San Quentin
VOL. 2008 NO. 1

THE PULSE OF SAN QUENTIN

SAN QUENTIN, CALIFORNIA 94964

INTEGRATING PRISON CELLS
Suzan L. Hubbard
Director Adult Institutions

San Quentin Warden
Robert L. Ayers Jr.

SAN QUENTIN NEWS
Mission Statement
The San Quentin News is
once again an authorized
publication.
Warden L.
Robert Ayers Jr.
determined having a news paper for
the population would be of
benefit to all.
Speaking on
the issues important to prisoners, we the staff at San Quentin News shall seek to
include everyone. A voice, for
everyone, it will give the many
different views and perspectives of prison life. San Quentin is known by name all over
the world; what’s done here, is
copied by many. Death Row,
Lifers, H-Unit, and even the
Reception Center have a use
for good and relevant information on what is going on
around them, and to them, and
a story to tell. The “What” in
“What’s going on,” shall be
the message. A focus on the
reduction of
recidivism is
going to be an essential part
of this paper.
The following areas are our
primary topics: (1) Educational: Acknowledgments of
Graduating students, and
featuring students and instructors from basic-education
through college and vocations.
(2) Rumor Control: Finding
out what is “really” going on
in a situation. (3) Sports:
Getting the scoop on who’s at
their best game. (4) Special
Events: Peace Day, Graduations,
Concerts. (5) Legal:
General Medical and Housing
issues; major court rulings.
(6)
Interviews: Key
Staff Q&A, SQ Volunteers
and Visitors of interests.
(7) Editorial: Commentary of
"life" here at SQ and reflections therein. (8)
Writing:
Poetry and (very) short prose.
(9) Programs: Features of SQ
self -help progr ams.(10 )
Religious: Features of Religious services and interviews
of
Chaplains and Others.
More news to come as we figure things out...

San Quentin Fact:
Two of the Wardens in
the 2008 San Quentin Calendar were already deceased when their photos
were take.

California’s prisons have long
been integrated. Women’s housing, dining rooms, camps, classrooms, programs, work assignments, yards, visiting and dorms
already have integration policies in
place.
The Integrated Housing Program will give us more versatility
in housing male inmates, assist in
gang management, reduce racial
tension, break down prejudicial
barriers and attitudes and reflect
community values.
However, this plan does not call
for forced integration. The California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation is not mandated to
integrate the entire inmate popula-

tion with respect to in-cell housing.
Current safety and security measures will remain. Employees are
still expected to use sound custodial decisions for safe housing.
Should there be a race-related
incident, the plan would be temporarily suspended. Offenders who
pose a threat to one another will be
separated. Safety is paramount.
Historically, the CDCR used
race as one factor in housing decisions, primarily at reception centers. The new regulations ensure
that race will not be the sole determining factor. We are confident
this plan will work and promote
inmate integration where safe and
appropriate to do so.

“TOUGH ON CRIME” BILLIONAIRE INDICTED
Kenneth R. Brydon
Henry Nicholas III, co-founder
of Broadcom Corporation, was
indicted on 21 charges including
drug possessions, drug distribution,
and spiking drinks of unknowing
victims with the drug ecstasy.
Nicholas is the one who funded the
last minute effort to defeat Proposition 66, which would have modified the 3 Strikes Law, and result in
the release of 3 Strikers with nonviolent misdemeanor offenses. His
current project, is the voter initiative that will be on the November
ballot titled: “Marsie’s Law.” According to current Federal law a
life-term may be imposed if convicted on a number of charges. In
the State of California, his charges
could result in multiple Three
Strike sentences being handed
down.
“Marsy’s Law” results in turning
most life “with” the possibility of
parole, into a life “without” parole.
The passing of these laws would
increase the length of parole denial
from that of one year to a maximum of five years, to that of a

minimum of three years and a
maximum of 15 year denial. This
process would suppose that the
“normal” denial would be for 15
years.
This law seems to be intended to
be applied retroactively, so, even a
seven-to-life sentence, would suddenly jump to a 15-to-life upon
appearing in front of the board after
this law is enacted. Henry Nicholas’s daughter, Marsy, was murdered in the early ‘80s, and he has
taken to using his wealth to support
what are harsh penalties for all
prisoners. Marsy’s law also will
undo court settlements that required Parole Violators be given
certain due process rights.
Information indicates that Mr.
Nicholas is undergoing treatment
for abuse of alcohol. Like many
prisoners, he is being introduced to
a 12-step program which teaches
tolerance and forgiveness. Perhaps
a second chance for everyone,
including himself, would be a good
thing…

