San Quentin News won first place for Prison Publication of the Year in the 2023 Stillwater Awards. The Prison Journalism Project co-sponsored the awards with the Society of Professional Journalists.
Of the eight categories, San Quentin News received first place as a “regularly distributed journalistic print publication inside, in circulation for two years or more,” said the category description in the award announcement.
“Winning awards is a testament of the hard work of our staff and the support of our readers” said Marcus Henderson, San Quentin News editor-in-chief. “Our focus is always about the people we serve — to give them the news that matter to them and be a resource for what is possible to change their lives. We thank all our advisers, administration, and social justice organizations for being a part of the San Quentin News.”
The announcement warned San Quentin News to stay vigilant. Only one vote separated the paper from the runner-up, the Mule Creek Post. The Endeavor came in third place.
“The San Quentin News is the New York Times of prison newspapers. The quality is consistent, the quantity is impressive, and it’s as close to a professional newspaper as the judges saw — from writing to reporting to design to photography,” the judges wrote.
The eight judges consisted of four professional journalists, two journalism professors, one prison research graduate student, and a civil rights attorney. Stillwater awards executive director Michael Anguille attended each Zoom session, but did not vote. The voting took place on Zoom.
“All too often, incarcerated citizens in this country are cast away and stripped of their voices. The Stillwater Awards will change that,” Anguille said. “In highlighting the contributions of the incarcerated population to the world of journalism, we will ensure that no voice is left behind or silenced — least of all, the many bright men and women behind bars.”
San Quentin News produces a monthly newspaper designed and written by incarcerated persons to share their voices with the public. The paper circulates 35,000 copies, almost all to prison facilities in the state.
Jan Perry, SQNews outside advisor, has been coming into the newsroom editing stories of the staff since 2018.
“I’m thrilled of course. The men here work very hard under very difficult circumstances and still manage to put out an award winning newspaper,” she said. “The fact that prison journalism is having a light shown on it is long overdue.”
Yukari Kane, a former San Quentin News advisor, noted that a resurgence of prison journalism has begun, said the Stillwater announcement page. Kane founded the Prison Journalism Project.
“More prison journalists are sticking their necks out every day, working in severely restricted environments to shed light in some of the least accessible places in this country,” Kane said. “Writers behind bars not only work with us but also publish articles in prison and general publications, personal blogs, and newsletters for both inside and outside audiences. We’re thrilled to celebrate their best work.”
Staffer Jerry Gearin is the chairperson of the English Journalism Guild, which is SQNews’ farm team for up and coming journalists, he highlighted the importance of the recognition and what it represents for the organization.
“We are able to inform the uninformed including the misinformed. The recognition of staff shows change, the incarcerated individuals can come together, and produce a productive publication,” said Gearin. “It also gives me a sense of belonging followed by the responsibility to do what is right.”
Other award winners were former San Quentin News editor-in-chief Steve Brooks who won second place in the Prison Journalist of the Year category for “packing his stories with facts and quotes without bogging down the entire thing,” said the report.
Kevin D. Sawyer, San Quentin News’ former associate editor, now a freelancer, won second place in the Best News category for “San Quentin is Decaying. California has no clear plan to fix it,” an article co-published by Prison Journalism Project and CalMatters.
“I’m really pleased and I am proud of the work that the paper has done, especially by both writers Kevin Sawyer and Steve Brooks,” said Professor William Drummond, a longtime advisor of San Quentin News and a lecturer at UC-Berkeley.
Sawyer’s work was a shorter entry that tightly laid out its premise. “No wasted words, no unanswered questions. It’s just as long as it needs to be,” said the commentary.
SQNews’s mission advances social justice and restores communities by reporting on the rehabilitative efforts in California facilities. The publication informs policy makers, legislators, and community leaders as they make decisions on criminal justice system. San Quentin News serves to inspire incarcerated persons with stories of opportunity, hope, and accountability.
