San Quentin News

Written By Inmates - Advancing Social Justice

Donté Clark returns to SQ’s APEP with spoken word session

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Donté Clark returned to San Quentin last November for a spoken word session and to rap with students seeking to earn their GEDs and go to college. Clark is a poet, who mentors young writers in Richmond, Ca.

The Academic Peer Education Program (APEP) hosted Clark’s visit.

Peer educator James Metters talked about incarcerated educator, Bobby Evans, who envisioned opportunities for students to have access to GED studying after they get off work, and that’s what’s started APEP.

When Metters asked APEP students to address the class, an enthusiastic Charles Brandon told the group that San Quentin changed his life.

“I’m in computer literacy and on the waiting list for PUP. I want to learn coding, so I can work at Google,” Brandon said. “I want to rap, learn filmmaking and real estate. I want my own clothing line and hopefully one day, I’ll own a Starbucks.”

Michael Kirkpatrick added, “There’s a lot of positive talk around here. We don’t

tear each other down. We build each other up.”

Derry “Brotha Dee” Brown spoke about Clark’s influences on him.

“It’s what he’s doing for the community. He knows us well — he blends in with us,” Brown said. “There’s a few individuals that know poetry, and I see they will enjoy his work.”

Prior to Metters introducing Clark to the class, Brown and Raiveon “Ray Ray” Wooden performed a skit based on bullying, suicide and violence. Ray Ray’s part was that of evil while Brother Dee played the voice of reason. After a standing ovation Clark took the stage.

Wearing a bright sun yellow beanie tilted slightly back to cover shoulder-length dreads Clark performed one of his poems.

He began by pacing back for forth in front of the class- room with hand gestures that shuffled the air. Then he spoke the lines with the hook, “Life sings me sweet songs. Love is a sweet song.”

“Donté’s second visit to San Quentin motivates people and lets them know how far education and resilience can go, like he does as a writ- er—literacy helps us achieve our goals,” peer educator, James Metters said. “To me, he is a perfect example of what could be achieved de- spite stratified communities, drugs or violence.

Clark works with the youth in Richmond and encourages young writers to put on performances.”

“I just gotta write,” Clark said. “It’s hard to talk about. I just got to demonstrate it. Then people who see it, and they want to help.”

After high school, one of Clark’s college classes gave him the opportunity to work with youth. Writing was involved and “everything just fell into place.”

“When people told me that I was a gifted writer, it was inspirational,” Clark said. “I research a lot, read a lot and talk to people a lot. I also do a lot of listening and compare it to what I’ve read in books.

“Knowing how to connect with people makes me a better teacher.”

The value of Prison to Employment Connection on returning citizens through job opportunities and connections

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Prison to Employment Connection’s Employer Day in November

Prison to Employment Connection (PEC) reached a milestone at San Quentin, completing its 10th session and graduating 44 men, who learned how to present themselves to future employers.

One of the highlights of the program was Employer Day in November, where 196 interviews took place with inmates inside the prison’s Protestant chapel. They were conducted with potential companies that hire the formerly incarcerated. A subsequent graduation ceremony was held two weeks later for the Session 10-44 graduates.

Keeping with tradition, Diana Williams, PEC executive director, spoke to the audience comprised of inmates, guests and PEC volunteers. She said the rate of recidivism in California is more than 60%. “That means 26 of the men in this room would come back to prison within three years of their release.” She offered employment as one of the key solutions to reduce recidivism.

According to Williams, recidivism is cut in half when those who are formerly incarcerated find employment. For those who have jobs upon release from prison, recidivism is 3.3% to 8 %, she said.

“To date, 253 men have graduated from PEC,” said Williams. “Of those, 153 have paroled and only one has returned to prison,” leaving her program with a 1% recidivism rate.

Diana Williams giving a speech to the audience

“This is a blessing to me, something I’ve been needing my whole life,” said Edmund Johnson, 47. He’s been incarcerated 24 years. “I think the program is excellent. It’s teaching me to use my transferable skills. It’s teaching me how to talk to employers.”

Williams explained how during months of preparation the men learned personal and work related interests. They studied work values, resume writing, interview skills, their incarceration history, and used it all to create “packages of success.” She said they also worked on learning how to reframe rejection.

“It’s designed to connect the men to themselves,” Williams told the audience of employers and career specialists. “Men in this program experience a renewed hope.”

Returning citizen Nelson Butler speaking with a student

She said 68 men started the class in August. Two weeks later, the Session 10-44 graduates attended a ceremony in the Catholic chapel, where they received certificates and other paperwork that will allow them to find employment upon their release from prison.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Michael Belton, 58. “I signed up, and I wasn’t sure, but I said ‘what do I have to lose?’ I actually gained something from it.”