JUNE 18, 2008

POPULATION:5,429

Men’s Advisory Council
Sammy Johnson, Chairman
The Men’s Advisory Council (“MAC”) was developed to
be a conduit for the General
Population Inmates to the Warden and all Department Heads
as well as Correctional Staff. It
is this Council’s Position to
effectively represent and communicate the opinions, grievances, suggestions, and recommendations of the inmate population at San Quentin.
There are two primary directives of the MAC: The first is to
seek to improve inmate/staff
relations. The second is to promote the general welfare of all
inmates at SQ.
In order for any relationship
to work within a social society,
a gated community, marriage,
or a common arena, there must
be first and foremost a line of
communication and a common
interest. As many of the veteran staff retires, they are being
replaced with younger Correctional Officers fresh out of the
Academy with the understanding that all inmates are hostile
and not to be trusted. This in
turn, breaks down the line of
communication, especially here
at San Quentin where it is
needed the most.
SQ affords more programs
than any other prison institution
in the State of California with
the common interest of Rehabilitation. And, in order for
rehabilitation to achieve its
goal, Staff, the Administration,
and the Inmate population must
communicate their community
interests.
In order to promote the general welfare of all inmates at
SQ, this Council’s objective is

to achieve and establish with in
the Laws and Regulations governing procedures and guidelines the least restraints and
restrictions possible governing
its classification of this Level II
prison at SQ. By this process,
impacting the on-going rehabilitation process towards reentry of all inmates back into
mainstream society.
In order to accomplish the
improvement of the general
welfare of all inmates at SQ,
this MAC seeks to improve the
following list of everyday concerns and necessities. These
are only but a few listed concerns:
SQ Integration policy
and forced participation.
Culinary Food Quality,
Quantity, and Sanitation.
Laundry
Exchange
(inconsistency).
Notification of Institutional
Program changes within units
by staff.
Canteen concerns (can exemption, healthier items & price
increases).
Institutional Digital Cable Conversion (before February 17,
2009).
The social objective and concerns of this MAC is the betterment of all aspects of living
condition and the healthy relationship of Inmates, Staff, and
Administration. It is also our
interest that all inmate concerns
in this social community are
needed and valued. A closed
mouth does not get fed. Remember, “Respect increases the
quality and quantity of a community.

SQ’s Law Libraries Serve All Segments Of The Population
by John E. Dannenberg
San Quen tin has two
fu lly co mplian t law libr ar ies p lus thr e e sate llite partial law libraries
to serve the pr ison’s d iv erse population.
Th e
Main Law Lib rar y is now
lo cated in a r enovated
section o f th e o ld laundr y
bu ild ing on th e lower
ya rd and s erv es th e Nor th
Block, H-Unit, West
Block , G ym and Sp ecial
Program populations.
Th e S H U l ib r ar y, loc a te d
in th e Ad-Seg v isiting
a r e a, s er v es th e Ro w an d
Ad- Seg popu lations. Th e
satellite libraries are loc a t ed in N o r th S eg r ega tion, East Block and th e
Adju stme n t Cen ter .
Two Sen ior Libr arians, To m Brob st and John
Nelson, supervise the
Main libr ar y, in clud ing
its recr eation al book section. A th ird Sen ior Librarian, Doug Jeffrey,
run s th e SHU libr ar y.
Th e Ma in L ib rar y e mp lo ys f ive pr isoner la w
c lerk s and f iv e g en er a l

c i r cu l a t io n c l erk s. D u tie s
of th e law c lerk s inc lud e
ord er ing all law book s
and supp lies, f iling and
upd ating th e law book
c o l le c t ion ( f o r a l l f iv e
law librarie s), ma in taining s tand ard leg a l forms ,
and assisting inquir ing
pr isoner s at th e law w indow.
Addition a lly, th e
l a w c le r k s d o leg a l cop ying and respond to quest i ons r ef err ed v i a th e
SHU librar ia n.
New ly added to th e
M a in Law L ib r ar y a r e
five computers which
prov id e u ser s w ith lookup
capability on courtma n d a ted (G i lmo re) case
law p lus Title 15, th e Department
Operations
Manu al, Californ ia cour t
ru les, th e Californ ia Dig est, th e Feder a l D igest,
W itk ins and Ca lifo rn ia
Jurisprudence research
too ls .
Th e co mpu te rs
prov id e word se ar ch ca p ab ility over all vo lu me s
wh ich gr eatly speeds resear ch, bu t no pr in ting or

