What’s in a hug? For recent graduates at a San Quentin Rehabilitation Center class, it’s a form of therapy.

Resident Joey Marsala’s mother Cindy Jean Auno attended an event to see her son graduate from a vocational welding class at SQRC.

Marsala said his mother was impressed by her son’s accomplishments and that she played a major role in him improving his life during his incarceration.

“My mom used to say things like ‘Just come home Joey, please’ and I just feel so bad. That feeling of letting her down gave me an extra sense of urgency to prioritize what was in freedom and getting back to her,” Marsala said.

SQRC resident Desmond Lewis graduated from the self-help program Arms Down, an anti-gun violence program at SQRC. He remembers what it was like to hug his wife and daughter for the first time in more than a decade.

During Lewis’ 24 years of incarceration he recalled only hugging his little girl just once, on graduation.

“I was [now] looking at a grown woman,” Lewis said. “It felt like hugging my baby. We were just holding on to each other as she began to cry.” 

Lewis said that the hug was “powerful.” He knew his daughter was feeling protected and secure, which fueled his need to come home

Visiting at the facility is normally scheduled for each weekend, including some federal holidays. The policy of routine visiting for the incarcerated is considered a privilege and not a right, according to SQRC operational procedures.

Residents at SQRC can lose their visiting privilege via a Rules Violation Report, where their negative behavior is documented, according SQRC procedures.

However, visiting is a way to recognize the value and the meaning of family and community connections, which prepares incarcerated people for a successful transition back into society.

Ryan Chavez, an SQRC resident, said he has been incarcerated for 17 years, and every time his family visits him he feels as though he is his authentic self.

Chavez said that for him prison is a place where you can easily become institutionalized, with unclothed body searches and being identified as a statistic rather than by your name. 

“I haven’t seen my family in over a decade, so when my mom came to see me for the first time in 16 years, I was overjoyed,” Marsala said.

Marsala said about a year after his mother’s visit she passed away. He recalls being devastated. His mom was his best friend and “her hugs was the best,” he said.

Marsala said enjoying celebrations such as graduations with family are a form of a visit. One thing’s for sure: there’s nothing more reassuring and motivational than a warm embrace from a loved one.