He said PEC taught him to be open about his criminal history.

Gary Falxman came in from Realty One and the Oakland Rotary Club. He had toured the prison previously and said he learned about the programs in prison, and it made an impression on him. “I’m back here to help others find what they’re passionate about,” he said.

Checker is a San Francisco-based company working to modernize the background check process.

A participant interviewing with City College of San Francisco

“Our mission is to promote fair chance hiring,” Rebecca Rabison said. “We do that by trying to provide more employment opportunities for people with conviction histories.”

“Socializing” the idea of second chances, Orrian Willis works for the City of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Work Force Development. It funds 45 job training programs, 13 of which focus on technical training. It was his third time attending Employer Day. “In our labor market, the demand is starting to recognize the talent” (of the formerly incarcerated)”.

Willis asked, “If people do their time why are we still punishing them when they get out?” Adding, to give them employment, “I think it’s our fiscal responsibility.”

“I was nervous and excited, not to mention I almost fell off the chair for giving me such an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Edwin Chavez, 44. He said he’s never had a job interview in his life. He’s been incarcerated for 25 years.

“I love it,” said Steve Garrett, 34, who’s been incarcerated for 18 months. “I think it’s a great program. The opportunity and skills that they’re giving us is what we need to stay out of prison.”

Elizabeth Toups, of the Jewish Vocational Service, had visited the prison previously during a graduation ceremony. “I was so impressed with what everyone was doing here,” she said.

The San Francisco-based organization works with people from all backgrounds to help them get jobs.

“Sometimes that involves connecting them to training, “she said.

Participants greeting employers as they come into San Quentin

When the interviews were completed, the guests reconvened to seats on the stage in the chapel. Williams commented that this 10th PEC session had the largest group of supporters attend Employer Day. Twelve of them stood up and received a warm applause from the men.

Jay Minteer was one of those supporters. He said another supporter, Tom Lacey, introduced him to PEC. He said it’s a worthy cause to make sure people don’t come back. It was his first time inside of a prison.

“I was impressed when I walked in and shook everyone’s hands,” said Minteer. “It works when you shake someone’s hand and look someone in the eye.”

“Thank you for believing in these men and this program,” said Williams. She introduced and thanked the inmate PEC volunteers who’ve also gone through the program and come back to help others. “As outside volunteers, we can only do so much for the program.”

Williams explained how the program was started before introducing Nobel Butler, who came up with the idea to provide inmates a head start on employment before parole. When he was incarcerated, he wanted to know how to get a job and to present employment prospects to the parole board.

“I just really wanted to come back and say things that other people (said to) me, so I really wanted to give back. This is my opportunity,” said Butler. He paroled and said he’s been gainfully employed ever since. The audience applauded his success. “My purpose here today is to give you guys hope. I think maybe I did something half right.”

“I realize life is an interview,” Williams, a PEC graduate now on parole, told her. She acknowledged and thanked PEC volunteers Lisa Trustin and Gabrielle Nicolet.

This was Trustin’s second session. “It’s not different because we experienced the same transformation the men make connecting with their own hope,” she said.

“It’s always different,” said Nicolet. “There are different challenges, like lockdowns, that present challenges. The prison population is different than it was a year ago.”

She said the core of why she volunteers is because prisoners need help. It was her sixth session.

As the guests sat on the stage, they received feedback from many of the inmates.

“I want to thank you for your friendly demeanor,” said Richard Richardson. “This program is everything I thought it would be. You guys treated me like a human.”

The employers and guests also shared their comments with the men.

One said, “This is the second time I’ve come, and each time there’s a new excitement.”

Another said, “You all should be teaching people how to interview.”

Their remarks kept coming.

“I’ve looked at a lot of resumes, and I can’t tell you how much I’d like to see more of these,” said another guest.

Employees of Checkr meeting with participants

At the graduation ceremony, Williams asked, “How many of you would have taken this class if you weren’t getting RAC (Rehabilitation Achievement Credits) credits?” About 90% of the men raised their hands. Then she read the interview results of the PEC graduates and said they did as well or better than people on the outside. The percentages from low to high:

5 Excellent 42%

4 Above average 39%

3 Average 19%

2 Below 0%

1 Poor 0%

Derry Brown said someone suggested he take the program. He went through the class and has now become a facilitator for the program’s 11th session. He said he’d never completed a resume or had many jobs and that his youth was swallowed up with incarceration.

“I didn’t have any of these skills,” he said. “So for me to go through this process was inspiring.”

In addition to Williams, Angel Falcone has been a volunteer for all 10 sessions. He told the men, “Every job is your business school” and advised them to do the best they can on every job.