typ ing cap ab ility is prov id ed.
Th e Ma in Law Libr ar y co llec tion inc lud es
all Ca liforn ia case la w
fro m 1860 on .
Fed er a l
case law book s in clud e
th e d istrict court ru ling s
( Fed er al Supp leme n t) and
app e llate court ru ling s
( Fed er al Repor ter) fro m
abou t 1940.
SQ’ s U.S.
S u p r e me C o u r t c a se la w
go es b ack to 1790. Th e
c urr en t v a lid ity of an y
p as t ca se ma y b e r es e ar ched using Shep ard’ s
Citation s.
Add ition ally,
on e ma y u se Shep ard’ s to
r es e arch s tatu tes, r egu la tions, court ru les and
jury in stru ctions. To research Californ ia law b y
top ic, Californ ia Jurisprud ence is a co mpr eh ens iv e leg a l en c yc lop ed ia
c itab le in cou rt p lea dings.
Addition a lly, th e
v ener ab le W itk ins leg a l
r esearch book ser ies prov id es detailed ( and citab le) adv ice on Californ ia c r imin al and ev idenc e

law.
Several available
book s aid th e pr ison er
u ser to for mu la te and
pr epare legal p lead ings.
Th e Ca liforn ia State Prison ers H andbook is an exc e llen t star ting po in t. I t
cover s pr ison r egu lations,
administrative appeals,
h abeas corpu s petition s
an d ma n d ate p e titions.
Th e two-volu me App eals
and W rits ser ies is popular w ith prison er litigator s, too, add ing d iscussion on app licab le ru le s
of cour t. Of cour se, th e
libr ar y carries th e ru les
of cour t (state and federal) in separate volu mes,
bu t th e y are of ten d iff icult to comprehend.
Californ ia crimin al law
qu estion s are best answered in California
Crimin al Law and Pro cedure. Similarly, fed eral
habeas corpus law is
thorough ly rev iew ed in
Fed eral Habeas Corpu s
P r a c t ic e and P r o c ed u r e .

JUNE, 2008

San Quentin News

Page 2

WHEN THE PAST NO LONGER MATTERS
Stephen Liebb

ANDREW GERARD LEAVITT
July 02, 1959 – May 25, 2008
Andy
Leavitt
paroled on a Sunday
night. It wasn’t the
way anyone wanted
to see him leave, but
in the end, we welcomed his release
from pain.
He
showed great courage as he fought the
good fight, remaining polite and caring to those
around him, even when knowing his time in this world was
to be cut short. He arrived at
SQ in June of 1982, serving 25
years to Life. Soft spoken, he
worked as a Machinist in the
Vocational Machine shop.
A journeyman machinist,
Prison Industry constantly
pursued him, where he could
make top dollar.
Yet, he
stayed on in Vocations to mentor other students. Andy was a
accomplished teacher with
patience that made him the one
everyone went to for help or

guidance.
Andy’s
parents, Victoria and
John Leavitt, were
there with him not
only in his closing
days, but in his life
throughout his incarceration.
Mr. and
Mrs. Leavitt visited
Andy and his brother
David weekly for all
of Andy’s 26 years here at SQ.
The bitter-sweet of seeing a
child die in prison, was surely
offset with truly knowing that
their son was a man of whom
they could be very proud of.
His parents rightfully saw him
as the man he’d become, opposed to the crime committed in
his youth. On Friday, May 30,
2008, a memorial service was
held in the Catholic Chapel to
honor Andy. Some were there
who knew Andy for upwards of
25 years. May his passing
bring more meaning to those
still here.

JOURNEY TO A.A. DEGREE
Michael A. Tyler

I never thought
education
would
be so much fun
and
rewarding.
It’s funny how
things look one
way at first, and
then change right
when you finally
accept how they
look. My journey
to an A.A. Degree involved more people than
I thought. The major figures were: my mother,
my aunt, all the volunteers,the other students,
and, finally, myself.
In January 2004, it
began here. My mother
always gave me the reinforcement of, “You can
do anything you want
with a little work.” So, I
signed up for college in
one of those moments of
“I can do anything” attitudes had come upon me.
Those moments seemed
to pass fast.
I remember telling the
coordinator of Patten
University, Jody Lewen,
“I can’t quit any more!”
I saw it had been too
much of life already.
While my mother brought
this type of understanding, I had to do my part.
Mom was a great role
model; I wish I’d used
her sooner.
My aunt always sees
the glass half-full, and
uplifts me in her own
ways. She doesn’t know
the role she played. Seeing how she understood
made me want to learn
even more just from our
conversations.
She
showed the importance of
getting an education in

