In the early 1970s, poverty-stricken Compton’s murder rate was second only to Los Angeles. A young black man named David Earl White knew this all too well – it was his home.
“In Compton, people were dying and they didn’t even get an obituary in the newspaper,” he said recently from within the walls of San Quentin. “I was putting my life on the line on the streets of Compton.
White served in the Marines in Vietnam from 1973-1975. After his release, he went to college but found himself immersed in the drug culture. In the mid-1980s, he was twice convicted of felony narcotics charges. “Sitting in the county jail, I knew this wasn’t where I wanted my life to go,” he said. So he decided to do something about it.
White isn’t an inmate at the state’s oldest penitentiary – he’s an employee. White is currently a Recreation Therapist with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, working with inmates at San Quentin. He’s worked for the department for six years.
Last Christmas Eve, Gov. Jerry Brown issued White a full and unconditional pardon for those drug offenses committed decades before.
“Mr. White is an outstanding and inspirational model of redemption and what a person can do with dedication and the will to overcome humble beginnings,” said San Quentin Associate Warden Steve Albritton.
“I was raised on welfare without a father,” White said. His single mother did the best she could for him and his siblings, but there wasn’t enough food, he said. He sold items door-to-door to help with money, but he was getting 30 cents on the dollar when he was introduced to drugs.
“I was intrigued by the fact if I sold weed, I didn’t have to share the profits,” he said. “When I joined the military, it was the first time I got three meals a day.”
White returned home as a war-time veteran and played football at Compton Community College, but kept his hand in the drug culture.
“I broke a record at Compton CC for interception returns,” he recalled.
Film from the play made its way into the hands of the coach from San Francisco State University.
“When I almost lost my life in the violence in Compton, I thought the best thing was to get to San Francisco,” he said.
“I learned to read and write in college,” he said. “I had to take certain courses to graduate, and I failed them all. I was on [college] probation for three years, and it took me almost six years to graduate.”
“Dealing drugs was still a part of my life, especially in the 1980s,” he recalled.
Finally, his double life caught up with him. White said one of his first times getting busted was for possessing drug paraphernalia. Later, it was for dealing drugs.
“When I spent time in the county jail and the work furlough program, I knew that wasn’t the place to be,” he said.
White earned a living driving tractor-trailers and used the money to attend seminary school.
“To not sell drugs, I was willing to work driving trucks,” he said. He ended up earning a master’s degree in biblical studies. Later, he started coaching high school sports, which then led him to coaching some college teams.
He started working with others in drug and alcohol treatment programs, but as a convicted felon, he always had to strive to prove himself even more.
“The pivotal part was staying in school and struggling, and learning from it,” he said.
He runs the Narcotics Anonymous meetings in the prison. He also connects inmates with opportunities for self-improvement.
“(Most) of the people are in here because of choices they made on mind-altering drugs,” he said. “They think they are strong enough to deal with their addictions, and they’re not.”
For many inmates, landing at San Quentin is the first time they have had to face their addictions and the consequences of their actions, according to White. “Mind-altering, mood-changing drugs are devastating to personal growth,” he said
Currently he helps them learn to read and write, as well as learn job skills, such as driving forklifts or trucks, or deal with issues such as anger management. He said many think of themselves as victims of their circumstances, but White’s personal story of struggle and drugs allows him to connect with the inmates.
On a personal level, White is back in school as well. “To keep this job, I had to go back to take eight courses,” he said. “I made the honor roll for the first time in my life. It’s great being sober. … I’m in school now to get my certification as a counselor for alcohol and drugs.”
He said the pardon from the governor helps validate the path his life has taken and what he’s doing to help others. He said while he’s now turning 60 years old, he knows there is much more in store for him.
“It’s a miracle for me to be here,” he said. “But, I would like to further my career and do more.”
Associate Warden, Steve Albritton says: Mr. White you are an outstanding and inspirational model of redemption and what a person can do with dedication and the will to overcome humble beginnings. You have come to the right place – San Quentin – with its rehabilitative fertile grounds. The men here, in various stages of changing their lives, can really benefit from your example.
