Project Rebound’s Director George Turner and Doris Fendt, a College and Career Counselor at San Francisco State, visited San Quentin to discuss education, housing, and employment opportunities with residents.
Fendt introduced herself and talked about her initial visit to SQ. She said she was compelled to assist the incarcerated population after her tour of the prison.
“The first time I came to SQ, I was pretty shocked. The [signs] on the walls reminded me of the conservation camps in Germany,” said Fendt. “Once I had that observation, I had a responsibility.”
During open forum, residents asked questions about housing opportunities offered on college campuses and whether or not there are requirements for working for Project Rebound after incarceration.
Fendt noted that living in society on a college campus is different from the prison campus and said individuals leaving prison may have parole requirements that are not accommodated on college campuses.
“It is unsafe for formerly incarcerated people to be housed on campus because students who are on campus are not considerate toward those on parole,” Fendt said.
Turner offered employment information to residents who showed an interest in working at Project Rebound after incarceration. He said that it depends on what’s available at the specific college campus. He said each campus offers different opportunities.
“You can start out as an intern or [become a] volunteer and you can have the skill set to work at one of the campuses, but start slow,” said Turner. “If I can do it, you can do it, too.”
Turner shared an experience he had with formerly incarcerated people who were working in a restaurant. He talked about how they took care of each other. He also gave some words of encouragement about reentering society.
“It was a beautiful thing to see them taking care of each other because a lot of times we don’t know how to make it on the streets,” said Turner. “But we know how to do [prison]; we know how to come here. Be open to meeting other people, but it depends on how bad you want it.”