the long run.
The
tutors
and
instructors
are
special!
These beautiful
people help in
the best of their
capabilities.
Sometimes, just
by repeating the
question,
other
times showing you stepby-step, and always with
real respect!
The other students
played an equally important role. Everyone came
together for one purpose
– to learn and to help
each other. I know there
were a few times where I
didn’t get the grade I
wanted and instead of
putting me down, the
other students lifted me
up and reminded me that
we all have bad days, and
that tomorrow I can still
do better. That sounds so
simple, but that’s the underground work we do for
each other to keep us going.
Now, my part in all of
this: I could not allow
myself to give up or disappoint the rest. Work in
the day, and school at
night was hard. Squeezing in home work was
hard, but now I see its
value in a better life. It’s
meant the world to me,
affecting every part of my
life positively.
To those reading this,
education does change
your life. Everyone, both
free and in prison, should
be offered an education.
A brighter future for everyone isn’t a bad thing.

The California Supreme
Court has accepted several
cases for review to determine
when, if ever, the fact that a
person committed a murder in
the distant past no longer supplies reliable evidence that he
is currently dangerous.
Lifers who are eligible for
parole and who have appeared before the Board of
Parole Hearings are well acquainted with the Board’s use
of their commitment offense
as the primary reason to deny
parole. Lifers who have been
found suitable for parole and
have had their suitability
finding reversed by the governor know that their crime,
usually committed decades
ago, still matters.
We have to live with our
decisions. We cannot turn
back the clock or hold back
the years and undo the wrong
we have done to ourselves
and others. For those of us
who have taken a life, the
pain we have caused is irrevocable.
No amount of
positive programming can fill
the hole we left in the family
of the victim of our crime.
We can show our repentance
in the path we choose and the
decisions we make now.
Courts in California are
striving to achieve a balance
between the immutable harm
done to the victim and their
loved ones and to the requirements of the parole statutes,
which state that parole should
be the rule rather than the
rare exception.
Many lifers now see themselves as victims of injustice.
Justice is not an abstract principle. It is relational. Justice
promotes good relations between people and groups of
people.
Injustice breaks
down good relations and
breeds anger, hostility and
violence.
The concern for justice
should not be confined to just
those of us who must appear
before the Board to gain an
opportunity to rejoin free society. In 1963, the Rev. Martin Luther King. Jr. wrote the
“Letter from Birmingham
City Jail.” He was responding to eight white clergymen
in Alabama opposed to civil

disobedience. They feared
his actions would incite civil
disturbances.
He wrote: “I am in Birmingham because injustice is
here. Moreover, I am cognizant of the inter-relatedness
of all communities and
states. Injustice anywhere is
a threat to justice garment of
destiny.
Whatever affects
one directly affects all.”
Two quotes are engraved
on the wall of the museum of
Jewish
Heritage.
“Remember, Never forget,”
and, “There is hope for your
future. “ As lifers we can
never forget why we have
spent the past years in person. But if we as a society
believe in redemption and
that people can rehabilitate
themselves then a real hope
and future must be extended
to those who have complied
with the requirements for
parole. In Cappiello v. New
York State Board of Parole
800 N.Y.S. 343, 2004 WL
3112628, Judge Wetzel
wrote:
“Murder is obviously a
very serious, tragic crime
involving this loss of a human life…Each day, the
court interacts with defendants accused and convicted
of terrible murders, as well
as the families of the victims. Those families come
to court, listen to the evidence, weep at the crime
scene photos, and speak passionately about their loss at
the sentencing of the convicted defendants. There is
no greater agony than that of
a family member of a murder
victim, and this court acknowledges and empathizes
with that pain, It is a pain
which does not abate over
the years and nothing can
become to relieve that suffering. The only variable that
can change in this situation
is the defendant… [some]
defendants…take advantage
of the opportunities in prison
for rehabilitation, move on in
their lives to do service in
the community, to make
amends for their actions, and
to make contributions to
their families and to society.
Their achievements, as great

