By Anthony Manuel Caravalho
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center traditionally advertises Warden C. Andes’ integrated Super Bowl Watch party. This year, with less than 20 days before the $240 million Learning Center opened, Andes’ vision took a substantial blow.
“This day is a nightmare for any model of rehabilitation,” said resident Shawn Moore. “It’s a fiasco that the officers’ food took precedence over the camaraderie that could have been developed. The warden wants staff and residents to break bread during the game, but that has proven to be a fallacy.”
Approximately 120 residents trusted they could enjoy the entire game at Chapel B, but they did not get to watch the first half of the game together. Instead, they were redirected to their cells for the daily 4:00 PM institutional count as Super Bowl LX 60 saw the Seattle Seahawks trounce the New England Patriots, 29-13.
“When we were ordered back to our cells, some of us missed the first half of the game and lost respect for the way the event was forcefully handled at the last minute,” said SQRC resident Coby Phillips. “A lot of residents do not have televisions and the 100-plus who were at the chapel were vested in growing the Wardens’ vision for multiple years,” said Phillips. “We’ve tried to help integrate both groups of stakeholders, but it has gotten more flagrantly insulting each year.”
Phillips said the environment that was taken away from those who attended the watch party devastated resident fans and they missed the interaction from Warden Andes who wears his #40 Pat Tillman jersey for the annual festivities.
While leaving, the residents saw numerous cases of soda and bags of chips that were delivered to the chapel for the officers. Many in attendance believe the correctional officers sabotaged the event and want the SQRC model to fail.
“Being sent to our houses and having our identification cards being used as tools to stop the warden’s vision changed our feelings and hopes to isolation and resentment because we missed a lot of the commercials, pre-game analysis and even the start of the game,” said resident Giovanni Gladden. “The administration and officers on staff did not care and they couldn’t even make a decision, it was ridiculous.”
According to Phillips some of the staff tried valiantly to reverse the decision to send the residents back to their cells. “Lt. Gardea was on the phone with Associate Warden Avila to try to get Associate Warden Symara’s decision overturned. Once the order was executed, there were too many hurdles to overcome,” said Phillips. “We did miss Andes’ direction and energy, but it seems the correctional officers do not want the warden’s vision to grow.”
Gladden said the antiquated behaviors of the correctional officers are still around and the lack of support for the watch party proves that COs do not want the new culture to work.
SQRC’s Jesuit priest, Father George Williams, an ardent Patriots fan, seemed miffed as he sat with the residents.
“It makes no sense, to stop the celebration. What started as a great idea three years ago seems burdensome, but I hope it can continue in earnest,” said Williams. “If the event needs to be subsidized for food, the church will be more than happy to donate.”
Super Bowl resident party host Phillips tried to maintain the enthusiasm of change.
“In 2027 we could be having the watch party from the terrace on Governor Newsom’s new Learning Center, however, today I was torn between running back to the chapel after count or watching Bad Bunny’s historic half-time show,” said Phillips. “The joy of the game was reduced because we were not treated humanely.”
According to Phillips, many of the COs will never socialize with the residents. “What is really terrible is that North Block was given a quick unlock announcement and then remained locked down until 7:30 PM,” said Phillips. “We never got a true chance to go back to see the end of the game with our friends and that is not acceptable.”
There was a consensus that the dynamic security that is Warden Andes’ goal is still creating tension between both parties because others in the administration choose not to buy in to the model of the rehabilitation center.
“With Warden Andes not in attendance, Symara, who was the acting AOD, and a watch commander made the decision to send the incarcerated attendees back to their cells. This was done to allow staff to retrieve their food with greater privacy and separation,” said resident Angie Gordon. “After count cleared, attendees were permitted to return to the party, and where many did, many more elected not to.”
Gladden said that circumstances like this tell a story of how strong the force of the correctional culture is within California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. She said it is a difficult task for prison administrators to realize the hope of dynamic security, especially when they sabotage meaningful efforts in that direction, as they did this Super Bowl Sunday.
The warden’s event has grown three-fold from the original 48 residents who attended the first Super Bowl watch party. Residents at this event did acknowledge COs like Kruse and Lopez, who supported the residents as they left the building disgruntled.
Gladden said, “[Staff] cowardly hides behind the shadows and do not protest openly and it is frightening that the subliminal hatred from staff regarding the new building can be a detriment to the taxpayers of California who paid for the rehabilitation center.”
Three years ago Warden Andes advertised on the tablets “This is our first event of this type and we are looking for an enjoyable, relaxed atmosphere.”
A week after the Super Bowl, when Warden Andes was asked for his opinion about how the watch party turned out this year, he responded that he had heard both sides and he hoped that there would be patience and understanding as we focus on opening the Learning Center.
Residents did not relax this year as they had to scurry back to their cells in hopes of seeing Joe Montana’s coin toss and the opening kick-off. Fans said they felt Super Bowl 60’s watch party became an abomination instead of being a national model that is being promoted at the global level.