Options facilitators (in-blue), Kathy Narasaki, Tom Gorham and reception graduates holding their certificates Fermin Fernandez says he used meth for 41 years starting when he was 13. “I thanked the officer for arresting me. I wanted to quit but couldn’t just quit.” In January, Fernandez was a member of the first Reception Center graduation class of the Options Recovery Services addiction initiative. In September 2018, the Options program took its incarcerated counselors where none had ever gone before – the Reception Center – to help men … [Read more...] about Options program graduates men from San Quentin’s reception center
Rehabilitation Corner
The ladies of Beauty Behind Bars return to San Quentin
The ladies from Beauty Behind Bars speaking to a prisoner on the Lower Yard An all-women’s organization, aimed at inspiring incarcerated people to overcome their despair and anger, visited San Quentin on Nov. 3 for the second time in two years. “There is beauty in any and all situations,” said founder Tiffany Love-Harden inside the Inter-Faith Chapel on the Saturday afternoon. “My bars may be different from your bars, but we must all find the beauty behind bars. All of our prisons are not the same.” Love-Harden added, “With this … [Read more...] about The ladies of Beauty Behind Bars return to San Quentin
Kid CAT Chairman Si Dang’s 2019 youth address
For many of us who are incarcerated, the ultimate dream is freedom. The question of whether we will achieve that dream, however, often lies in our pursuit of it. Kid CAT members My name is Si Dang, and I am the new chairman of Kid CAT. Over the last 22 years, I have pursued my freedom in a variety of ways, many of them dysfunctional and leading me right back to where I started: without freedom and with no meaningful change in who I was. It was not until six years ago that I finally tapped into my courage and begin facing my … [Read more...] about Kid CAT Chairman Si Dang’s 2019 youth address
New SQ Athletic Association sees sports as a rehab program
Brian Assey Brandon Riddel-Terrell For decades, sports at San Quentin involving outside community members have been separate recreational programs. Now two incarcerated men have a vision to unite the platforms under one banner – the San Quentin Athletic Association – to get sports recognized as more than a game. “We’re trying to get organized sports recognized by California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as a rehabilitative program because we have a lot of examples of people whose lives were changed by sports,” San Quentin … [Read more...] about New SQ Athletic Association sees sports as a rehab program
El deporte es un medio de rehabilitación para los prisioneros
Michael PulidoJuan Alfredo Navarro “El béisbol me ha ayudado a mantenerme alejado de los acciones disciplinarias (115’s), comentó Juan Alfredo Navarro de 31 años, quien actualmente se encuentra en la Prisión de San Quentin cumpliendo una sentencia de 40 años por robo. Para él, llegar a la Prisión de San Quentin, fue un sueño hecho realidad, “cuando estaba en la otra prisión y miraba a alguien con el periódico de San Quentin se lo pedía prestado y lo primero que hacía era leer la sección de deportes y eso me motivaba. A mis … [Read more...] about El deporte es un medio de rehabilitación para los prisioneros
50 men graduate from California Re-entry Institute
The idea behind the California Re-entry Institute (CRI) is to begin the re-integration process in prison and continue support services once released. The 18-24-month-to-the- gate program recently graduated more than 50 men in San Quentin State Prison’s Garden Chapel on Sept. 7 from its two programs of Crime Impact Awareness and Empowered Re-entry. “It’s amazing the work they’ve done,” CRI executive director Collette Carroll said. “They come every Saturday. They work hard. They share. They ask for case management. “They are always … [Read more...] about 50 men graduate from California Re-entry Institute
Celebrating SQ’s 12th annual Addiction Recovery Day
Opening up or remaining anonymous was a hot topic at San Quentin’s 12th annual Addiction Recovery Day, Sept. 29. “One of the things I’m seeing is the stigma around addiction,” said visitor Daniel Petersen, of the Support 4 Recovery organization. “How can we change that if we remain anonymous? People need to see the face of recovery. “I’m employed—I have a relationship with my family. It’s about choices today, because you know the consequences,” Petersen added. “I still know where the liquor stores and drug dealers are. By sharing our … [Read more...] about Celebrating SQ’s 12th annual Addiction Recovery Day
Norway’s Halden prison ranked most humane
Norway’s Halden Prison ranks as one of the most humane prisons in the world — a place where the sole focus is rehabilitation, reported The Huffington Post. Turkey’s Diyarbakir Prison, on the other hand, is described as a facility that completely ignores all basic human rights. U.S. prisons fall somewhere in the middle when compared to these other prisons. Colorado’s federal Administrative Maximum Facility is an example between the best and worst globally, according to the article. Contrast that with what Huffington journalist … [Read more...] about Norway’s Halden prison ranked most humane
Domestic Violence 15 Percent All Violent Crime
Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime. “The key question concerns the relationship between threats and actual violence,” reported the Wall Street Journal on a new study of domestic violence. “To me, threats are clues,” said Dr. T.K. Logan, author of the study. “We tend to dismiss them because there are so many. We should hone in, not tune out.” She believes the central issue in domestic abuse troubles is being able to measure when words signal real danger. San Quentin offers an effective tool convert threatening … [Read more...] about Domestic Violence 15 Percent All Violent Crime
Inmates sent out of state discover the power of the arts
The lives of California inmates housed in the private La Palma Correctional Facility are being transformed by the power of art. Walk inside a multipurpose room in the rural Arizona prison and the four walls burst with colorful murals of California scenes like Hollywood movie reels, Cesar Chavez, skyscrapers, surf and Highway I-5 – all painted by Californians, reports the Cronkite News When asked why they made images of California, the inmates’ responses were all from the heart and were very simple, “We started from the bottom, from Southern … [Read more...] about Inmates sent out of state discover the power of the arts