“Everything we learn, we’re going to need,” said Dwight Kennedy, who volunteers for the program. “Take what you’ve learned and apply it to your life.”

Red Hoop drumming group brings sounds of life to SQ Pow Wow

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Participants surrounding the Red Hoop drummers celebrated the unity of the human family

The Nevada Red Hoop drumming group brought the sounds of life to San Quentin’s Native American Group Annual Fall Pow Wow. The thumping sounds of traditional drumming filled the prison’s visiting room, blending with the scent of sage, circle dancing and chanting from the outside spiritual elders.

The pulsating drumbeats simulate the rhythm of a heartbeat, which represents the sign of life, be it from man or animal, according some Native traditions.

Heredia, Polanco, Sr. delivering the opening prayer at the ceremony

“The drum is alive — just as any human being is,” said Martin Montgomery, one of the Red Hoop drummers. “An animal gave its life for this drum – and the wood to produce the heartbeat sound.

“The drums and our traditional songs have the ability to change emotions and they have made their way to us today,” added Montgomery.

The Nov. 15, sacred event celebrated the unity of the human family and its connections through the heart.

The Red Hoop group consists of more than 20 drummers, but only three were able to make the trip, due to rescheduling of the ceremony. The group consisted of Montgomery, Ivan Julianto and Brandon Heredia, the son of the Native American Group’s chaplain.

The trio chanted each song energetically as they uniformly pounded the large drum. The more than 75 incarcerated participants and volunteers swayed and stepped dance throughout the event in ceremonial circles symbolizing the infinity of life.

The dancing and singing is part of the spiritual healing led by the sacred instrument.

Gregory “White Eagle” Coates and Straight Dancer regalia

“The elders and drummers coming in helps us learn more about our ways as a people,” said Dennis “Wolf” Gilbert, incarcerated participant. “They show us that we are not hated but loved and not forgotten.

“It keeps us on the Red Road (spiritual road.) I want to raise my grandson in our ways,” Gilbert added.

Montgomery can relate to this statement. His father was incarcerated in a Nevada prison.

“Your family needs you. And that’s spoken from a kid who grow up while his father was incarcerated,” said Montgomery. “My father shared a lot of stories about how the system changed him. He wanted to give us an alternative and he taught us the drums – learning our culture help save us,” added Montgomery.

Native American Adviser Hector Frank Heredia smudging the visiting room in preparation fo the ceremony

Montgomery credits his father for starting Red Hoops. The group name comes from his grandfather who found a horse, back in the day, with a red hoop around its eye. The horse used to do tricks such as: dancing and bowing.

The grandfather thought it was from a circus or something. So he began asking the people in the surrounding area whose horse it was. No one seem to claim it.

“Being here is like coming full circle,” said Montgomery. “It makes you feel grateful. What my father learned in prison he passed on to us, now I’m sharing it with these men.”

The drum is one of the major parts of Native life. The songs and drum rhythms are passed down through the grandparents or elders. Most of the Native drummers are versatile in Southern and Northern tribal drum rhythms. The drums are used for tribal marriages, prayers and calling people together.

After the opening purification ceremony, where the participants wipe themselves with the smoke from the burning sage, the guests mixed with the Native group to perform the ritual Grand Opening Dance.

Everyone left the visiting room; the men formed one line and women made another one. The two groups danced and stepped their way back into the room to create two circles around the drums.

“The women dance closer to the drums, because they are our hearts,” said Gregory “White Eagle” Coates, San Quentin resident and Sun Dancer. “The men are on the outer rings, because they are the protectors.”

Montgomery paused the drumming and ask some guests to come up and form two rows of seven people. He asked each person to make a rhythm with their bodies; some made sound with their mouths, snap fingers, clapped hands and beat sounds on their bodies.

Then Montgomery had everyone do his or her sound in unison creating an ensemble of music.

“We are all relatives. We all represent that rhythm of the heartbeat, and that was shown in the music we created together,” said Montgomery. “If we can see each other as human beings the world would be a better place.”

The spiritual ceremony ended with traditional food and strong loving words from visiting elder Lee Polanco, Sr. 81, who was a former San Quentin corrections officer and chaplain.

“I seen two of my sons go to prison, and that hurts as a parent. I buried a lot of people, so doing this prayer work is not a game for me,” said Polanco. “I come here because I love these guys, be it the men-in-blue or green.

“I will tell the guys in blue don’t ever give up – it’s never to late learn. I hope you get out and never come back,” he concluded.

