Residents and correctional staff at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center are taking steps to break out of their comfort zones and breach long-standing systemic barriers with barber shop talk, laughter, and normalization to the prison environment.
Dozens of residents watched from the tiers in SQ’s Alpine housing unit as correctional officers received free haircuts from resident barbers Oscar Acosta, Marcus Casillas, Saul Cedillo, Maurice Higgs, Manuel Mena, and Edgar Rodriguez.
“I have wanted to show I have grown and that correctional officers can trust me. This opportunity proves we [incarcerated individuals] are trying to change for the better and build trust,” Mena said.
The idea arose when Correctional Officer Lopez and resident Manuel Mena had crossed paths during a medical call in the building. Lopez is a member of the California Model Resource team, which correctional staff formed to improve positive communication and education between officers and residents on the California Model. Lopez’s energy and enthusiasm allowed residents to approach with fun and exciting ideas to help normalize the prison environment.
The overall consensus among the correctional staff who received haircuts was the interaction and professionalism of the barbers was similar to a barber shop outside.
During the haircutting, a few residents stepped out of their cells to see correctional officers watching persons getting “faded-up.” Some asked, “Why all the attention just for haircuts?” It was not until one of the individuals de-smocked that the resident realized it was a correctional officer receiving a haircut from the building’s barber.
“It is good to break down barriers,” resident Thompson said. “To see staff being instrumental in making change possible is a part of history. They need this just as much as we need it.”
Resident barber Higgs said it starts with incarcerated individuals and includes correctional officers to accomplish an environment geared for rehabilitation. “Only way to accomplish this is to interact with each other, without seeing uniforms and blues but seeing each other for what we are: humans.”
The first correctional officer on the hot seat was Officer Valladolid from the infirmary. He said that at first he was skeptical about whether he should trust someone other than his regular barber. “I was nervous,” said Valladolid. “It looks clean and he did not push back the hairline.” He said if a barber messes his hairline up he would not revisit them but he said he would allow resident Edgar to fade him up again.
“It was just two people at a barbershop, talking, laughing, and getting to know one another,” resident barber Edgar said. “While I was cutting the officers hair it seemed normal.”
He said if an event like this is not bridging the divide between incarcerated individuals and correctional staff, what else could. “It breaks down stigma and stereotypes and instead focuses on rehabilitation and restorative justice.”
“It took a little getting used to but it felt like I was just cutting a regular person’s hair. I forgot about my client being a C.O.,” Cedillo said.
Officer Ramirez said it felt like he was getting a haircut in his neighborhood. “It felt good getting a hairwcut. In the end we are all human.” He said to trust someone to cut your hair and get close to you can take a lot, but he could see something like this expanding in the future. “We are trying to break those barriers.”
“Thinking it through, they are just as human as me, so why wouldn’t I be able to give back and be in service today for them or just anyone in general,” Casillas said.
—Randall Lawrence contributed to the story
