San Quentin State Prison held its annual Day of Peace celebration on April 25. “This is like a day in the park!” folk singer Audrey Auld said to the prisoners, community volunteers and custody staff mingling on the prison’s Lower Yard.
Things were different in 2006 when the Lower Yard was the site of a violent race riot.
That spring day an inmate self-help group, Teaching Responsibility Utilizing Sociological Training (TRUST), scheduled a yard event for Black History Month.
“We had music, speakers and dancers ready to perform,” said event coordinator Kim Richman, PhD. “There were about 50 outside community members coming for the celebration.”
Richman said that in 2006 San Quentin prison was constantly on lockdowns, mainly because of interracial strife.
Just before the celebration was about to begin, Richman got information “something” was about to happen on the yard and rushed the community members to a safe place. Immediately after that, the riot broke out.
“All of the volunteers were protected and surrounded by the TRUST inmate facilitators,” Richman said. “Because of our inmate facilitators all the volunteers got out safely.”
“It was never because of the men in the programs,” Richman said. “I never thought twice about coming back. I wasn’t really scared because the inmates in our group protected us.”
After the riot, a group of inmate leaders approached the administration with the idea for a Day of Peace.
“That’s amazing for a prison,” said Chief Deputy Warden Kelly Mitchell, referring to the inmate-led idea.
Mitchell added that when auditors from the American Correctional Association interviewed inmates about San Quentin programs, they were impressed at how the inmates explained the value of self-help programs in fostering a peaceful environment.
Reading a dictionary definition of Peace, Mitchell said the one that got her attention was: Peace is freedom from oppression and of disquiet from oppressive thoughts.
Mitchell advised the inmates to “Make that personal pledge from disquiet of oppressive thoughts.”
This year’s event began with an Islamic prayer by Roosevelt “Askari” Johnson, Jr. He also told a story premised on individually bettering ourselves as the best way to the betterment of the world.
Prisoner Alex Bracamonte has been at San Quentin less than a year. In the past eight years, he’s been housed at Calipatria and Centinela prisons.
“I was surprised by all the outside people just walking around and talking with inmates, and even Kelly Mitchell without COs around her,” said Bracamonte. “At the other prisons we were lucky to have one event a year, and they were roped off. You couldn’t get close to them.”
John Rodgers, 58, has been incarcerated 29 years. He arrived at San Quentin two and a half months ago.
“I could see a Day of Peace at Soledad. It’s mellow there,” he said. “Ironwood would be different. It was just a harder institution.”
Rodgers looked around at the dozens of tables promoting self-help programs.
“This is neat,” he said. “You can talk at the tables and choose a program that fits you. I like Hope for Lifers because I think lifers need a little more hope than those who have [parole hearing] dates.
“After a number of years most guys are not the same as they were when they came in,” Rodgers said. “Men do change if they have the right incentives. My five grandkids are my incentive to change. I’d like to get out and be a grandpa. I came in a kid, and now I can go out a grandpa. It makes a world of difference.”
The Native Hawaiian Religious Group of San Quentin performed a traditional “Haka” with a Conflict Resolution twist. The group was led by elders (Makuas) Derrick Kualapai, Upumoni Ama and Damon L. Cooke.
When the performers slowly made their way to the stage, Cooke exclaimed, “Aloooooooha!”
He then gave the audience an interpretation of what the dance performance meant based on his knowledge and understanding of the Polynesian culture.
Cooke said the performance tied into the theme of Peace Day by showing how “human beings have dealt with conflict throughout the ages.”
Fateem Jackson performed a “Spoken Word” piece he prepared especially for the Day of Peace.
“I’ll be the first to admit, I have my flaws,” Jackson said in All Lives Really Do Matter, which addresses Jackson’s encounter with police officers, while he was under the influence of drugs and armed with a pistol. The piece ponders why the police officers didn’t kill him. Jackson said the incident gave him survivor’s guilt.
Jackson, incarcerated 17 years, has been at San Quentin for three years and is involved with several self-help groups, including, Guiding Rage Into Power, House of Healing, Restorative Justice and the Day of Peace committee. He goes before the parole board in 2029.
Side Walk Art:
Volunteer and artist Patrick Mahoney carefully observed the 100 squares of sidewalk chalk art, each drawn with peace as its theme. After deliberation, he chose number 12 as this year’s winner. In second place was drawing number 96, and number 7 was third. He gave an honorable mention to number 15.
The Band Plays On:
Lisa Starbird of Bread and Roses brought several musicians to entertain the crowd, including folksinger Auld. Starbird has been coming inside San Quentin for 40 years.
Auld performed songs written by San Quentin inmates at a song-writing workshop. “I Am Not What I Have Done,” along with “Hey Warden” are available on CD in Walkenhorst’s catalog.
Walkenhorst’s customer service representative Natalie Tovar and executive Darren Walkenhorst walked around the yard talking to inmates about products in their catalog, mainly the various tennis shoe styles available in the catalog and the challenges of getting CDCR approval for new styles. Walkenhorst donated refreshments for the event, and this year has donated more than $20,000 toward services geared toward family support throughout the California prison system.
“It’s always my pleasure to help the musicians. I’m happy to do it,” said Raphaele Casale, an Office Technician in the Warden’s office. Casale sponsors the prison’s music bands as well as an at-risk youth program called SQUIRES.
Photographer Peter Merts took still photos of the band and of inmates mingling on the yard with free staff and custody throughout the day.
“We come away with it a very good feeling,” one of the Taiko drummers said. “I talk about this event months after I leave.”
“This is my place of peace,” said Day of Peace committee volunteer, Herman Yee.
Miguel Quezada, Wesley R. Eisiminger, and Damon Cooke contributed to this article.