Tehachapi hosts 3rd Ethics Bowl against CSU Bakersfield

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Submitted by Dian Grier, CCI Press Release

CSUB and CCI Debaters of the 3rd Ethics Bowl

For the third consecutive year, CCI (California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi) has hosted the annual Ethics Bowl against California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). This year was a tie breaker for CCI, with a 3-0 win. “Intellectual Sports” such as ethics bowls are gaining status and momentum throughout colleges in the United States. Every year, cases are developed by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics and are used by all ethics teams nationwide. Ethics teams are given packets of case studies four to six weeks prior to the competition. These cases are real and hypothetical cases. The team prepares by considering the ethical implications of each case. At the competition, the two teams present their case, rebut and then answer questions from judges. This year the Ethics Bowl at CCI had judges including three doctorates, one MBA and a reporter from the Bakersfield Californian, who wrote an article that made front-page news in Bakersfield. See: for the full article with pictures.

The first case, in which CCI led, was called “A Miscarriage of Justice” and considered Alabama’s law that prosecutes pregnant women who the state feels have put their unborn child at risk. This case was presented based on a real case in which Alabama prosecuted a mother for the unexpected consequence of the death of her fetus. In this case, the mother started a verbal altercation, which turned into the other woman shooting her gun, which ricocheted and hit her fetus, killing it. The mother and victim of the shooting was brought up on charges for involuntary manslaughter by the state of Alabama. This case was complex ethically and CCI took the side that women should have rights over their own bodies, even during pregnancy, and that cases such as this one can be a slippery slope, ultimately denying too many women’s rights. CSUB agreed with CCI, adding their perspective to the case. CCI answered multiple questions from judges, clarifying their position and proving they had fully considered all aspects of the case.

Host giving opening remarks

The second case this year consisted of “Callout Culture,” which considered whether our “callout culture” or “cancel culture”—in which an individual is called out on social and regular media—is helpful in changing societal norms or hurting individuals who are put in the spotlight. The case considered if this behavior is activism or a dysfunctional new aspect of our social media-driven society. CSUB summarized that callout culture has some positives, but is not activism and is hurting society and individuals. CCI responded that there might be better ways to have conversations and foster a society of forgiveness instead of a society that points the finger and damages people’s reputation as well as careers. So again, the two sides agreed that this is not a positive for society, but both teams brought differing perspectives on how to address change.

Debaters going over debate topic

After the Ethics Bowl, CSUB went on to compete in regionals, which took place December 7 in Phoenix, Arizona. CSUB asked if they could use CCI’s research for their event, which CCI offered. CSUB’s team consists of third-year philosophy students who practice weekly based on what they have learned throughout their classes.

After the event, the philosophy students asked the inmates about their plans for their futures. All of the five team members from CCI have plans for higher education or are currently attending college through Cerra Cosa University here at CCI. Robert Price, the well-known reporter from The Bakersfield Californian, commented on how poised and intelligent CCI’s team presented, which is a common remark by outside observers seeing the CCI Ethics Bowl for the first time.

Debater at the podium giving his remarks

CCI’s team puts in four hours of class time per week, preparing through research and practice. The group was developed and is coached by Dian Grier, LCSW, and is considered a mental health group designed to stimulate thinking and perceive the world through multiple lenses. The time the men put into this group helps them in multiple ways. Many of the inmates see the group as a chance to increase social and presentation skills, decrease levels of depression and anxiety, and find purpose within the prison environment. The group consists of 25 inmates who helped prepare for the bowl, but only five were chosen for the presenting team. The other team members were in the audience, cheering on their colleagues. The group consists of all ages, races and viewpoints, which add to the therapeutic benefits of the program. The group continues to discuss and practice throughout the year, reflecting on new ethical viewpoints and enjoying the process of expanding their thinking regarding their own moral opinions as well as ethics within society. This program is an excellent representation of the type of innovative rehabilitation CDCR and CCI are inventing and offering. Congratulations to the CCI team for their effort and achievement!

Incarcerated cooks learn top notch skills as they reenter the workforce

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A class of men incarcerated at San Quentin graduated from a cooking course aimed at teaching them topnotch skills for reintegration into the workforce once released.

Thanks to the Quentin Cooks program, the eight men showcased their newfound skills on Nov. 13 by preparing a four-course meal for visitors from outside the walls of San Quentin.

“The food was astonishingly delicious,” said San Francisco Public Defender Manojar Raju, “But I think if more people were able to meet everyone in here and get to know them, they would be astonished by their resilience and determination to succeed.”

The theme of the meal was “Winter Squash Five Ways.”

The incarcerated chefs prepared the meal with assistance from instructors Chef Huw and Chef Adelaar. Several graduates also returned to help.

“I just thought we were going to go in there and pretty much make some meals,” said graduate Breon Mosely. “But we also got to learn what it was like to work on a team, how to plan out a meal, how to use the equipment, and learn how a kitchen overall runs.”

