Coffee entrepreneur John Krause can relate to the slim employment prospects most ex-cons face upon parole. As a former San Quentin inmate himself, Krause spent over a decade in and out of prison before opening Big House Beans (BHB). Based in Antioch, BHB’s production facility now roasts thousands of pounds of premium gourmet coffee beans per month—supplying restaurants, coffee shops, and tech companies throughout California. But Krause’s business plan goes far beyond simply turning a profit. “I really want to embrace the community to create … [Read more...] about SQ parolee serves up more than just coffee in Antioch
UC Berkeley
Solitary Watch offers inmates photographs beyond a gray wall
The day he learned his solitary confinement would be extended, 17-year-old Benjamin Van Zandt killed himself in a New York prison. To bring awareness and bridge the gap between the public and those in isolation, an advocacy group held an art exhibit in a Unitarian church in New York, showcasing photographs requested by and produced for prisoners in segregation, reported Newsday. “Viewers are able to see not what incarcerated people see, but what they envision—the vivid and varied thoughts, objects, images that all minds produce, independently … [Read more...] about Solitary Watch offers inmates photographs beyond a gray wall
Folsom’s Insight Garden Project helps women connect back to nature
California women prisoners are learning to go “green” as they gain skills in garden design and environmental education through the award-winning Insight Garden Program (IGP). Folsom Women’s Facility (FWF) and Central California Women’s Facility (also known as Chowchilla) have been added to the IGP’s long list of prisons that are finding rehabilitation through connecting with nature. “Folsom was officially the first garden we’ve ever built in a women’s facility,” said Beth Waitkus, who founded the program at San Quentin in 2002. “It was a … [Read more...] about Folsom’s Insight Garden Project helps women connect back to nature
Prestigious colleges learn about life from prisoners
Prison advocates and educators who believe in the benefits of classes held on prison grounds are seeking to revive a program that once brought Harvard students into prisons to learn desk-by-desk with incarcerated students. San Quentin already has similar programs. “By creating opportunities for Harvard students to learn with and from students in prison, we demonstrate a commitment to transformative education, education that is rigorous and reckons with questions of justice and equity,” Kaia Stern, co-founder of the Harvard Prison Studies … [Read more...] about Prestigious colleges learn about life from prisoners