Congresswoman Jackie Speier ventured inside San Quentin State Prison to hear firsthand about incarceration, rehabilitation and reentry from 26 inmates whose crimes included Three-Strikes, burglary, robbery and murder.
“I was taken profoundly by the adjustment that so many of the men made in their lives,” Speier said. “Most people have no idea and think that you don’t change.”
The forum began by the inmates talking about how their lives were impacted when they were housed in maximum security (level IV) prisons.
“There were few programs, and the people had a lot of time to serve,” Miguel Quezada, 33, said. “There are men who never think about rehabilitation. It’s about survival. There’s no space to think about anything but survival. Violence is the norm.”
Quezada committed second-degree murder at age 16 and is in his 18th year of incarceration.
Jason Jones, 31, said when he began his incarceration, he was sent to a level four prison and seeing so much violence desensitized him.
“I was in a race riot where I got stabbed over a state lunch,” he said. “I thought I was going to die. A complete stranger came and saved me.”
Most of the time when a riot erupts, hardly anyone knows what it’s about, Jones said.
Speier asked how many of the inmates had been stabbed in prison. Four raised their hands and about a dozen said they were in riots.
Azraal Ford, 43, has been in prison for 17 years. He said that he’s been in and out of jail, since he was 14 years old.
“Incarceration has been a nightmare and a blessing because it has allowed me to grow,” he said.
“I’ve been a perpetrator of violence. It happens everywhere. It happens here too. Where that comes from is this place of fear. We’re in a world where there are a lot of unknowns. The easiest way to build a sanctuary is to build a fort. The violence within your own circle is more harsh. We do that because of a lot of shame. So, I want to build these rules to take away the shame. It’s a twisted world we live in. The only way it’s going to stop is to look at it like a sickness.”
“When I first came to prison, it felt like home,” said Leroy Lucas, 39, who lived in the 14th U.S. Congressional District, which Speier represents. “So, in the beginning, I accepted the hyper-masculinity behavior.”
Lucas is in prison for a murder he committed at age 17. He has been incarcerated for 22 years.
Lucas said arriving at San Quentin and participating in various programs helped him turn his life around.
“I’m making strides to be a better person,” Lucas said. “Today I want to be somebody. I believe I can be a good citizen.”
The inmates described their experiences of racism, violence, drugs and loneliness that prison brings to their lives.
Convicted for his part in a drive-by shooting, Ventrice Laster, 49, is serving four life sentences.
“When I first came to prison, we were on lock-down for a year,” he said. “Then, someone was stabbed right in front of me. It gave me nightmares. I knew then, I had to change my perspective of ‘It’s all about me.’”
Speier was accompanied by two staff members, press secretary Katrina Rill and television writer Mike Larson.
“Learning empathy is powerful,” Larson said. “Empathy is a word that most people don’t learn, but to learn it while in prison is profound.”
“There is actually humanity in prison,” added Rill.
“Transformation is about accountability,” said Borey Ai, 34. “This has been my home for a long time. I didn’t make the changes until I learned about myself.”
Ai is serving a life sentence for his part in a robbery/murder when he was 14 years old.
The Cambodian refugee said that coming to the U.S. was a culture shock for his family.
“The one thing programs allow me to do is pay it forward with youth mentorship,” he said. “I can see some of my own life in their lives.”
Ai said that the Victims Offender Education Group (VOEG) teaches inmates to understand how their actions affect victims and their community.
“It shows the ripple effect of our action,” Ai said.
Tommy Winfrey, 37, said that it took him about 10 years into his incarceration to understand that he needed to change. The setting provided by Prison University Project breaks a lot of racial barriers, he said.
“It helps the men work on critical thinking,” Winfrey said. “You can’t help but to apply these skills to your own life. The college environment helps the socialization process.”
Dwight Krizman, 60, told the congresswoman that vocational training, machine shop, plumbing and computers are skills men are learning at San Quentin that could be taken to the streets.
Krizman is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder. He also talked about the Restorative Justice program.
“We run two classes a week with 160 to 170 guys,” Krizman said. “Restorative Justice teaches our connection to the community and as an offender to victims. It provides a space for each of us to find our own truth. In that way we become each other’s teacher.”
“This is a very powerful experience,” Speier said. “Thank you for your honesty.”
“I think that what you’ve done here is remarkable,” Speier said. “The ability to go from hyper-masculine to hyper-empathetic, that’s a skill set needed in the community. I am hopeful about the transition that society is making about the prison population. The movement is getting away from Three Strikes and the death penalty because it is very costly. There has to be a better way to atone for offenses.”
Forum Participants:
San Quentin News Advisors:
William Drummond, Joan Lisetor, Steve McNamara and John Eagan.
Prisoners:
Wayne Boatwright, 53, is serving a sentence of 7 years 8 months for gross vehicular manslaughter.
Nicholas Garcia, 62, is serving a sentence of 7 years to life for a burglary/murder he committed 38 years ago.
Thomas J. Gardner, 46, is serving a sentence of 25 years to life under California’s Three Strikes Law.
Duane Holt, 55, is serving a life sentence for a 1987 murder.
Jason Jones, 31, has been incarcerated since 2006 for assault and criminal threats. Jones is scheduled to be released in 2017.
Chung C. Kao, 54, born and raised in Taiwan, is serving a life sentence for second degree murder.
John Lam, 29, is serving a life sentence for murder.
Joey Mason, 54, is serving a sentence of 25 years to life under California’s Three Strikes Law.
Anouthinh Pangthong, 35, is serving a sentence of 25 years to life for killing a man at age 15.
Rahsaan Thomas, 44, is serving a sentence of 55 years to life for second degree murder.
Jaime Sánchez, 32, from Mexico City, is serving a life sentence for 2nd degree murder.
Chris Schuhmacher, 42, incarcerated 15 years; is serving a life sentence for murder.
Frankie Smith, 59, is serving a sentence of 16 years to life for 2nd degree murder.
Shadeed Wallace-Stepter, 33, began his sentence at age 19 for assault with a firearm and has been incarcerated 15 years.
Aly Tamboura, 48 is serving a sentence of 14 years 8 months, for criminal threats.
