Law enforcement personnel and incarcerated men met in San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel on Sept. 21 for a first-of-its-kind forum. The idea came from the 2009 New Year’s Eve killing of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer. Jack Bryson’s two sons were with Grant. “That incident made me become a community organizer,” Bryson said in an interview with San Quentin News. “But when I got into the community and met with the people call- ing themselves working to bring justice to Oscar’s death, I didn’t like what I was seeing. Everyone had their own … [Read more...] about Law enforcement and prisoners come together in Barbershop Dialogue
Oakland
Raising awareness California’s ‘Life Without’
More than 100 advocates, family members and friends chanted, “Drop LWOP, drop LWOP, commute all 5,000!” at an Oakland town hall on March 24, denouncing California’s use of life without parole sentences, also known as LWOP. The California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) hosted the event to educate the general public and raise awareness about the state’s LWOP policies. California has approximately 5,000 prisoners serving life sentences without the chance for parole, according to the CCWP press release. “We believe that all people in … [Read more...] about Raising awareness California’s ‘Life Without’
Retired NFL Player Devon Still visits SQ
Just weeks after Defensive Lineman Devon Still retired from the National Football League at 28 years old, he visited San Quentin State Prison to record an episode for his new podcast, Undefeated. Undefeated features the stories of people who overcame huge obstacles. Scheduled for the first season is Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll, whose TED talk received more than 2.8 million views. “His TED talk caught my attention,” Still said. “I work with a lot of people who are trapped mentally. To see someone in prison so free—you can always find … [Read more...] about Retired NFL Player Devon Still visits SQ