San Quentin’s recent celebration of Mental Health Wellness Week reveals how the prison’s cultural shift benefits residents and staff alike.
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center held events through the second week of September to bring awareness to mental health while offering support and positive outlets to residents and staff. Some of the events included a talent show, Cross Fit competition, flag football game and yoga classes.
“I participated in the Cross Fit competition because I wanted to challenge myself and to motivate my peers to get out of their comfort zone,” said Marcus Tobin, a San Quentin resident incarcerated for seven years.
The common theme throughout the week was the collaborative effort between those incarcerated and those employed at San Quentin.
As San Quentin moves forward with its adoption of the California Model, there is growing focus on improving relationships between incarcerated residents and staff. This was on full display during Mental Health Wellness Week with correctional officers’ participation in the Cross Fit competition, and Mental Health Recreational Therapist Ms. Gonzales’s showcasing her rap skills during the talent show.
In keeping with the spirit of mental health, building healthy relationships can be a catalyst to creating a favorable environment for all parties.
“Interacting with people, especially staff, makes those of us who are locked up feel human, and is a huge part of rehabilitation. It helps to be talked to instead of talked at,” said Tyree Huntley, a San Quentin resident incarcerated for nine years.
Marcus Tobin appreciates the environment that San Quentin is striving to create because he’s able to be himself and remain focused on his education and success. “It’s better to let go of the hard politics that divided cops and inmates, and existed between inmates of all backgrounds,” said Tobin.
Creating pleasant and safe environments through positive interactions with incarcerated residents can also be conducive to better mental health for correctional officers, who are known to suffer from various ailments due to work-related stress.
A 2017 research study conducted by the University of California – Berkeley found that 29% of corrections officers reported receiving injuries while on the job, 85% said they’ve seen someone seriously injured or killed at work, and 50% of officers revealed they feel unsafe on the job. These statistics correlate to high rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and suicide.
“Cops are human, too, and so they are taking in a lot of what happens here. That’s more reason to make things better and allow us to create better connections,” said Huntley.
Mental Health Wellness Week did more than highlight the need to focus on mental stability. With residents and staff engaging in friendly competition, and staff coming out to show support, San Quentin offered a glimpse of the friendlier environment that’s possible when minds are open.