To begin the night, the cooks served butternut squash agro dolce with burrata cheese and chili crunch oil. A perfectly paired squash, apple and turnip soup was served along with the agro dolce.

The appetizer was a salad of roasted delicata squash, kale, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, chicories, winter citrus and goat cheese.

The entrée: grilled Allen Bros. rib eye steak, squash and chard gratin, roasted mushrooms, and salsa verde. To satisfy the guests’ sweet tooth: pumpkin cannoli with mascarpone, pistachios and cocoa nibs.

“The food was so flavorful, and the guys got really creative with the squash,” said Hadi Razzaq, who also works in the San Francisco Public Defenders office. “This is the kind of food I would expect at a fancy restaurant.”

After the meal, cofounder of Quentin Cooks Helaine Melnitzer delivered a heartwarming speech, thanking everyone who made the program possible.

“We’re not just a culinary program; we’re a skills based program, helping men-in-blue to succeed,” said Melnitzer. “Of the 55 men who have graduated so far, many of them released, as far as we know, none have returned to prison.”

Melnitzer, along with cofounder Lisa Dombroski, won a Jefferson Award this past August for her efforts associated with the Quentin Cooks program. A Jefferson Award is a weekly honor given to a community member for volunteer work in the community.

“The most precious thing you can give somebody is your time, because you can’t get it back,” said Melnitzer.

Dombroski shared the spotlight with the chefs who come to San Quentin for the five hour class on Wednesday mornings. “Chefs Huw and Adelaar, I never would have imagined I would find chefs whose passion for the program exceeded that of the founders.

“Every time one of our released men gets a job, it’s like Christmas for us.”

The graduating men not only value the culinary skills they learn in the program but also the opportunities they have to pursue a career in the culinary world once they are released.

“As we got to learn all these skills and techniques, we would think about how to utilize them,” said Mosely, “The program helps you to find a job when you’re released so that you can use these skills. You may have to start at the bottom, but if you’re determined, you can climb the ladder, hopefully become a chef, and be able to run your own kitchen one day.”

A new feature introduced at the Quentin Cooks sixth graduation banquet was entertainment by Quentin Cooks graduates.

Jason Griffin opened the show with a poem. Kerry Rudd and Jesse Ayers each performed humorous skits, which had the whole crowd laughing. Finally, Derry “Brotha Dee” Brown finished with a song called “My Best Friend.”

“The program just keeps improving with every cycle,” said Santhosh Daniel, a filmmaker who comes in to follow the Quentin Cooks program. “Every guy who’s getting out and doing well contributes to a track record of success.”

Avenal’s “Timeless” group explores insight into our past

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By Adam Jennings, Contributing Writer

Participants and facilitators of the “Timeless” group

At Avenal State Prison, the “Timeless” group is helping its incarcerated population explore the question “Can we grow into the men we want to be?”

“Timeless” is a long-term offenders group that is held in the prison’s A Facility. The group aims to give the men insight through exercises such as gathering information from their formative years in an effort to better understand how the men became who they were and are and how they arrived in prison.

The participants have a chance to gain awareness as they apply these exercises to their lives and current mindsets in regard to a vast array of criminal topics.

Today, post Prop. 57, the reality is that some individuals are attending self help groups just for R.A.C. (Rehabilitative Achievement Credits), rather than a true desire for introspection and change.

The “Timeless” program seeks to change this thought process. The group provides the skills to apply new knowledge to old ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. The program helps the men produce new constructive beliefs, manners and habits, instead of just simply going through the motions of being there.

The program goal is to help the participants improve themselves, the community and ultimately earn a parole date.

It’s no easy task. But the group members are striving to be pillars of their current society. They are sharing what they have learned and also carrying themselves with an ever evolving sense of positivity and encouragement.

The “Timeless” members and facilitators understand that the only way they can grow into the men they want to be, is by fundamentally improving themselves. This can be accomplish by altering and improving themselves on a daily basis. Then true change can manifest, giving their families and friends the men they deserve.

The group believes through hard work and dedication they can develop a community where this is both possible and celebrated.

Thanks go out to Rosemary Ndoh, program co-facilitators James lynch and Manuel Rincon, all group members and staff sponsor, Lisa Robitaille.

It is through the service of all participating members that positivity is spread. Where they used to sow destruction, now, through their changes, they are setting good examples for future generations; breaking their own personal cycles of imprisonment with the realization that there is no right way to be wrong.

The hope is that the lasting effect of these changes will be felt long after they depart. A legacy that will truly be….TIMELESS.

They risk their lives for as little as $2.90 a day

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California’s prisoners firefighters receive little benefit for their service on the fire lines

More than 3,000 California prisoners help fight the state’s wildfires and are paid well below minimum wages.