as they are, will never erase
the horrendous brutality of
the past, nor can it ever fully
compensate society for the
damage which has been done.
However, in a system which
is premised on the hope and
possibility of rehabilitation,
and a statutory system which
mandates a serious, rational
and meaningful evaluation of
the statutory criteria, we must
allow an individual who has
taken advantage of opportunities to rehabilitate himself to
move beyond a horrific act of
many years ago and to rejoin
society to contribute according to his ability.”
The arbitrary practice of
the Board in reciting the facts
of the murder at a parole
hearing and using that as the
basis to deny parole has been
exposed primarily through
habeas petitions filed in pro
per.
The unselfishness of
inmates assisting others for
the common good has resulted in favorable state court
orders in cases like In re Elkins, In re Viet Mike Ngo,
and from the Federal District
Court in Jerome Thomas of
Habeas Corpus.
Perseverance and commitment are required to gain release through habeas petitions.
The Attorney General routinely
appeals virtually every favorable ruling from the lower
court. Misguided and sometimes selfish advice comes from
fellow Lifers and selfproclaimed jailhouse lawyers
counseling individuals not to
file. Many Lifers have been
dissuaded from seeking relief
from the courts against the
Board or Governor for parole
denials. An ancient principle
from the Torah admonishes us
not to put a stumbling block
before the blind. Lifers need to
become informed about the
legal process and the pertinent
cases dealing with parole issues. Through respect for other
viewpoints and approaches,
Lifers have been able to bring
issues relating to parole before
California State and Federal
Courts. Continued success will
come from applying wisdom as
Hillel states: “If I am not for
myself, who is for me. If I am
only for myself, who am I. If

CALIFORNIA REENTRY PROGRAM
Kenneth R. Brydon
Resources for a successful parole
a r e a v a i l a b l e t h r o ug h t h e
“California Reentry Program.”
This program is brought to SQ by a
group of volunteers.
Available
every Tuesday night in H-Unit, and
every Thursday night on the Lower
Yard in the “Old Laundry.” The
program also provides assistance
for Lifers who want help in developing Parole Plans for the Board.
Allyson West leads the group of
well-educated, highly motivated
individuals who sacrifice their own
time to offer the following:
A. Career Advice, giving guidance
and assistance in what field of employment best for you.
B. Employment, finding job opportunities in the field of choice.
C. Education, continuing education,

from GED, Trade Schools, to College, and the financial aid to attend.
D. Housing, transition housing,
and other assistance for living
arrangements.
E. Substance Abuse Treatments,
the California Reentry Program is
connected with the “Bay Area
Services Network” which can help
you in locating help in overcoming
addiction.
F. Miscellaneous Issues, such as,
attaining identification, attaining
transcripts, child support and parental rights issues, parole agent
contact, attorney referrals, etc…
G. Monthly Workshops, are held
in H-Unit for the following: Resume Writing, Job Interviews,
Effective Workplace Communications, Assessing Your Skills and

Interests, Labor Market Information
(who’s hiring), the filling out of Job
Applications, and, occasionally,
Health and Immigration workshops.
The H-Unit Workshops require signup, to be sent to “Allyson West c/o
Education Department.”
The Tuesday’s California Reentry
Program is available by showing up
when announced in the dorm. Thursday’s program, in the Old Laundry,
requires being on a movement sheet;
requests to be placed on the movement can be sent to: “Allyson West
c/o Education Department.” Or, if
you see Allyson, ask her to include
you. Ducats will no longer be issued; only the movement sheet is
necessary.
California Reentry Program
P.O. Box 483
San Quentin, CA 94964

JUNE, 2008

San Quentin News

We Don’t Scare Straight...
We Communicate!

Page 3

Communities Unite – Promote Health Care
By The T.R.U.S.T.

