A group of 25 college students got a real education in California’s penal system during a visit to San Quentin State Prison.
They sat in a circle with a dozen inmates for an eye-opening discussion of what it is like to live behind bars and walls for lives gone awry.
The inmates were members of a prison organization called T.R.U.S.T. (Teaching Responsibility Utilizing Sociological Training). The group conducts 24-part workshops aimed at turning lives into a positive direction.
Leading the students was Professor Elaine Leeder of Sonoma State University.
“A lot of these men who are here in blue, I know, have done the work on themselves and are prepared to get out,” Leeder said. “But my students here today are fortunate because 217 students wanted to come into San Quentin to talk with you men, but I was only allowed to bring 25 students.”
Paul Jordan of the T.R.U.S.T. program set the tone for the circle when he asked, “Who in here knows the difference between punishment and rehabilitation?”
One student, Laura, said. “The prison provides rehabilitation, but I really think it’s up to the prisoners.”
Most of the students had never previously identified with incarcerated people and exhibited typical misconceptions about prison policy due to watching prison TV shows.
“Is prison portrayed like it is on the T.V. show Lock Up?” asked Vinnie, one student.
“A lot of what you look at is from a production standpoint,” said Michael Harris, one of the San Quentin residents. “When they shoot, they focus on the inflammatory aspects of prison; they don’t focus on programs like T.R.U.S.T. or students like you who want to learn about people who are incarcerated.”
“Is there a huge difference as to how people are treated if they are tried as a juvenile or adult?” asked Kareena. A few men who were tried as juveniles responded.
“The judge said 15 years isn’t that bad,” said Ke Lam, a San Quentin resident. “I was young and I didn’t know. I thought I could do 15 years and be home.” But when Ke got to prison, he found out that 15 years to life means life. “I’ve been in prison longer than I was on the streets. Our age plays a big part in doing time.”
Many students were surprised when they learned California’s criminal justice system allowed a 14-year-old to get sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
“The way my crime happened, I was convicted under the felony murder rule but I never killed anybody,” said Charlie, a San Quentin resident who was tried as an adult. “As a kid, I was shackled in the waiting room at the county courthouse for hours and hours because I was 16. I couldn’t be put in with the adults because of my age.”
Mike Tyler was 17 when he came to prison. “I was the type of kid that needed structure. I wanted structure,” Tyler said. “It’s way different for a juvenile to come to prison. I can’t buy alcohol, can’t drive but I could spend the rest of my life in prison.”
T.R.U.S.T. members noted that the students initially did not grasp the paradox that more prisons equates to less money for pro-social programs such as higher education, libraries, parks and health care.
T.R.U.S.T. members believe that the deficiency in these pro-social programs tends to inflate to criminal behavior in an environment that relies on incarceration as the primary means of correction.
Jordan said, “In 2005 Gov. Schwarzenegger came into office and began making cuts, not to custody or staff, but to programs that offered rehabilitation. Today seven out of 10 people are coming back to prison; that is a high recidivism rate.”
On Dec. 17, T.R.U.S.T. held a banquet in which 25 men graduated from the seven-month self-help course. “These men were diligent with the program and they worked hard, we even had one graduate from H-Unit come in and take the course,” said Kathleen Jackson Executive Sponsor of T.R.U.S.T.
The graduating students of T.R.U.S.T. are:
Molique Frank, Randall Maluenda, Anthony Diramos, Ernest Hill, Marvin Arnold,
James Cavitt, Christopher Deragon, John Vaden, Ronald “Yana” Self, Borey Ai,
William Quinones, Christopher Scull, Alladin Pangilinan, Eduardo Delapena,
Alexei Ruiz, Peng Nampha, Robert Bratton, Douglas Manns, Larry Ryzak,
Enrique Gomez, Mark Tedeschi, Edward Ballenger, Curtis Penn, Angel Alvarez, and Phoeun You.
— JulianGlenn Padgett contributed to this story.
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/optionb-org-support-group-overcoming-effects-incarceration/