Inmates who work on active fires are paid between $2.90 and $5.12 a day, and get an additional $1 an hour during an active emergency, according to Fortune.com.

The major incentive inmates choosing to volunteer to serve their time at one of California’s 43 fire camps is the time off their sentence. When legislation was introduced in 2014 to include two—for—one credit to all inmates in CDCR, it met huge opposition according to a November article by Fortune.com.

“The extension of two-for-one credit to all (minimum security facility) inmates would likely make fire camp beds even more difficult to fill, as low-level, non-violent inmates would choose to participate in the (Minimum Support Facility) program rather than endure strenuous physical activities and risk injury in the fire camps,” said Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)

The article also stated an affidavit from Vimal Singh, CDCR official, in which he points out extending early release credits would deplete the fire population.

“Prison is a uniquely coercive environment,” said David Fathi, director of the ACLU. “There is very little in prison that is truly voluntary. There is a power differential between prisoners and their captors and employers that creates a significant risk of exploitation and abuse. and we need to be alert to that.”

The Conservation Camp Program was established in 1945, and is estimated to save the state of California $100 million dollars each year, according to Fortune.com.

Statistics show that over the past 35 years six inmate firefighters have died from injuries sustained from fighting a fire. This notion beckons the call as to what price is an inmate willing to pay for freedom.

“Prisoners should not volunteer to fight dangerous fires, simply because the alternative is being locked in a prison cell,” added Fathi.

There were two memos produced regarding inmate fire fighters pay. In one memo there was a suggestion that the inmate pay would increase from $1, which has been the pay rate for the last 40 years, to $2 an hour. The memo stated that even at this rate it would still save the state over $24.6 million dollars in lieu of hired firefighters. The memo also cautioned that, “Less inmate fire crews would result in the reliance of federal, county and private fire crews during periods of high fire activity. These costs per 24 hour shift range from four to eight times higher than the cost of a comparable inmate crew,” according to the article.

“Prisoners are largely unprotected by the occupational health and safety laws that protect all other workers from dangerous working conditions,” said Fathi. “They’re not covered by OSHA,They can’t unionize for safer working conditions. When you put all those together it makes a prisoner a uniquely vulnerable workforce compared to everyone else who fights fires or does any other work in this society.”

Prisoners when released are unable to put their skills to use. Most firefighting jobs require employees to obtain an Emergency Medical Technician or paramedic license. In California most convicted felons can’t obtain this type of license until they have been free from custody for 10 years, according to the article.

When you couple the very high risk an inmate assumes it has created a decline in the amount of inmates willing to go to fire camp. A memo obtained by Earther from CALFire and California Department of Corrections

states that, “prisoners working in camps have declined by at least 1,000 people over the past 12 years,” the article stated.

CDCR has recently partnered a $26.6 million dollar firefighter certification and training program in Ventura County. The program will create an 18—month program which provides advance training to former inmates. The program can enroll 80 parolees but doesn’t give EMT licenses upon graduation. CAL FIRE has offered positions to two of the recent graduates.

Reyes introduced a bill in the legislature that would allow former inmates to join the California Firefighter Joint Venture Apprenticeship program. “Reyes believes that a criminal conviction should not be a life sentence, but rather that folks that have made a mistake, and demonstrated commitment and efforts to rehabilitation should have the same opportunities as everyone else,” said an official working for California Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloise_Reyes

California Professional Firefighters, a union of more than 30,000 members, has fought against this plan, according to the article.

Performances spark emotions and raise awareness

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The Oct. 23 performance of Marin Shakespeare at the San Quentin chapel featured another series of original parallel plays—inspired this time by The Winter’s Tale.

David Gadley started things off by illustrating the inner turmoil caused by overdose and an unavoidable drug test in Making Better Choices, before Jason Griffin examined the trauma of childhood abuse in A Hiding Place.

“I remember bruised faces, my mother pulling my hair—I remember myself,” SQ volunteer Chérie McNaulty said later about the powerful images Griffin’s poem evoked in her as she listened from the audience.

Seeing McNaulty noticeably shaken by his performance, Griffin immediately went to sit by her side in the pews after his reading.

“He was concerned about my emotions, but I told him that’s all part of the healing,” she said.

Derby Brown and Raiveon Wooden joined forces for Lethal vs. The Gruesome 3, which dealt with the frustrations that lead to mental crises and suicidal thoughts.

“Hey Mr. Suicide, why would you get those kids to take their own lives?” Brown voiced.

Then Belize Villafranco inspired everyone to get up and move around with his Healing Song. Audience members stood, clapped in rhythm and soon formed a conga line, weaving back and forth from the stage and into the pews.

