Caregivers from the University of Southern California made their way inside San Quentin on March 7, bringing a sense of community to a small group of aging prisoners.
The four women, known as the Healing Squad, was led by Aileen Hongo and co-facilitated by Jill Asars, Bethany Davis, and Angela Craddock.
The eclectic group of women hail from all around the nation—New York, Wisconsin, and two Californians.
“We represent the Tingstad Order Adult Counseling Center at USC and we’re supervised by Dr. Anne Katz, Clinical Professor of Gerontology and LCSW,” Hongo said.
The name, Healing Squad, was given to the women by Chaplain Keith Knauf, Director of Pastoral Care Services at California Medical Facility.
The Healing Squad toured San Quentin before putting on a mid-morning workshop that uses art as a means to toggle the memories of the older inmates.
Aileen Hongo told the group of about a dozen elderly inmates that the Healing Squad is an avenue in support of the rehabilitative process. “I feel that the older inmates are left out,” she said.
Hongo said art is a very good means of therapy. “A prison setting doesn’t give inmates very many opportunities for intimate conversations amongst yourselves. Art gives people something to talk about.”
Bethany Davis, who works with traumatized children, told the men that her experiences in adult prisons help her do a better job with children. “As much that you get out of this, so do we. It’s a deep sense of caring,” Davis said.
“This is more about redemption and remorse,” said Asars.
The Healing Squad has recently visited Vacaville and California Medical Facility to conduct memory workshops— “Each time we come to a prison, it’s a difference experience,” said Asars. “San Quentin is the Harvard of prisons.”
The workshop began by each man introducing himself, saying where they were born, their favorite sports team, and whatever additional information they wanted to share.
Then the participants were given a sheet of paper with a list of 10 items that would appear on a typical shopping list, such as milk, a bunch of carrots, butter, etc. The inmates were asked to study the list.
After a few minutes, the list was taken away. Another sheet was passed to each participant with pictures of the listed items. However, there were about 10 additional items mixed in with the 10 original items. So, the participants were tasked with circling the correct items that were on the shopping list. Only one person got them all right, and she was not an inmate, or a Healing Squad member.
Community volunteer, Kimberly Richman got them all right. Richman was Healing Squad’s escort inside San Quentin.
The next memory game had each person draw memories of their first home.
After the drawings were finished, each person, including the women of the Healing Squad talked about their drawings and what memories it brought back.
The stories ranged from strict childhood discipline, to one remembering his home address. There were stories of ranches and farms, suburban houses, and scenic views from bedroom windows.
One inmate said, “I put home-sweet-home on my picture because these were happy days. It takes me away.”
“The purpose for using art — it’s like a little breath of fresh air,” said Craddock.
At the end of the session, the Healing Squad promised to come back to San Quentin for more workshops.
