Student athletes and coaches from the University of California, Berkeley, and McClymonds High School discussed and experienced the consequences of bad decisions during a visit to San Quentin State Prison as part of the SQUIRES program.
“This is a tremendous learning experience for the kids and the staff as well. A split second can have you in (prison) blues,” said Cuonzo Martin, Cal Bears head basketball coach.
Colin Fry, Bears secondary coach, said, “The biggest thing was the visual experience of seeing the result of a bad decision. You always hear, ‘Make the right decision.’ It’s big to hear everybody’s stories and see the consequences of the wrong decision.”
Bears football player Matt Cochran commented, “Seeing Condemned Row was powerful. Everybody knows they are going to die, but when you put a date on it and see that door….”
SQUIRES is a program in which inmates share their stories with at-risk youth that visit. It stands for San Quentin Utilization of Inmate Resources, Experiences and Studies. The prisoners engage the youth in confidential circle talks and one-on-one discussions throughout the day.
“We don’t scare straight; we communicate,” said inmate Arnulfo Garcia.
“I’ve been part of circles at Cal but they aren’t as deep as this,” said Daniel “Noah” Westerfield, a Cal Berkeley football player. He said he related more to the SQUIRES participants.
Marco Harris Cal assistant coach said, “They use their stories to keep youth out of trouble.”
“This is valuable,” said Bears guard Stephen Domingo. “Ya’ll kept it 100. That’s something I can’t re-create and it definitely helped.”
The inmates’ candor about the mistakes they made has a powerful impact. A 14-year-old football player started the day quietly sitting with his head down and arms folded. By days end, he was talkative, held his head up and had uncrossed his arms.
“Psychologists who come in here say it takes forever [outside] to get the kids to open up – but it’s amazing how something about our stories gives kids permission to open up about themselves,” said SQUIRES member Chris Schuhmacher.
“I like being a SQUIRES sponsor because I believe the men in blue are having a positive impact on the youth,” said Mana Jaundoo.
The youth get to see for themselves prison living conditions. They were allowed to walk inside of the tiny cells where two men live. They stood in the shower area and imagined what the lack of privacy is like. They even ate prison food at lunch in the chow hall.
“I think it’s crazy seeing the lifestyle. I don’t want any part of this life,” said Kameron Rooks, the 7-foot-2 center for Cal Berkeley. “Image people who have been falsely convicted having to go through this.”
Most of the Cal Bears and high school athletes are young men on the right track like Bears basketball player Tyrone Watkins. However, their coaches, Martin and Michael Peters, thought it was still important that they experience SQUIRES.
“I want my guys to understand the opportunities that they have and to appreciate them and not to fold during hard times,” said Martin.
The staff learned too.
Bear assistant basketball coach Wyking Jones said, “I learned that I need to stop being so hard on my son. He never tells me anything; he only talks to his mother. If I want him to open up to me, I have to open up to him.”
Kevin “KP” Parker has been bringing Cal students in for about nine years. He’s the school’s player personnel director.
“Chuck Hammon invited me in and it changed my life. The way you men in blue are able to pull things out of young men. Bringing in young men lets me give students the tools to deal with tough situations,” said Parker.
“I think it makes a huge difference in the lives of players. It makes them conscious when they are out there drinking,” he added. “I’m trying to bring every human being outside these walls in here because it is powerful.”
“I came last year and really enjoyed it,” said Tony Mekari, a Bears tackle. “It brought me down to earth.”
It was “eye-opening,” said Roger Moute, a Bears small forward. “It makes me count my blessings and lets me know I have to live my life right – I don’t want to be here. Also, I have to try and help people.”
SQUIRES isn’t easy.
“It’s challenging getting to the core issues. Sometimes it’s emotionally draining,” said SQUIRES member Eddie Pryor.
The day ended with a quote from an anonymous source by SQUIRES member David Monroe, “The only people to get even with are those who have helped you.”
Hours after the May 9 visit, Martin was on the After the Game show dissecting the Warriors vs. Grizzlies NBA playoff game. He mentioned his visit inside San Quentin was an eye-opening experience and how one bad decision can change your whole life in seconds.
