SQ_Lethal_Injection_Room K: Thank you for sitting down with me and for agreeing to do this interview. If I remember correctly, you said you’ve been in prison for about two-thirds of your life? That... is a long time. S: Trust me, it’s been very long. From the boy’s home to death row – I came into the system in ’79. K: Has it been hard? S: No. It’s life. It’s survival. Out there, in the streets, you have to deal with every- thing – bills, jobs, boss, kids. In prison it’s the same. Life. It doesn’t mean it’s easy or hard. It’s just … [Read more...] about An interview with former Death Row prisoner Alfred Sandoval, from Pelican Bay’s Newsletter “The Pelican”
Prison Stories
Bread & Roses presents tribute to honor Audrey Auld
Audrey Auld singing for Day of Peace on lower yard in SQ A parade of San Quentin musicians entertained about 100 inmates while honoring the late folksinger Audrey Auld, a favorite performer at the prison. “She opened up her heart; she brought her music. She was amazing!” guitarist Richie Morris said of Auld. “Audrey’s final performance at San Quentin was the performance of a life- time—the show to top all shows. She left exhilarated. It’s an example of the healing power of music,” said Lisa Starbird of the music organization Bread … [Read more...] about Bread & Roses presents tribute to honor Audrey Auld
Shedding reputation to step into a new role in society
KidCAT Speaks! Editor’s Note: This is the third in a three-part series on the cost of earning a reputation in prison. Richard Solano A person can earn a bad reputation in prison for any number of reasons: being a snitch, a drop-out (former gang member), a child rapist or a homosexual. Prisoners with those reputations are often ostracized, assaulted, extorted or even murdered. On some cases, it can lead to real-world consequences. From the age of 12 to 18, 41-year-old San Quentin in- mate Richard Solano attend- ed 22 funerals … [Read more...] about Shedding reputation to step into a new role in society
Solitary: Book depicts one man’s journey through hell
Albert Woodfox spent almost 45-years in solitary confinement in Louisiana for a murder he insists he didn’t commit and has written a book detailing the horror of the isolation. He and one other prisoner were accused of murdering an Angola prison guard. Federal courts threw out two murder convictions, but he decided to plead no contest before a third trial. “By pleading nolo contendere I wouldn’t be innocent in the eyes of the law,” Woodfox told the Times-Picayune. “But I knew I was innocent.” The result: he spent 44 years and 10 … [Read more...] about Solitary: Book depicts one man’s journey through hell
CDCR agrees to legal settlement over disciplinary documents
“I spent five years to get them to dismiss the write-ups which should never have been filed in the first place” The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) agreed to pay an inmate $8,400 in a legal settlement for disciplinary and non-disciplinary documentation the inmate claimed were false and retaliatory. The settlement agreement, entered in April 2018, also required the CDCR to remove all paper and electronic copies of the documents from the inmate’s file in exchange for his dismissal of two other lawsuits. … [Read more...] about CDCR agrees to legal settlement over disciplinary documents
Virginia believes women’s sanitary products pose a threat to prisons
Female visitors entering Virginia State Prison have been forced to remove certain feminine products to visit their family member or friend, according to the Capitol News Service. But under the new House Bill 1884, which is awaiting approval in the House of Delegates, the Virginia Department of Corrections would have to modify the policy for visitors using menstrual products. The current policy is in place to avoid the smuggling of contraband into Department of Corrections facilities. “If someone chooses to visit a Virginia Department of … [Read more...] about Virginia believes women’s sanitary products pose a threat to prisons
Iranian legal reforms reduce executions
Capital punishment in Iran has roughly been cut in half because of drug law reform, a human rights organization reports. Executions in Iran have also been cut in half after historic law reforms, according to Human Rights Watch and Harm Reduction International. Iran had 225 executions in 2018, of which 91 were for drug offenses. In 2017, there were 507 executions, according to a March 17 story in Current Events. The decrease in drug- related executions is due to new amendments in drug laws, which were motivated in part by … [Read more...] about Iranian legal reforms reduce executions
Wisconsin governor submits proposal to build more prisons
Wisconsin’s Governor Tony Evers, whose campaign pledged to cut his state’s prison population in half, has instead recommended a $259 million expenditure to build more prisons. According to Matt Kettle of MacIver News Service, the governor submitted a proposal to build seven major Department of Corrections (DOC) projects. This is a six-fold increase from his predecessor, Gov. Scott Walker, who recommended $41.68 million in DOC capital financing. “The spending is just mind-blowing,” said state Rep. Michael Schraa (ROshkosh), chairman of … [Read more...] about Wisconsin governor submits proposal to build more prisons
71 year old breaks new record in rainy three-mile race
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 … [Read more...] about 71 year old breaks new record in rainy three-mile race
Daniel Barfield spent nine years in solitary confinment
During his 20 years of incarceration at Georgia’s Diagnostic and Classification Prison, Daniel Barfield spent nine years in the solitary unit, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’ve seen people go crazy,” Barfield said regarding his stay in isolation, adding, “I’ve heard people go crazy. Just out of the blue a person will flip and act out all kind of different ways, saying they’re going to kill themelves.” Barfield was sent to prison in 1988. He was 13 years old when he was accused by a relative of molesting her 3-year old … [Read more...] about Daniel Barfield spent nine years in solitary confinment