Rebecca Haskell, an outside facilitator working with Veterans Healing Veterans (VHV), has impacted San Quentin’s incarcerated veteran community like few have before her. Haskell’s exuberant and immersive style of leadership training enabled SQ’s dedicated core of veteran facilitators to reach new levels of interactive communication— an essential skill to promote genuine healing. “Rebecca helped create a healthy environment where we could build a tremendous bond within our group,” said Reginald Cooper, a VHV facilitator who trained with … [Read more...] about SQ veterans lose innovative facilitator Rebecca Haskell
Rehabilitation Corner
PUP hopes to become nation’s first stand-alone prison campus
The Prison University Project’s (PUP) quest for independent college accreditation— and what that may mean, exactly, for the San Quentin community—inspired an active conversation at the July 29 town hall meeting hosted by PUP. With submission of its accreditation application complete in August, PUP’s transition from its partnership with Patten University to the nation’s first stand-alone prison campus moved a step closer to actualization. “To become independent, we’ll become a better school,” said PUP Executive Director Jody Lewen. … [Read more...] about PUP hopes to become nation’s first stand-alone prison campus
ROOTS celebrates, tradition, inclusion and freedom
Roots graduate Javier Jimenez and Roger Chung San Quentin’s Asian community organized a festive and all-inclusive ceremony to honor “Super Cycle 5”—the latest graduating class of ROOTS (Restoring Our Original True Self). ROOTS Chairman Kevin Neang served as emcee and made sure the June 9 event reflected great reverence for history and tradition, while also keeping a positive perspective on the future. “I guess we’re really going to be Asian today,” joked Neang after he was thrown a bottle of Sriracha sauce instead of a microphone. “We … [Read more...] about ROOTS celebrates, tradition, inclusion and freedom
An emerging class of peacemakers from San Quentin
TRIP graduates Tribe 379 Restorative justice program GRIP continues its legacy of healing with its newest grads After examining their lives, past traumas, their crimes and taking account- ability of it all, nearly 150 incarcerated men underwent a “rite of passage” in San Quentin’s visiting room that ended with the men pledging to live as peacemakers. Guiding Rage Into Power (GRIP), the 52-week offender accountability program, held graduations on the last two Fridays of June. Incarcerated men, their families, and guest from San … [Read more...] about An emerging class of peacemakers from San Quentin
Kern Valley State Prison recognizes graduating class of Substance-Use Disorder Treatment program
Back Row (left to right): Estrada, Guardado, Lambert, Villa, Abel , Sapiens, Front Row: Norton, White, Tucker, Hernandez Today is not another run- of-the-mill day in Kern Valley State Prison. The D-Facility Visiting Room is packed full of people, all with cause for celebration. The energy in the room is palpable. Today is graduation day for the Substance-Use Disorder Treatment Program (SUDT). It is a day of jubilation for dozens upon dozens of people, not all of them inmates. Warden Pfeiffer was kind enough to come and share some … [Read more...] about Kern Valley State Prison recognizes graduating class of Substance-Use Disorder Treatment program
Allegations of slave labor tarnish drug rehabilitation program’s record
A well-known drug rehabilitation foundation is using its patients in Texas and Louisiana for what critics call “slave labor.” The Cenikor Foundation said the workers’ pay goes to offset the cost of their participation in a two-year work-rehabilitation program. “It’s the closest thing to slavery,” said Logan Tullier, a former Cenikor participant who worked 10 hours a day at oil refineries, and laying steel rebar in 115-degree heat. “We were making them all the money.” Over the years the foundation has sent its patients to work for … [Read more...] about Allegations of slave labor tarnish drug rehabilitation program’s record
San Quentin’s college class of 2019
PUP graduates class of 2019 On a sunny June morning over- looking the bay, 12 incarcerated scholars were honored at the 2019 Prison University Project (PUP) graduation. University instructors, staff, classmates and family of the graduates gathered in San Quentin’s main visiting room to celebrate the conferring of Associate of Arts degrees in liberal arts to the men in blue. Graduate Sumit Lal and family As “Pomp and Circumstance” sounded, the 2019 graduates began their procession, and PUP Board Chair Maddy Russell-Shapiro’s eyes were … [Read more...] about San Quentin’s college class of 2019
The nature of our addiction
"The men at Avenal State Prison find support in rehabilitation" The men at avenal State Prison program participants Today is a day of Victory. For most just an ordinary day, but for some of us, that’s not the case. As we manage to live one more day, hour and minute from the destructive addiction that is trying to destroy not only us, everyone we come across, every day of our lives. As addicts, we lost hope and gave up the idea that one day we would be able to stop this deadly addiction. In most situation’s it takes years to actually … [Read more...] about The nature of our addiction
La jardinería ayuda a rehabilitación de reo
Leopoldo Zaragoza A Leopoldo Zaragoza es fácil encontrarlo en el área educacional de la Prisión Estatal de San Quentin. Después de su clase para obtener su diploma de preparatoria (GED) se le puede ver trabajando en los jardines que adornan los anexos educativos. Zaragoza es un prisionero de 50 años, oriundo de Cha- pala, Jalisco que ha tomado las “riendas” (como dice él), del trabajo necesario para hermosear los jardines llenos de margaritas, crisantemos, geranios y rosales. “El jardinero de azul”, como algunos le conocen, se pasa … [Read more...] about La jardinería ayuda a rehabilitación de reo
Criminal canines given reprieve through rehabilitation at SQ
Dogs with their inmate trainers at SQ firehouse In the County of Marin, some animals that are stigmatized because they are pit bulls are given a second chance. Mack is one of those dogs. He was afforded the opportunity to be trained and prepared for adoption through the Pen Pals program—a 14-year alliance between San Quentin State Prison and the Marin Humane Society. The program connects dogs with behavioral problems and nonviolent prisoners who want to care for them, according to the Marin Independent Journal. Rashid Lockheart and … [Read more...] about Criminal canines given reprieve through rehabilitation at SQ