The Bay Area’s gypsy swing, band Beso Negro (Black Kiss) treated San Quentin prisoners to acoustic musical mastery at its Sept. 29 event, which was San Quentin’s final yard show of the year. Loud applause and whistles greeted the group, as lead singer/guitarist Adam Roach’s piercing vocals opened the 90-minute set. Bassist Cheyenne Young, guitarist Eli Carlton-Pearson and drummer Ethan Turner filled out the ensemble. “They were bad ass,” said inmate J. Esparza, who plays with the prison house band Continuum. “They were phenomenal. They … [Read more...] about Beso Negro performs in year’s final yard show at SQ
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CA leads nation in women on Death Row
California leads the nation with 23 women on Death Row, but the condemned women are largely invisible and forgotten behind bars, and their stories rarely see the light of day. California has more than three times the number of condemned women in Texas (six on condemn) and in Alabama (five on condemn), according a Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) report. The women on California’s Death Row are housed in Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla. Until 1933, they were housed in San Quentin in the Women’s Ward. They … [Read more...] about CA leads nation in women on Death Row
Importance of good character and integrity in prison
Cost of reputation, Part 1 Editor’s note: Survival in prison often depends on reputation. A good reputation confers respect and longevity. A bad reputation may result in being ostracized, extorted, assaulted or, worse, murdered. This three-part series will feature stories of survival and redemption. “When I first came to prison I wanted to be left alone, not to be harassed or victimized by other inmates,” said Marty Walters, 50, who has been incarcerated 30 years for first-degree murder. “So, I acted like a tough guy and made weapons because … [Read more...] about Importance of good character and integrity in prison
Immigrant requests for asylum face four year backlog
President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement program is failing due to a four-year asylum hearing backlog, an opinion article in The Hill contends. It is the immigration enforcement program’s policy to deport undocumented im- migrants to their country of origin, unless they express a “credible fear” of returning. An asylum officer assigned to the claim determines whether “credible fear” is present in individual cases, said Nolan Rappaport, the article’s author. If the officer denies the claim, applicants can request an administrative … [Read more...] about Immigrant requests for asylum face four year backlog
NEWS BRIEFS: November 2018
1. USA—The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in early 2016 that sentencing juveniles to life with no chance for parole is unconstitutional. The states with the highest juvenile lifers were Pennsylvania, Michigan and Louisiana. As of mid-September, The Advocate reports that Pennsylvania had 530 juvenile lifers affected by the decision—375 were resentenced and 150 were paroled. Michigan’s juvenile population was 360. One-hundred- twenty were resentenced. Fifty were paroled. Louisiana had 302 juvenile lifers affected—218 were resentenced and 23 were … [Read more...] about NEWS BRIEFS: November 2018
November 2018 Upcoming Events at San Quentin
November 2018 Upcoming Events at San Quentin Nov. 11th Veteran’s Day @ Lower Yard 10 a.m. Nov. 16th 1000 Mile Club Marathon 8 a.m. Nov. 16th Queens of the Stone Age @ Chapel 5 p.m. Nov. 27th San Francisco Opera @ Chapel Nov. 29th Veterans Healing Veterans http://sanquentinnews.com/san-quentin-news-merchandise/ http://sanquentinnews.com/17175-2/ http://sanquentinnews.com/fellow-brother-charles-chuck-adams/ http://sanquentinnews.com/law-enforcement-prisoners-barbershop-dialogue/ … [Read more...] about November 2018 Upcoming Events at San Quentin
Rising operatic star mesmerizes SQ
Rising opera singer Sara LeMesh brought her musical talents to San Quentin State Prison, mesmerizing her captive audience with her singing and charm. In the prison’s Catholic chapel, LeMesh used the power of her soprano voice to entertain an audience of more than 100 as she ran through a set of 19 songs on a Sunday evening in August. The men appeared focused as LeMesh sang, relaxing them all into a contemplative mood. “I never thought I’d see this in prison,” Benito Sosa, 32, said. He arrived at San Quentin six months ago. “I think … [Read more...] about Rising operatic star mesmerizes SQ
News briefs October 2018 Tennessee, Georgia, Texas…
1. Tennessee –A lawsuit raises inadequate treatment for claims diabetic inmates as well as claims of under-staffing since the private prison firm, CoreCivic Inc., opened Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in 2015. Last year an audit reported that gangs run rampant in Trousdale because of insufficient security, according to the Nashville Tennessean. Understaffing is also key to the diabetes lawsuit, alleging that Trousdale goes on lockdown for weeks at a time — causing diabetic treatment to become worse. 2. Georgia –A federal court has … [Read more...] about News briefs October 2018 Tennessee, Georgia, Texas…
Dr. Downey overcomes hurdles
Dr. Downey, a staff psychologist at San Quentin, is no stranger to overcoming obstacles in life. “I fell behind in grade school because no one knew I was deaf,” Downey said. “It wasn’t till middle school that I got the resources that helped me adjust.” Her hearing disability became something that gave her a distinct perspective. “I like the silence because you can be with yourself, but there is a need for the chaos that is in the world,” she said. “Coping with the struggles is what helps mold us.” There were times when Downey … [Read more...] about Dr. Downey overcomes hurdles
Last RISE inmate graduation for Dante Callegari
Dante Callegari has announced his retirement after training hundreds of San Quentin inmates in modern construction technology (MCT). The announcement came Aug. 28 at the graduation for the first class of the job-readiness program called RISE. “We do a lot here at San Quentin to teach job skills,” Warden Ron Davis said at the event. “There’s Dante’s program, coding and the machine shop. There’s a lot we do here to give you guys the skills to get a job and stay out.” RISE aims to prepare incarcerated people how to interview for … [Read more...] about Last RISE inmate graduation for Dante Callegari