By the time John Wallace was released from San Quentin, he had written 75 songs. John Wallace, 39, who discharged in 2003, founded a project called STOP (Surviving the Odds Project) to help deter at-risk youth from falling into the school-to-prison-pipeline. Fifteen years after his release, he’s showing kids the creative outlet he wished he had at their age. The former gang member now empowers at-risk youth through musical self-expression at Legion Beats in San Rafael, reported the Marin Independent Journal. His first class of 13 students … [Read more...] about SQ parolee helps troubled teens through the creative outlet of music
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Repairing a guitar leads to repairing chairs for the community
At the public library in Benicia, children and parents value the craftsmanship of San Quentin inmates. SQ’s Furniture Shop recently volunteered its services for the restoration of more than 40 children’s chairs badly in need of repair. “The care and effort which was put into the chairs and the quality of the work was great,” Helaine Bowles, Library Administrative Assistant, recently told the Vallejo Times-Herald. Lacking funds to repair or replace the chairs, the Benicia Public Library heard about SQ’s Wood and Upholstery Shops and contacted … [Read more...] about Repairing a guitar leads to repairing chairs for the community
Raising awareness of California’s ‘Life Without’ policies
More than 100 advocates, family members and friends chanted, “Drop LWOP, drop LWOP, commute all 5,000!” at an Oakland town hall on March 24, denouncing California’s use of life without parole sentences, also known as LWOP. The California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) hosted the event to educate the general public and raise awareness about the state’s LWOP policies. California has approximately 5,000 prisoners serving life sentences without the chance for parole, according to the CCWP press release. “We believe that all people in … [Read more...] about Raising awareness of California’s ‘Life Without’ policies
Pendarvis Harshaw share tales of Oakland’s history
Pendarvis Harshaw recently spent some time inside San Quentin showing inmates creative ways to tell their personal histories. He used OG Told Me, his own memoir, as an example. It reads like a graphic novel. Its photo gallery of Original Gangsters (OGs) includes quotes of streetwise advice. Harshaw’s “turf,” East Oakland, serves as the backdrop. Your turf was where you grew up. Some of us had parents or grandparents who actually owned the land. For others, that land was nothing more than where your mother’s Section Eight voucher was accepted. … [Read more...] about Pendarvis Harshaw share tales of Oakland’s history
New employment policies to help hire formerly incarcerated
Music superstar John Legend is using his celebrity status to gather national support for Unlocked Futures, a new foundation aimed at helping formerly incarcerated persons develop into successful entrepreneurs. Legend is already committed to criminal justice reform through his FreeAmerica initiative. He joined forces with other philanthropists to coordinate a $500,000 grant from Bank of America. They used it to launch eight startup ideas from former prisoners and persons impacted by incarceration, according to a Nation Swell article. Too … [Read more...] about New employment policies to help hire formerly incarcerated
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
Valley State Prison holds inaugural YOP graduation
Valley State Prison (Chowchilla) celebrated a milestone earlier this year when it hosted its inaugural Youth Offender Program (YOP) graduation. The ceremony recognized 97 young prisoners who lived up to their commitments to complete various rehabilitative programs. The graduates successfully reached their goals of earning high school diplomas or general education diplomas (GED), learning vocation trades or enrolling into college courses, according to the prison press release. The young offenders personally selected the goals that they … [Read more...] about Valley State Prison holds inaugural YOP graduation
The passion of running stretches beyond the prison walls
From the yard inside San Quentin State Prison, Chris Schuhmacher used to look up over the walls at Mt. Tam, thinking one day I’m going to get there. Now on parole, he’s arrived and he continues using the two things that got him through his bid—running and computer coding. “Chris exemplifies the spirit, drive and determination of someone who wants to succeed and set an example for others,” Beverly Parenti, co-founder of the Code.7370 coding program at San Quentin, said. Schuhmacher works as a software engineer for Fandom, a company that is … [Read more...] about The passion of running stretches beyond the prison walls
Solitary Watch offers inmates photographs beyond a gray wall
The day he learned his solitary confinement would be extended, 17-year-old Benjamin Van Zandt killed himself in a New York prison. To bring awareness and bridge the gap between the public and those in isolation, an advocacy group held an art exhibit in a Unitarian church in New York, showcasing photographs requested by and produced for prisoners in segregation, reported Newsday. “Viewers are able to see not what incarcerated people see, but what they envision—the vivid and varied thoughts, objects, images that all minds produce, independently … [Read more...] about Solitary Watch offers inmates photographs beyond a gray wall
Prestigious colleges learn about life from prisoners
Prison advocates and educators who believe in the benefits of classes held on prison grounds are seeking to revive a program that once brought Harvard students into prisons to learn desk-by-desk with incarcerated students. San Quentin already has similar programs. “By creating opportunities for Harvard students to learn with and from students in prison, we demonstrate a commitment to transformative education, education that is rigorous and reckons with questions of justice and equity,” Kaia Stern, co-founder of the Harvard Prison Studies … [Read more...] about Prestigious colleges learn about life from prisoners