By S.Q.U.I.R.E.S.
Imagine, if you will, being
a prisoner in one of San
Quentin State Prison’s most
secured and notorious housing units. This is the housing
unit where most outsiders
consider all hope to be abandoned and lost. This is the
place where some say they
keep California’s most dangerous, incorrigible, and irredeemable souls. This place
that I am speaking of, is California’s “Death Row” or the
now
politically
correct
“Condemned Row.” The men
and women in California who
carrying
the
title
of,
“Condemned Inmates,” are
the very individuals most people believe cannot be trusted
with anyone else other than
their own peers (other condemned inmates). They are
the group of men and women
who have not only given up
on themselves, but also their
families, communities and
ultimately society. They are
“Societal Outcasts,” from
which nothing positive can
come... So they say. If we
look back at the history of
Condemned Inmates, we will
find a myriad of men and
women with a wide range of
crimes that had an extremely
negative impact on societies
yesterdays,
todays and tomorrows. Most people will
continue to focus on that
negative light and see nothing
else but a man or woman who
is now only wasting the
state’s time and money...
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is
far from true, from this world
of cement and steel, a rose
from concrete can grow.
So let’s take a look at that
history again; this time, let’s
look a little deeper. If you
dig below the surface, you
will find a host of Condemned men and women who
have reached back out to their
families and communities by
way of authoring books, letters, periodicals, etc. I will
not attempt to make any excuses for crimes committed,
but instead I want to make an
attempt at shining a light on
the compassion that still lies
in the hearts of these people
who some believe have nothing else to live for. If you
listen to what I am saying,
and you dig just deep enough,
you will find a man by the
name of Ross “Patch” Keller.
Ross Keller, convicted of
murder with special circumstances was given the penalty
of a “Death Sentence.” In the
early sixties, Ross Keller, the
father of a growing son, was
faced with a difficult challenge. He like many other
incarcerated men placed himself in the situation of not
being able to care for his family. Ross Keller’s son was
being influenced by the negative influences of society and
ultimately began traveling the
path of his father. Ross Kel-

ler came up with an idea of a
program that could possibly
help him, help his son. In a
desperate attempt, Ross Keller
drew up a proposal to create
this program. In 1964, San
Quentin’s Utilization of Inmates Resources, Experiences
and Studies other wise known
as S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. was born,
holding its first workshop with
“at-risk” youth from the San
Francisco Bay Area. Although
Ross Keller’s son was unable
to attend the first workshop, he
did eventually gain admittance
into a later workshop. However, Ross Keller himself was
unable to attend the workshop
due to his being a prisoner in
this facility.
Today, 44 years later,
S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. holds workshops for at-risk youth that are
mentored by the incarcerated
men of San Quentin. The
workshops provide close communication between the youth
and the inmate participants,
which has proven to be beneficial in many cases. During the
sessions, every effort is made
to establish a rapport with the
youth. When needed, a verbal
confrontation may be used by a
S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. member to deal
with a specific youth. This
verbal contact has opened up
problem areas which otherwise
could have gone undetected.
Also
included
in
the
S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. session is a tour
of the lower exercise yard
where the youth come in close
proximity of mainline inmates,
where the youth are offered
graphic descriptions of life and
existence at San Quentin. The
youth also have the opportunity to tour housing units
where they experience being
placed in a cell for a period of
time.
S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. like many
programs in San Quentin State
Prison has planted a seed and
nurtured a relationship with its
outside community creating an
environment that is safe for
communities to come in and be
educated with this incarcerated
community. In most cases,
parents of teenagers who have
trouble with their youth may
seek advice from many
sources: psychologists, psychiatrists, family counselors,
teachers and judges. But few
go to a source that speaks with
the voice of experience about
impulsive acting out and its
consequences-incarcerated
men, who have committed serious offenses.
These men
have invaluable information on
the cause, as well as the devastating affect, of their behavioral problems.
If you have any questions
regarding the San Quentin
S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. program please
contact:
Marie Rodesillas:
415-454-1460 ext: 5382
Ernie Pulliam:
415-454-1460 ext: 5348

In an environment created of
iron, stainless steel, cinder
blocks and concrete, are an accumulation of men who have
committed a mixture of crimes
ranging from drug dealing and
petty theft to kidnap and murder. In this cruel, man made
environment, live individuals
who don’t follow the rules, disobey laws and simply don’t get
along well with other men and
women who are their polar opposites (law-abiding citizens).
When we walk down streets,
people clench their property and
in some occasions, cross the
street all in the fear of being
robbed or criminally violated in
some manner.
Currently
housed in a population of approximately 5,300, we, the incarcerated men of San Quentin
State Prison are viewed as individuals whom society must be
protected from. As an incarcerated man, this reporter can happily and easily contest that we
are not the cancers of society.
But don’t take my word for it;
instead, allow me to share with
you an interesting dynamic that
is in place here at San Quentin
State Prison.
On this cool May morning, I
was blessed with the opportunity to participate in San Quentin State Prison’s 6th Annual
Health Fair. This is an event
that is hosted by the San Quentin T.R.U.S.T. for the Development of Incarcerated Men in
conjunction with the National
Trust for the Development of
African American Men, the
Alameda County Health Department and the Urban Male
Health Initiative. The purpose
of this event is to promote
“Good Health” within self, family and community and to educate the incarcerated men in
chronic health issues pertaining
to gender, race and age. Every
year, Dr. Arnold Chavez of the
Alameda County Health Department pours his heart and
soul into the recruitment of
Health Care professionals for
our annual health fair. What
was once the hardest sell in the
world for Dr. Chavez, has easily
become an abundance of professionals who jump at the opportunity to participate in this
annual event. Dr. Chavez remarks, “In the beginning, I was
only able to get 10 – 15 Nurses
and Health Specialists to participate in the event. Now I
have over a 100 people each
year who try to clear their calendars to participate in this day
at San Quentin.” This year’s
bunch of enthusiastic professionals included specialists providing information on Sexually

