When I first came to prison, I didn’t know what to expect. And, like many people who have never been behind these walls, I believed everything I heard or saw on TV. I believed prisons were filled with nothing but violent and vindictive predators. By spending time in more than 10 different prisons around the state, this belief was dispelled. One of my early discoveries was that many convicts really love their mothers. They proudly proclaim it with that famous tattoo inscribed on their body somewhere, depicting a bright red heart, with Mom … [Read more...] about Mom’s name in a tattoo
Editorial
CDCR’s Answer to Mental Issues and Suicide
Dr. Timothy Belavich answered San Quentin News questions last December about the delivery of health care services to prisoners. Dr. Belavich was formerly acting director of the Division of Health Care Services and deputy director of the Statewide Mental Health Program. He is now employed by Los Angeles County. In previous editions San Quentin News reported his views on the Coleman lawsuit and custody and prison culture. This edition focuses on Suicide and Use of Force. Transgender Special Needs will appear next month. By Dr. Timothy … [Read more...] about CDCR’s Answer to Mental Issues and Suicide
Reforming Our Way of Thinking
Governor Jerry Brown is backing an initiative titled “The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016.”. The initiative changes the way juveniles are charged in adult court and will, potentially, have a drastic effect on adult sentencing. There is a debate about the impact this initiative will actually have if it makes it into the ballot and if it is voted into law in November. What seems certain is that people who were not talking about reforming sentencing policy a few years ago are now talking about it. The Honorable Thelton Henderson … [Read more...] about Reforming Our Way of Thinking
Editor-in-Chief Steps Aside to Pursue Other Dreams
In 2011 I was asked to step into the shoes of Editor-in-Chief; a job that I knew was going to be difficult, but former Editor-in-Chief Michael Harris had confidence that I could do the job. Until then, I had run from all my problems, afraid to face the unknown. People always saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. Michael believed in me and told me with confidence that I was given the opportunity to be a voice for those that were not able to speak for themselves. As the days, months and years went by, I started to build that … [Read more...] about Editor-in-Chief Steps Aside to Pursue Other Dreams
America’s Prisons Need To Focus On Healing, Education and Training
Prison is designed to break you, not to make you better. Our prison system takes people who have had traumatic lives and puts them in circumstances that expose them to even more trauma—like living in a cage with a stranger or being subjected to riots or having live ammunition fired by correctional officers trying to break up fights involving weapons or being isolated from family, friends and significant others. People are placed in traumatic circumstances—when they’ve already demonstrated they are not able to handle trauma well, and it … [Read more...] about America’s Prisons Need To Focus On Healing, Education and Training
New System Designed to Better Monitor Patient Care
In December, Dr. Timothy Belavich answered San Quentin News questions about the delivery of health care services to prisoners. Belavich was formerly acting director of the Division of Health Care Services and deputy director of Statewide Mental Health Program. He is now employed by Los Angeles County. Dr. Belavich’s answers will be published as a series in the next several editions of the San Quentin News under the headings The Coleman Lawsuit, Custody and Prison Culture, Suicide and Use of Force, and Transgender Special Needs. THE COLEMAN … [Read more...] about New System Designed to Better Monitor Patient Care
Reaching Beyond the Future and Walls of San Quentin
As we reflect upon a year’s worth of hard work, the writers of San Quentin News renew their commitment to the state’s prison population. We recognize that finding a solution to California’s reliance on mass incarceration is a mission that both our staff and readers must take seriously. The vision of the San Quentin News is to lead the way toward a better future for California’s criminal justice system. Warden Clinton Duffy created San Quentin News in the 1940s to dispel prison gossip about prison policy. This gossip led to conflict among … [Read more...] about Reaching Beyond the Future and Walls of San Quentin
Board Hearings and the Truth Behind Closed Doors
As a journalist, when I do a story profile on an inmate at San Quentin, I first look for individuals who demonstrate a willingness to change. Has he come to terms with and does he understand why he committed his crime? From sitting in circles with men, I have found that men who struggle with telling the entire truth about their offenses are worried about their images and what others might think. However, as time goes on, people who regularly attend sessions in the circle hear stories very similar to their own. This allows everyone to open up … [Read more...] about Board Hearings and the Truth Behind Closed Doors
San Quentin News ‘Moves Forward’
In 2008 Warden Robert Ayers removed San Quentin News from the shelf, dusted it off and put the responsibility of managing the newspaper in the hands of a group of inmates advised by retired professional journalists. In our previous editorial, Steve McNamara wrote about the history of SQ News and how it was revived. What you didn’t read about were the dreams that the inmate staff has to expand the newspaper to nationwide circulation. The inmate staff is aware of the many challenges they would face to fulfill this endeavor. Nevertheless, … [Read more...] about San Quentin News ‘Moves Forward’
The Impressive Growth of San Quentin News
If you are ever lucky enough to land in San Quentin Prison, walk down the hill to the Lower Yard. Check out the tennis and basketball courts, the baseball field and the drop-dead view of Mt. Tam. Then make your way through the crowd of inmates to the office of the San Quentin News (S.Q. News), one of the few print newspapers in America that is actually flourishing. Of course it helps that the paper’s main target audience – prison inmates – has no access to the Internet, which is where a lot of newspaper readers outside of prison have taken … [Read more...] about The Impressive Growth of San Quentin News