Walking in the shadow of fame and being showered with gifts and admiration was subject of an Oct. 21 sermon to a jam-packed prison chapel by Gabriel Cannon, the brother of superstar Nick Cannon, who said that worldly goods and special treatment did not bring him happiness. Gabe Cannon told an audience of more than 300 in- mates, some sitting in folding chairs along the aisles, about his interview with Rapzilla http://rapzilla.com. He said as Nick’s fame grew, he was “thrilled to just be identified” as his little brother. Celebrity … [Read more...] about Gabriel Cannon creating his own fame at SQ prison chapel
Religious Programs
Pastor Pham’s message of love in and outside of SQ
Decades ago, in the midst of preaching the gospel, Pastor Tom Pham exited the podium, hopped onto a motorcycle and escaped the scene as the Vietnamese authorities approached. If caught preaching, he would face incarceration for violating laws prohibiting religious services. Now, he sits in prison, once a week, with his colleagues sharing the gospel with the men inside. Pastor Pham said God called him to San Quentin five years ago. He came to San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel as a guest and met several of the incarcerated Vietnamese … [Read more...] about Pastor Pham’s message of love in and outside of SQ
Lớp Học Kinh Thánh Việt Nam Tại San Quentin
Dịch giả: Danny Nha Hồ và David Bờm Lê Cách đây vài thập niên, trong khi truyền giảng phúc âm thì Mục Sư Tom Phạm đã phải rời bỏ phòng nhóm, nhảy lên một chiếc xe gắn máy để chạy trốn hiện trường vì bị chính quyền Việt Nam rượt đuổi. Nếu bị bắt vì tội truyền giảng, Mục Sư Tom sẽ phải ngồi tù. Bây giờ Mục Sư Tom ngồi tù mỗi tuần một lần với nhiều cọng sự viên của ông để chia xẻ phúc âm với tù nhân. Mục Sư Tom cho biết Chúa đã kêu gọi ông đến với San … [Read more...] about Lớp Học Kinh Thánh Việt Nam Tại San Quentin
Pow Wow celebration sees return of Native leader
Lee Polanco was a correctional officer in San Quentin from the late 1980s to the 2000s. He still has family working within the prison. “I worked Death Row, the housing blocks and the gun tower,” Polanco said. “But being a C/O wasn’t my calling. The Creator had bigger plans for me.” Now 81, Polanco returned to San Quentin Sept. 7 to bestow the ceremonial blessing to open the Native American Religious Group annual Fall Pow Wow. Tribal drums and coordinated dances echoed in San Quentin’s visiting room, as Polanco, draped in a blue and red … [Read more...] about Pow Wow celebration sees return of Native leader
In loving memory of fellow Brother Charles “Chuck” Adams
Walking inside San Quentin’s Chapel on August 10, a visitor watched ushers standing and handing out programs that read “In Loving Memory of Brother Charles ‘Chuck’ Adams— Rejoice in Heaven, Chuck. Dec. 8, 1950 – May 30, 2018.” Adams was 67 years old. “Sometimes it’s difficult to find people who are committed,” church elder Derrick Holloway said. “He exemplified what it meant to walk with the Lord.” The ceremony began with the 21-member Worship Team, to which Adams had belonged, taking the stage while an audience of about 50 inmates … [Read more...] about In loving memory of fellow Brother Charles “Chuck” Adams
Inadequate diet for the month of Ramadan
Muslims in Alaska and Washington state prisons are having a hard time fulfilling one of the pillars of their religion: fasting during the month of Ramadan, according to articles in the Juneau Empire and Huffington Post. Two federal courts have ruled in favor of the Muslim inmates who have filed lawsuits in both states, alleging inadequate meals and feeding during Ramadan. Lawsuits were filed by inmates from the Washington State Reformatory and the Anchorage Correctional Complex in Alaska. They retained the legal services of the Council on … [Read more...] about Inadequate diet for the month of Ramadan
Latter-day Saints celebrate Christ
The Perry family is a durable group of volunteers that brings the teaching of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, to the San Quentin population. Bishop Lynn Perry, his children, McKell and Lisa Strong, and his wife, Norma Perry, have all been volunteering in San Quentin for almost 20 years. “I found that it’s some great men here,” said Perry. “I have seen them grow spiritually. My mother taught me ‘It doesn’t matter who you meet. They will be your superior, and you can learn from them.’” The small … [Read more...] about Latter-day Saints celebrate Christ
Hundreds come to celebrate peace, health and prosperity on Good Friday
Inside San Quentin State Prison last April, hundreds of prisoners heeded the meaning of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jehovah’s Witnesses invited the men-in-blue, on April 11, to listen to an explanation of how the death of Jesus Christ could benefit them and their families. The explanation, according to Peace, Health and Prosperity—Everyone’s Dream, read, “Centuries ago, a divinely inspired prophet foretold the time when man would be at peace with nature. Illness would be eliminated. Families would build their own houses, plant their … [Read more...] about Hundreds come to celebrate peace, health and prosperity on Good Friday
SQ’s Chapel Services Provide Positive Impact
By Forrest Lee Jones Journalism Guild Writer Religion behind bars can have a major positive impact on prisoners turning their lives around, a university researcher reports. “There is a humanity that I think the prison church embodies that is extraordinary,” said Jason Sexton in an interview with the Orange County Register. Sexton is a University Honors lecturer at the California State University at Fullerton who specializes in Theology. His research focuses on the interracial and intergenerational components of prison churches. Sexton … [Read more...] about SQ’s Chapel Services Provide Positive Impact
Prisoners & Volunteers Sing Christmas Carols
“It was wonderful … Thank you so much … It made me feel human.” Those were some of the prisoners’ reactions to the Christmas caroling by a group of volunteers who strolled through San Quentin cell blocks and dormitories on Dec. 19. Most of the inmates stopped what they were doing as the carolers arrived. Many joined in singing a half-dozen Christmas songs. The odds-on favorite was The Little Drummer Boy. In one dorm, a prisoner used his hands to pound out the drum beat on a nearby metal table. About 60 volunteers braved the chilly … [Read more...] about Prisoners & Volunteers Sing Christmas Carols