Transmitted Diseases (STD’s),
Risk Reduction, Cancer, HIV/
AIDS, Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS), Nutritional
Values Counseling, Blood Pressure testing, Body Mass Index,
Glucose Testing, Cholesterol
Testing and yes... Yoga! While
Alameda County Health has
always been at the forefront of
volunteering, this year has
brought a group of new faces.
Entering the San Quentin health
fair arena for the first time were
doctors and interns from the
University of California, San
Francisco which provided information in the fields of Geriatrics and Nutrition (Healthy
Choice Recipes).
Mildred
Crear, an Oakland native, has
been in the Health Care profession for 44 years, currently
heads the Black Nurses Association (BNA) and was manning the Glucose Testing table.
Mildred, a Registered Nurse
who is here for her third visit
states, “I return each year to
empower people, give information about health care so the
men in San Quentin will know
and understand their numbers
(Blood Pressure, Cholesterol,
Sugar and Body Mass).” Mildred continues by stating, “I
hope the Receivership will improve the health care here in
San Quentin and perhaps work
together with outside organizations to help this process. Mildred went out on a limb by stating, “Maybe they will make the
food better.” Bless her heart!
During Mildred’s first visit, she
was very skeptical about coming to San Quentin because she
feared the unknown. At the end
of our day, I was able to ask
Mildred how she felt and she
responded by simply stating if
she could, she would take us all
home with her. When she
comes in she feels... Comfortable! And has no concerns
while she is here and has stated
that she feels safer here then
she does in her own community
at times.
While the focus today is
strictly on promoting health,
Dr. Gary Mendez, executive
director of the National Trust,
states in a speech provided to
the population attending the
fair, In making this statement
Dr. Mendez lays down a challenge to the incarcerated men to
make a change; and they respond. In droves, the men of
San Quentin start showing up
and participating in the different booths. As you make your
way around the makeshift,
“Medical Complex,” a picture
of unity shows very clearly,.
Outside in the front yard, where

rows of tables are lined up with
professionals providing valuable information to the incarcerated men, genuine smiles,
pleasantries and gestures are
exchanged by both sides.
Those people who were once
afraid to be around us are now
excited about having us around
them. If you paid close attention, you actually saw several
members of the T.R.U.S.T.
actually working side by side
with health care professionals
assisting in not only passing out
information, but sharing their
own health experiences with
other members of the incarcerated population thus giving the
men a face they can put on this
experience.
Katchie Ananda, a 20-year
veteran yoga instructor, was
asked about her experiences
here at San Quentin and how
she felt about being here. Her
response was simple... “I am
just happy to be able to give to
your community.” You can see
this by the way she consistently
kept a full room during the fair
as she was teaching men different techniques in breathing,
medication, relaxation and concentration. Katchie is here on
her second visit to the Health
Fair, but is actually a Brown
Card holder here at the prison.
She remains very active with
our population as she teaches
yoga class on Fridays. What
was probably the warmest part
of my day, was watching Ms.
Arnette Hayes. Arnette was
providing information regarding STD’s and clearly had the
most active booth. Arnette,
also on her second visit, clearly
accepted the role of the
“Mother” to the younger members of our population. Her
demeanor: cool and calm... And
in control.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the
picture being painted to you is
just a simple artist’s stroke of
the brush when compared to the
larger mural that has been created... While the focus was on
health, this day showed two
communities working together
hand in hand to accomplish a
common goal: promoting good
health and a healthy lifestyle.
This reporter has witnessed all
six fairs that have been presented to the San Quentin population and as an incarcerated
man, it is always a pleasure to
be present when they take
place. It is during these days
that we the population show
that we may have been a cancer
at one period in our lives, but
now we are in remission creating a healthy body and soul.