Kerry Rudd next brought the crowd back to a contemplative mood with his play, Stay Greedy… or Make Amends? It told the story of a robbery crew that eventually returns the stolen loot to its owner.

Chris Thomas sang Remembering How To Breathe and enlisted Billingsley to pantomime a physical interpretation center stage. Then Billingsley performed his own Mind Yo Biz 2, a play about resolving old jealousies.

In his Freedom of Expression in the Midst of Oppression, Brown rejoiced through a chorus of “I’m rollin’ with Jesus—I’m rollin’ with Jesus.”

An institutional recall for prisoners in SQ’s H-Unit interrupted the show midway at 11:10 am. Performers housed in those dormitories were required to leave the chapel and report back to the unit.

Despite the unexpected shuffle of performances, Jessie Ayers’ Transitions hit a home run with its message of prejudice transformed into acceptance. Ayers drew from the observed discomfort some SQ prisoners hold against transwomen prisoners.

“How does a dude one day all of a sudden wake up and decide he’s a chick?” said Ayers in character—deriding a group of trans prisoners who simply said “hi” to him.

Suraya Keating and Kate Brickley played speaking roles as part of the trans group. They were joined on stage by SQ’s own Adriel Ramirez and Nah.na Reed.

“How do you call yourself a Christian?” Brickley’s character responded when Ayers attempted to cite the Bible as proof against transgenders. “I’m not your bro.”

“There’s only two rules in my house, honey—if you don’t fight it, I won’t bite it,” Keating’s pigtailed trans character chimed in to continue heckling Ayers.

The play shifted scenes to a full year later, when Ayers’ character encounters Brickley’s at a Christmas banquet. “Don’t act like I don’t see you all the time on the tier,” he tells her, referring to them being housed near each other in the same building.

“You see me… do you know what it means to just hear you say those words?” responds Brickley, starting to cry. “You see me.”

They end up shaking hands and wishing each other a Merry Christmas—all to huge rounds of standing applause.

To make up for some of the performers lost to the H-Unit recall, John Ray Ervin, Sr. gave an impromptu reading of original poetry. “This is live theater, y’all,” he said.

Richie Morris, who was recently found suitable for parole after 34 years behind bars, had 20 fellow prisoners join him onstage to face the audience.

Each person took the microphone to speak of his convicted offense aloud, along with his sentence and the number of years he’d already served.

“That’s 339 years total between us,” said Morris. “I want you to wrap your head around that—if you can.”

On that note, Morris and Quentin Blue closed the show with their song, The Last Mile.

The surprise of original theater

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Raiveon Wooden dragging Philippe Kelly offstage

The flyers and playbills clearly advertised a collection of “parallel plays,” yet hardly anyone who attended Marin Shakespeare

San Quentin’s October showcases knew quite what to expect.

“The performances you will see today invite us to contemplate a crucial choice many of us must make in our lives—the choice to live from fear or love,” explained Suraya Keating in her Director’s Notes.

The opening act on Oct. 11—Darwin Billingsley’s Father & Son: The Broken Curse—left no doubt that the audience in the SQ chapel would see the acting troupe bare their souls onstage.

Billingsley portrayed a family’s painful journey through the cycles of addiction, trauma, dysfunction and, finally, redemption and hope. Raiveon Wooden played his son.

“As father and son we come together—to break this curse, forever and ever,” chanted Billingsley and Wooden in their final scene, paralleling characters from Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen from Verona.

Sam Kouzzah read from his poem, Prodigal Son, while Tommy Payne, Kerry Rudd, and Wooden stood in place performing interpretative dance moves as they stared hauntingly out at the spectators.

In An Angel’s Curse, Jason Griffith revisited the theme of addiction before singing Nirvana’s Come as You Are.

Garry Grady, in his originally crafted Good vs. Evil, examined the human quality of why “it felt so good to be bad.”

Rudd read from SQ’s No More Tears group agreements before Andrew Wadsworth read an apology letter to his victim, Antonio Young.

High energy and drama ensued next as Philippe Kelly and Wooden riled up the chapel crowd during Justice, a play filled with rivalry and vengeance that featured multiple well-choreographed fight scenes.

“Where’s Raygeta? Where is he?” Kelly growled as he stalked his way through the aisle ways and pews. He got right into the face of audience members, and they ate it up.

Punches, throw downs, karate kicks to the head—such theatrics kept the crowd fully engaged. Midway through, Kelly even dragged Wooden’s limp body entirely out of the chapel in an attempt to dispose of his enemy.

After a grand finale group battle reminiscent of professional wrestling, Kelly and Wooden clutched each other face to face and yelled, “If you smell what Shakespeare is cooking…” a nod to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Before his play, Bed Time Story, Tommy Payne—with the video help of First Watch’s Adamu Chan—produced a short animation film as a complementary preamble to his cautionary tale of wizards, magic and gnomes.

