San Quentin’s Lower Yard opened on Independence Day to a carnival-like event that kept hundreds of prisoners entertained all day. A Christian coalition of young incarcerated men, Graced Out Ministries, sponsored the festivities. “The idea was to bring young men and people of all ages together to express their gifts and talents and to let everyone know that God loves them no matter where they are,” said Graced Out organizer Dwight Kennedy. Graced Out Ministries and the Protestant Church collected donations to give away cookies, chips … [Read more...] about A competitive spirit reigned during the Fourth of July celebration at SQ
San Quentin State Prison
Robert E. Burton receives first ever Distinguished School award
Robert E. Burton Principal Michael Wheeless, receiving the Distinguished School award from OCE Superintendent Shannon Swain with Warden Ron Davis (Center) The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) Office of Correctional Education (OCE) presented its first ever Distinguished School award to the Robert E. Burton Adult School at San Quentin State Prison in July. An award ceremony was held at the prison to acknowledge “exemplary achievements” the school has made above all 34 other accredited schools within … [Read more...] about Robert E. Burton receives first ever Distinguished School award
Butterscotch comes back to perform for TLM
A crowd of incarcerated men cheered like it was their parole day when Antoinette “Butterscotch” Clinton took the stage at San Quentin State Prison June 14. This time, she returned with Grammy-nominated artist Ryan Leslie. The musical genius turned a prison chapel into a concert, a reunion and a pre-graduation celebration for computer coding and construction apprentice trainees. The music festival featured spoken word artist and returning citizen Jason “JC” Cavitt, Swedish Grammy-nominated rapper and producer David Jassy, and Eric “Maserati … [Read more...] about Butterscotch comes back to perform for TLM
San Quentin’s big transition as non-designated facility
San Quentin State Prison’s transition from a General Population (GP) facility to a non-designated programming facility has uncovered old prejudices and uncommon collaborations. The inmate response to the new housing designation is as diverse as the prison population. Most inmates have been indifferent to the inflow of newcomers, while others have been cautious and alert. Some prisoners transferred out of San Quentin because they did not want to deal with the unknown. Few inmates, and administrators, could predict what was going to … [Read more...] about San Quentin’s big transition as non-designated facility
Judy Appel talks justice
Berkeley Unified School District board member Judy Appel sat down with San Quentin News to brainstorm on solutions to criminal justice issues that she can take to Sacramento, if she wins an assembly seat this fall. “I’m very concerned about our criminal justice system and the way we lock people up for really long times,” Appel said. “We put people away for so long without trusting people with a second chance.” Following the footsteps of her mentor, retired State Senator Loni Hancock (D-Oakland), Appel said she believes in working with the … [Read more...] about Judy Appel talks justice
Tennis helps SQ lifer cope with missing his daughter
Tennis is a complex rehabilitative sport. You have to return the ball that is served. But, there are hundreds of ways to hit the ball, and there are a thousand places it could land. For an incarcerated father, it’s a metaphor for life. Paris Williams could only live the life he was dealt. As a Creole man and father of a bi-racial daughter, he dealt with racism from her family. As a CDCR prisoner sentenced to 75 years to life, he deals with years of anguish. Williams was struck out under California’s Three Strike Law for his third burglary … [Read more...] about Tennis helps SQ lifer cope with missing his daughter
Ultra runner see parallels between cancer and prison
Members of San Quentin’s 1000 Mile Club ran as many miles as they could in one hour in preparation for a marathon in November. As the usual cast of characters took first, second and third place, Coach Kevin Rumon shared his thoughts on how running helped him overcome throat cancer. “Although I wasn’t able to run during treatment and only a bit during recovery, running provided the greatest source of personal strength to gut out the cancer battle,” Rumon said. “My 100-mile races are a series of individual steps that I have no control over. If I … [Read more...] about Ultra runner see parallels between cancer and prison
San Quentin baseball as Elliot Smith retires
San Quentin opened its 2018 baseball season with both joy and sadness. San Quentin’s A’s defeated the visiting San Francisco Mission 11-8. But the retirement of long-time sponsor Elliot Smith was bittersweet for the free and incarcerated ballplayers. “Elliot carried this program for a long time,” said A’s sponsor, Steve Reichardt. “It’s tough seeing him walking off this field for the last time.” ICE reported “24,476 of the 185,507 inmates in the federal Bureau of Prisons system were not citizens…” THE NEW YORK TIMES Dec. 22, 2017 Smith, 75, … [Read more...] about San Quentin baseball as Elliot Smith retires
California’s next governor faces executions
California’s next governor could be forced to make a life-or-death decision that the state’s top executive hasn’t faced in over a decade; whether to spare an inmate facing execution. There are nearly 750 people on death row at San Quentin State Prison, more than any other state, and decisions made by the next governor will help set the pace of executions going forward. Five of the top six top candidates oppose the death penalty. But few say they’d use the office’s commutation power to broadly move inmates from death row to life in … [Read more...] about California’s next governor faces executions
Hermanos Unidos wins, 8-0, over SQ soccer team
San Quentin’s B-Team opened its season with an 8-0 loss in a friendly match against U.C. Berkeley’s Hermanos Unidos (United Brothers). Both A and B teams — formally the OGs and Youngsters — have lost five consecutive matches dating back to last season. The match drew an audience of prisoners like Percy Paul, a new arrival at the institution. “Just watching these guys got me real excited,” said Paul. “I definitely want to get on the team,” he added. The new wave of prisoners may bring talent that San Quentin teams can use. Although B-Team … [Read more...] about Hermanos Unidos wins, 8-0, over SQ soccer team