Program promotes recovery to residents at San Quentin
The Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment program held its graduation at SQ in late April. At noon, dressed in their black caps and gowns, graduates wore outward displays of their accomplishments.
The ISUDT program provides timely and effective treatment in an effort to reduce recidivism, according to the program’s information packet.
Master of ceremonies Stacy Kemp emceed the event and gave a brief history of ISUDT for residents who are unfimiliar with the program.
“Our program encompasses areas which promote recovery, placing participants into appropriate Cognitive Behavioral Interventions,” Kemp said.
The program is divided into two sections with a total of four modules: introduction to treatment, victim impact, criminal thinking, and parenting.
The first section, Living in Balance, is a 14-week course followed by Cognitive Behavioral Interventions, a 28-week life skills course. Residents must complete both courses before they can graduate. “Staff will engage in motivational interviewing with the participant to help them understand the many benefits of CBI, including better individual quality of life, increased understanding of criminal thinking and violent behavior, and improved relationships with friends and family,” Kemp said.
The event started with resident color guards presenting the U.S. flag and the room standing to the national anthem.
Of the 28 graduates, 26 walked across the stage. The remaining two were released prior to the graduation ceremony.
Many guest speakers took turns discussing the benefits of the ISUDT program, including SQ’s Warden Chance Andes.
“By completing ISUDT you have taken steps to your rehabilitation. You have reduced your odds of re-offending, making our communities safer,” he said. “Your family and CDCR staff take pride in your accomplishment. We see your success in these ISUDT courses as fulfilling our mission in rehabilitation.”
Residents also described their experiences and journeys in reaching this accomplishment.
Alex Cruz, who resides in the Alpine’s housing unit, spoke about his experience with recovery and the ISUDT program. “In this curriculum, they talk about the roles of parents, kids — and all of a sudden I started to address some of the things that I thought were normal, was actually not normal at all. This is what actually got me motivated. Just like addiction was a process, today recovery is my process,” he said.
CEO of Health Services Rhonda Litt discussed her experience working in a progressive system like the CDCR and the importance of building a support system.
“CDCR is the most progressive system, but it is up to you what your journey will look like,” she said.
Litt asked graduates to forgive themselves and take on a new mindset for the new year.
“Continue to transform yourselves. You are not your offenses,” said Litt.
Timothy Fletcher, program director of Offender Mentorship Counseling Program, encouraged the graduating class to keep moving forward with their recovery and said that they all are ripples in a pond.
“You will all make big waves out there. Keep up the good work,” Fletcher said.
Resident Ken Osaka took the stage and thanked the Department of Rehabitation Programming for breaking the mold. Osaka talked about his introduction to the program through his friend with the promise he had made to God.
“I told God] I will change my life if He gave me this chance. Today, I am seven years clean. The ISUDT program is the very program that saved my life,” he said.
Osaka discussed the gratitude he feels about the person he has become and his continued accomplishments. He left the graduating class with these words of encouragement: “If you are not working towards your recovery, you are working towards your relapse.”
—JamBri Johnson contributed to this story
GRADUATES
- Alas, Jose
- Brown, Ralph
- Gepford, David
- Guffie, Tobie
- Johnson, Roy
- Jones, Arthur
- Juan, Edward
- Koenig, James
- Lewis, Scott
- Martin, Andre
- Martinez, Julio
- Montoya, Paul
- Ochoa, Raymond
- Oliver, Anthony
- Orbe-Lucas, Gerardo
- Ortiz, Francisco
- Pene-Vasquez, Salvador
- Perez, Javier
- Price, Carl
- Pully, Deslonde
- Richardson, Gregory
- Roque, Jonathan
- Sabbath, Charles
- Simon, Eruviel
- Stone, Christopher
- Borjas, Luciano
(Both Ochoa and Borjas has since been released from CDCR)
