated people and the foster care system. 

At the end of the event certificates where handed out to all the graduates, and they received acknowledgment from the California State Assembly. 

Assembly member Damon Connolly of the 12th district, Marin/ Sonoma county signed each certificate including comments regarding the participant’s accomplishments.

The certificates stated that this award is for “your invaluable efforts in the inaugural Breaking the Cycle Event hosted by Back to the Start.” The State Assembly extended its congratulations to the residents for their achievements, and looked forward to the meaningful impact they will continue to make in the future 

Among the 16 incarcerated speakers there were 19 men serving life sentences, a total of 1,883 years between them. It cost $133,000 a year to house them, totaling $250 million dollars annually, according to Back to the Start.