According to California Code of Regulations each inmate shall be issued boots and belts but many San Quentin residents are without

A reasonable amount of rehabilitation for prisoners includes the state’s expectation that a man would make some effort to pull himself up by his bootstraps. The idea presumes a man possesses boots.

Last year, a flier posted in San Quentin’s  housing units asked, “Do you need boots?” and “Do you need a web belt?” More than 75 men signed the flier with one objective in mind: to receive boots and belts.

“They wouldn’t give [boots] to me because I didn’t have a job,” said Jarrod Childs, who arrived at San Quentin two years ago.

Childs said he received a pair of black California Prison Industry Authority slip-on, loafer-type shoes — technically called “espadrilles” —  footwear usually having a fabric upper part and a sole made of a flexible material, such as rope or rubber. 

“I came up on hand-me-downs [boots],” said Childs. “My buddy gave me his pair when he went home.”

A copy of the Boots and Belts flier went to the Inmate Advisory Council — a liaison group of prisoners who work with the administration to resolve issues of disagreement with the population. 

Some prisoners said San Quentin’s laundry staff has enforced an “underground regulation,” by refusing to provide prisoners with a pair of state-issued work boots. Instead, prisoners are told they must have “a work card.” Belts are virtually nonexistent at the institution.

According to the California Code of Regulations (Title 15, Section 3030): “Each inmate shall be issued: Work shoes, one pair. In addition to the items… each male inmate shall be issued: Belt, web, one.” The regulations also state: “Shall is mandatory.”

When a person is incarcerated within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, their reform theoretically begins the moment they are housed at their receiving institution’s reception center.

“Has San Quentin laundry staff stated that ‘You need a work card to get boots?’” the flier asked, and “Has San Quentin laundry staff told you ‘We don’t have belts?’”

Victor Torres has been housed at San Quentin for three years. He said the institution’s laundry staff refused to issue him boots. “They said no — only for workers.” Instead, he was given a pair of loafers. “They’re uncomfortable. They’re cheap.” He said the shoes get soaked in the rain.

“This is my third set,” Johnathan Martinez said about the black loafers issued to him. “I don’t feel safe wearing these. It looks like they have grip but they slip on the stairs. They used to give us these in the county (jail).”

State employee G. Martinez worked in the institution warehouse. He filled in for Matthew Sheldon, the laundry supervisor, when San Quentin News stopped by for an interview. According to Martinez, Sheldon “relies on the LOP” (Local Operational Procedures) enforcement of the policy to not provide boots to prisoners who do not have jobs. He said the policy is centered on safety, but an inmate laundry worker said boots have been issued, “on a whim.”

The institution’s Department Operations Manual Supplement, dated April 2021, states in part, “Upon arrival at San Quentin Reception Center, inmates will receive state clothing and linen pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Article 2, Section 3030… A full complement of clothing documented on the Clothing Receipt is: One (1) belt, web; One (1) pair of work boots.”

“Belts and boots should be issued for every inmate arriving at San Quentin from another facility,” Michael Beaudette wrote in a grievance filed last year. “I would think with San Quentin being the new ‘Rehabilitation Center,’ things would change around here, but these underground restrictions on withholding state-issued clothing articles is proving to be a challenge to that designation.”

Beaudette wrote in a letter that he arrived at San Quentin in 2015. He provided to the San Quentin News the full text of his grievance. “I am sending you this information for you to use as you see fit,” he wrote in a letter.

The first response on Beaudette’s grievance reads: “After speaking with Materials and Store Supervisor G. Martinez, there are no belts to be issued to the inmate population here at San Quentin, but that issue is being addressed.” In spite of the regulations, Beaudette’s grievance was denied.

“I have no problem fighting for the little I have coming from CDCR…” Beaudette wrote in his letter. He appealed the grievance decision.

Beaudette received a reply that reads, “The Office of Appeals finds the institution currently does not have any web belts to issue out.” The response continues, “The belts are on order from the Prison Industry Agency. A lot of products are on back order due to the crisis that occurred from Covid-19.”

“One big problem with that statement is that CDCR has not issued out these belts pre-pandemic,” wrote Beaudette. “This is just another fine example on how CDCR wants the inmate population to follow the rules and regulations laid out for us in the Title 15, yet it’s a one-way street—their way!”

“It is absolutely ridiculous to expect an inmate/resident to walk to a program on the yard when its pouring rain out, in those stupid slip-on shoes,” Beaudette wrote.

The annual costs to house one state prisoner in California now exceeds $130,000.