The 10 remaining Death Row residents at San Quentin are receiving innovative methods of therapy as they wait to be transferred to general population facilities.
SQ Sgt. Brenes and four of his colleagues have implemented an innovative approach to socialize and humanize the condemned residents, who suffer from severe mental disorders.
They are housed at the prison’s central hospital medical unit, where they are undergoing psychiatric and therapeutic treatment for their conditions.
Some receive electric shock therapy while others participate in group therapy sessions, according to the SQ Resource Team.
One resident, a 45 year-old transgender woman who has been on Death Row since 2004, hopes to be transferred to Chowchilla women’s facility and engage with other residents more regularly.
“I don’t like solitary confinement at all,” she shared.
The first time she was allowed into the SQ recreation area without cuffs, she was unsure of what to do with her hands, and sat on them to conceal them out of habit.
Having these residents physically engage with psych-clinicians, recreational therapists, custody staff, and other residents to help ease their mental disorders is unprecedented, according to SQ’s Resource Team.
Some of the condemned residents have known each other for some time, as a result of the time spent together on Death Row.
The residents housed in the prison hospital receive treatment for various conditions. Their disorders prevent them from going to other institutions. The residents say the program helps them transition from isolation easier, however, their anxiety and stress is a real risk.
One condemned resident said he is ready for change, but can’t help worrying about the unknown, explaining that even the thought of walking to dinner makes him nervous.
SQ’s Resource Team stated that they see the program as a logical and “humane” way to provide skills and treatment and to build trust.
“The trust issue is not just the officers, it’s gaining the trust of residents,” said Correctional Officer C. Ramirez.
Being able to build a rapport with residents allows staff to do their job effectively, according to Ramirez. The day-to-day stress of officers on the job is a real concern for the administration.
In turn, officers have the ability to engage with residents lowering the potential for violence; this allows them to do their job effectively.
It takes time to establish rapport, stated SQ correctional Officer M. Hauwert. She is another member of the Resource Team involved with transforming SQ prison to meet the standards set forth in the California Model.
“We plan for everything, we do reports after the fact; each one has a profile, we consult with the therapist… everything is ran through the safety and security,” she said. “All of this is preplanned.”
It was obvious the individuals housed on the fourth floor enjoyed their recreational time with the officers and staff. They engaged in conversations, laughed, listened to music provided by staff, and showed a desire to win at the games they played like corn hole and foosball.
A 56 year-old Death Row resident confined to a wheel chair engaged in a game of “Uno No Mercy” with staff. In between mouthfuls of popcorn, which he enjoyed for the first time in 25 years, he described his anxiety caused by years of isolation.
“I would not come out before. I was paranoid, I was too freaked out to go,” he said.
The hospital residents spend time in the mental health dayroom, where they watch movies on a large TV screen, play video and board games, and engage in in-depth discussion with clinicians in a comforting environment.
The program has more than a thousand dollars worth of table games; the room has been decorated with murals painted by Death Row residents.
The Resource Team has prioritized the mental health for the remaining condemned individuals on the fourth floor.
Out of a pool of approximately 900 candidates, only five staff members were assigned to the Resource Team. The selected staff expressed a sense of pride working to overcome the stigma of rehabilitating residents.
