Over 70 gun offenders gather in San Quentin’s Chapel B every Friday to discuss the factors surrounding their incarceration.
Gangs, anger, vengeance, greed, and protection are just a few of the motives they mention in Arms Down, a rehabilitation program geared towards stopping misuse of firearms in communities and ending the cycle of addiction surrounding guns.
“Gun involved injuries and deaths are a serious public health problem in the United States…no other advanced economy has as many gun violence deaths as the United States does,” according to a 2024 article by the Yale Journal on Regulation.
The group’s founder and SQ resident, Jemaine Hunter, has been incarcerated for over 20 years for a gun-involved crime. He said normalized carrying a firearm as a form of protection and as a way to deal with conflict.
“For years I packed a gun, and growing up as the oldest member of my family, they always came to me when they got into stuff. I was always their protector,” Hunter said.
Now in their fourth month, the group has garnered the support of many outside guests and public officials, including California Assembly Member Damon Connely, Michael Redding of the CA Attorney General’s Office, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa A. Smittcamp, and several others.
Ron and Dawn Stuecle, co-founders of Sunset Youth Services, are major advocates for the Arms Down program and attend meetings regularly.
“We’re honored to be allowed to support this [program]; it has been life-changing for me,” said Ron Stuecle. “I have come to firmly believe that incarcerated individuals are easily the most overlooked and untapped resource that could bring the positive change that is needed in the world.”
Hunter created the program with SQ resident Steven Warren after identifying the need for a group based solely around firearm addiction.
“Talking to Steve [Warren], he asked why there was not a group for gun violence. There are gun prevention groups, but there has never been a gun offender group,” Hunter said.
Hunter and the developing members of the program began creating their in-depth curriculum and gathering support from other incarcerated individuals.
“We have all come to a cohesive understanding in changing the cycle of gun violence,” said Carlos Valdez, resident and group facilitator. “Our goal in this program is to teach a curriculum that allows us as facilitators to become credible messengers.
Hunter adds that while Arms Down promotes gun safety and education, the program holds no stance on the right to own a firearm.
“We are not against guns and we are not for guns; but, we are about the education,” he said.
The course curriculum consists of several activities including role-playing, videos, and weekly homework assignments. Topics include member’s history with firearms, forgiveness of childhood trauma, distorted beliefs, victimization, and non-violent conflict resolution.
“This group has helped me to see how serious the misuse of a weapon can be, and made me become close to the people that I have hurt. It has helped me to see the damage that I have done to my community,” said Situe “Skoowee” Toluao, SQ resident and program participant.
According to Hunter, the waitlist for Arms Down has over 140 San Quentin residents and is constantly growing. Several participants expressed their gratitude for the program and contributed their expanding knowledge of gun violence to the course.
“I am in here [San Quentin] for a violent crime, murder. This group has helped me to put myself in my victim’s shoes,” said Cristian Contreras, a youth offender and program participant. “Where I am from there is a lot of gun violence. I thought I had to have a gun, and now I realize that I traumatized a lot of people.”
