“Enduring Hope for Enduring Change” was the theme for the Hope for Strikers Group’s first graduation held March 9 in San Quentin’s Catholic Chapel.
Master of ceremonies Marco Davidson welcomed the audience of approximately 80 prisoners, staff and advisers. Davidson and Joe Mason opened the ceremony with a guitar duet. Speakers that followed emphasized the group’s mission and shared personal experiences. A keynote address was given by radio personality and author Nancy Mullane.
The mission of the group, according to Davidson, is to provide the academic and self-help tools necessary for transition and healthy adaption to the challenges of prison life in general and special challenges presented by the Three Strikes Law.
Eddie Griffin reminisced about how the group was started two years ago by a “bunch of guys who hung out in the barber shop on Saturdays” and how they overcame the challenges to become a recognized group.
A native of Pakistan, Sajad Shakoor told the compelling story of his family’s migration in 1981 to “the land of opportunity, where you will succeed if you work hard.”
“Where my family saw hope and hard work equaling success, I saw a bunch of racism, poverty and dope,” he said. “Not knowing your full potential or self-worth, you jeopardize your life. Know thyself first.”
Forrest Jones assisted in the presentation of certificates to 32 graduates of the program.
“Be proud of your accomplishments and the changes in yourselves,” he told the graduates.
Mullane recalled her first visit to San Quentin when she was a reporter assigned to write a story about prisons.
“It was one of the most interesting days of my life. It changed my life. I thought I knew what people are like who commit crimes,” said Mullane, who has written a book, “Life after Murders,” which follows the lives of five men paroled despite serving life sentences for murder. The book is due in June.
The group lists five beliefs:
• That the Three Strikes Law is fundamentally unjust, politically motivated, grossly disproportionate and needs to be amended.
• That without the aid of Hope for Strikers, we are powerless to appropriately address the detrimental impact it has had on our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
• That any reform in the law has to be preceded by reform in our own spiritual and intellectual selves, as well as our behaviors.
• That Hope for Strikers curriculum provides the requisite academic and self-help tools needed to accomplish our goals and transition back into society as productive citizens.
• That we must always hold on to hope for reform and continue to convey our message in meaningful ways to give hope to those Three Strikers whose resolve may have deteriorated.