John Ray Ervin, Sr., read his spoken word Dear Soul from offstage while Kelly and Wooden returned to stand in somber silence with their backs against one another.

Ervin came to the performance in a wheelchair, refusing to miss his chance to speak his piece about the day he lost his mother, Annamarie. “That day, half of my heart died,” he read.

Rudd next performed Complicated, a tune he wrote himself. Before starting, he told the audience, “Even though I’m in state prison, I’m gonna have a good time singing it.”

Ronell Draper, who most people at SQ know simply as “Rauch,” likened his “When Will It Be Enuff?” to a public service announcement, rather than a performance.

“This is to showcase what goes on here, so you can understand what you’re seeing. The men and women in blue—they’re expert therapists,” he said. “How many of you are part of my support team? Anyone—please stand up.”

Over twenty people, prisoners and outside persons alike, rose to Draper’s call. He segued his presentation into equating prison reform to community reform, pointing to Marin Shakespeare’s mix of inside and outside participants.

“I’m moved,” said Draper to the audience. “You came here to see us. Imagine that.”

Wooden returned again for his short piece, Love Is Poison, in which he personified love as a female entity. “Is love poison?” he asked. “It all depends on how you treat her.”

The Oct. 11 performance ended on a high note with Belize Villafranco’s Healing Story and Song. The whole ensemble gathered onstage and spilled into the front pews as Villafranco led them in lively rhythmic dance.

Hamilton meets Marin Shakespeare at San Quentin

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Renowned acting company finds emotional connection with incarcerated actors

Cast and crew members from the Broadway San Francisco production of Hamilton reconnected with the San Quentin community at the Oct. 11 Marin Shakespeare performance.

First visiting the historic and innovative prison in June, this time the Hamilton gang filled an entire row of the SQ chapel for an original theater experience inspired by Shakespeare.

“I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did,” said Darilyn Castillo, who plays dual roles. “The comedic angle in some of the pieces was really refreshing.

“And it was great to hear the ‘public service announcement’ from that guy—what was his name? Rauch [Ronell Draper]?—to take that pause from performing for a moment of realness. I felt it. It was real.”

Asst. Company Manager Crystal Clayton visibly shed a tear or two during the two-hour collection of short plays.

“Right from the beginning it was very clear how hard they worked to showcase their pieces,” she said. “I laughed. I cried.

“I felt so many emotions sitting in the chapel, watching them perform one by one—each so different, yet all filled with so much heart, passion and emotion.

“They should be extremely proud, knowing they are not only creating change amongst themselves, but changing each and every one of us who had the pleasure of watching them.”

After the show, the Hamilton folks made sure to speak with the SQ acting troupe for as long as time permitted before leaving to perform back in the city that evening.

Lead standby Marja Harmon’s warm, broad smile stood out like a spotlight as she shook hands and congratulated the SQ Shakespeare company.

“Watching the men perform their original pieces was incredibly humbling,” said Harmon. “It was a perfect reminder of the healing power of theater and music.

“The vulnerability and creativity that was on display was remarkable. It was a beautiful transference of energy and connection.”

Hamilton understudy Rebecca E. Covington has personally seen mass incarceration affect her own family’s past. “Coming into San Quentin truly means something each time for me,” she said. “It’s very healing to interact with you guys.”

The correlation between Hamilton and the SQ performance hit home for Castillo. “Everything that was performed today had this great connectiveness that was very fitting to each person,” she said. “Not lost in that connection was all the individuality.

“That’s the same thing that makes Hamilton so meaningful for us as actors—it’s not cookie cutter. We all get to be ourselves.

“And that’s what made today so special—that same connection and support. We felt that in there.”

Marin Shakespeare Asst. Director Marianne S. told SQNews later, “I’ve seen this actual cast perform. Donald [Webber, Jr.] plays Aaron Burr to the fullest as he turns to the dark side and kills Hamilton.

“I told Ray Ray [Raiveon Wooden] to ask him, ‘What’s it like to be the villain?’ Accessing your dark side and having the audience dislike you—that takes courage.

“It was great to see him engage with Webber and have that conversation.”

Wooden’s eyes lit up when asked about their interaction. “I put my whole heart into that show,” he said later. “It was a real gift for us to have these professional actors in the house watching us.

“He [Webber] told me what a great job I did—that I really channeled all my energy into being the bad guy. To hear him tell me that in person. Wow.”

Webber himself appreciated both theater communities getting the chance to mingle. “These guys are real actors. I feel re-inspired for our show tonight,” he said. “I heard they’re doing Othello next. I’d like to come back for that.”

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