An “anti-violence against women” campaign is underway at San Quentin State Prison, and its main supporter brings the issue to the forefront through gifts to his fellow inmates.
“I provide a range of free services from hemming pants to haircuts to shaving mirrors. I also do mattress renovation. I fluff them up for people with bad backs and other ailments,” said Barton “Sky” Buena Vista, who started the Violence Against Women Awareness group at San Quentin. “I do these services to break down the stranger barrier.”
Buena Vista believes that the free services creates a window for dialogue and is evidence of sincerity.
The concept is simple: appearance is important for delivering a message. “If I can assist a person by giving him a haircut, then that makes a good impression on listeners of our anti-violence campaign,” he said.
According to Buena Vista, he was only able to realize his own misconceptions regarding women by reflecting on the road that led him to incarceration. After Buena Vista experienced what he described as a painful falling out with his fiancée, he responded with a three-week drug binge during which he robbed several businesses in order to purchase more drugs.
“When I realized how wrong I was, I called the cops on myself,” he said. “I don’t say this to evoke pity, but to show how I had categorized my fiancée as my property, how I could not accept her life choices.”
“How lame is that?” Buena Vista lamented, laughing at himself. “This kind of thinking ruins lives. More everyday people than we realize think of each other as property.”
Buena Vista formed the anti-violence group, which now has more than 70 inmates. Members meet in discussion groups to actively speak out against violence against women and counsel men about gender-related misconceptions, all without any sponsorship from outside of the prison.
“I’m interested in creating awareness in all staff and inmates in San Quentin so that we might come up to speed with what women have been going through for a long time,” Buena Vista said.
Many of the inmates committed crimes against women and said they want to talk about what they could do to “actively shift the paradigm of how women are viewed and understood,” Buena Vista said.
“Violence against women is a global epidemic,” said inmate Azrall Ford. “I’m passionate about stopping it. When I heard that Sky is doing this, I had to sign up. Our silence will never solve this important issue. Sky is giving us a voice within the walls of SQ. If we are serious about changing the way women are treated, we can heal the wounds we’ve caused against our sisters.”
Several prisoners echoed this sentiment about false beliefs, forgiveness and reconciliation.
“My stepfather and biological father abused my mother, and my own case involved domestic violence,” said Cleo Franks. “I believe a lot of women use their voice to defend themselves and a lot of men can’t handle that, so they snap. I got involved [with the Violence Against Women Awareness group] because I saw an opportunity to act on my concern for this human rights issue.”
Inmate Alaren Frazier said that he grew up remembering how his mother‘s partner repeatedly abused her, and so he made a vow to never hit a woman. However, he said in his 20s, he got into a verbal conflict with his girlfriend, who became afraid during the argument and dialed 911.
“I was so mad at her. I had hate in my heart and snatched the cord out of the socket,” Frazier said. “I was arrested and pleaded guilty to domestic violence. In my mind, I mentally murdered her.”
Frazier said after reminiscing about his vow and recognizing how hatred was ruining his life, he realized how wrong he was and joined the anti-violence campaign.
“Any type of assault against women is cowardly, inappropriate and shameful,” Frazier said.
“Violence against women awareness means I’m not OK with putting hands on women,” inmate David Mageo said. “Women deserve more respect than they are getting. If all goes well I see them running this country and taking over our households.”
Buena Vista said he believes that by doing the little things in life, such as helping each other see themselves — through haircuts, shaving, providing mirrors and hemming trousers — it gets everyone to move beyond survival psychology in prison and abroad.
“We can attend to matters more mindful, creative and spiritual,” Buena Vista said. “For the sake of the family and for the sake of stability, women of the Earth need to be given an equal say.”