DON’T QUIT (2008) By Mona/Texas T.
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow ,
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out ,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
That you must not quit.

San Quentin News

JUNE, 2008

SHAKESPEARE’S BEST PERFORMANCE
Michael B. Willis
Wow! We made front page
news in the Marin Independent
Journal (March 04, 2008, Tuesday), for performing Shakespeare’s “Much to do About
Nothing.” Who would’ve thunk
it? Well, truth be told, I
wouldn’t have believed
it before June 2005.
Me, quoting Shakespeare!?
In prison?
Believe it or not, that’s
just what I’m doing
now. Using terms like,
“then, though o’er,
etc…”
This all began for
me walking through
SQ’s Arts in Correction’s Door looking for
their Creative Writing
Class. There stood the then
“Director,” Johnathan Gonzales,
and his two students J.B. Wells
and Ronin Holmes. Boy, were
they smooth and cordial. I informed them that I was looking
for the Creative Writing Class
(Ronin provided me with the

information because he was
also a participant in the group).
So they encouraged me to recite some of my poems, and
I’ve been with our troupe
eversince.

The first piece I performed
was Jacques (7 Ages of Man)
“All the World’s a Stage” from
“As You Like It.” This is also
where I met Professor Aldo
Billingsley from Santa Clara
University Arts and Theater
Department. Suffice it to say,

he is a giant in comparison to
myself in height (and on the
stage). He and his students
from Santa Clara performed
scenes from “A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.”
Our group has
grown and we’ve
changed directors
to Suraya Keating
(who challenges us
to reach our potential). I would’ve
never imagined the
impact that performing classical
literature could
have on my life. I
returned to school
and obtained my
GED and I’m presently nine classes away from
receiving my AA College Degree. My attitude and outlook
on life have changed. I am not
just ready for success, I’m prepared for it. I shall accomplish
great things. Keep your eyes
open and enjoy the show.

OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Helen Ameeta Singh
“If you have come to help
me you’r are wasting your
time…but if you have come because you liberation is bound up
with mine, then let us work together.”
I was honored to be asked
to write for the SQN. My hope is
that this can be a space that helps
facilitate healing and change.
The above quote came from the
(Austrailan) Aboriginal Political
Activist Group in the 1970s. It is
this spirit that I would like to
introduce myself. My name is
Helen Ameeta Singh; I am a
therapist and have been fortunate
enough to co-facilitate a group
on mental and emotional health
and wellness for the “TRUST”
here at San Quentin. I look forward to creating a space to talk
about some of the things that
impact our overall health and
wellness, which I see as being
made up of the physical, spiritual, and mental/emotional asComing Next Issue:
-More on Integration
-What’s up Digital TV?
-Convict to Warden
-SQ Film Production
-Graduation Ceremony
Send Submission to:
Education Dept. / SQ News
Death Row Stories Welcome
San Quentin News
USPS 4870-700
The opinions expressed herein do not
necessarily reflect those of the Administration, nor the inmate population, and should
be considered solely the opinion of the individual author unless specified.
Permission is granted to reprint articles
appearing in the San Quentin News provided
credit is given the author and this publication.
Administrative Review....R. Luna
Principal…...…………..T. Roberts
Vice Principal….…..….W. Reeves, Ed.D
Print Shop Supervisor....J. Wilkerson
Inside/Outside Advisor...J. Eagan
Executive Staff:
A. Tambora
M. Harris
K. Brydon
Thanks for all the help from everyone!
Printed by the students in the Vocational
Printing Program

pects of us.
Physical health is how our
bodies are functioning and feeling. It includes things like nutrition; what we are eating;
where exercise fits into our
daily lives; any medical conditions we may be struggling
with.
Our spiritual health and
well being is made of our individual beliefs around what sustains us. It helps give our lives
meaning and keep us going,
especially in the really tough
times. Being connected to what
gives our lives meaning is important to our overall health and
wellness because it allows us to
continue to stay connected to
our own humanity as we exist
within systems of oppression
(such as the prison environment) that seek to dehumanize
us.
O u r m e n t a l / e mo t i o n
health is how we think, fell and

act as we cope with life. It helps
determine how we handle stress,
relate to others, and make
choices in our lives. As we increase understanding about ourselves and what motivates our
behaviors, we become more able
to make changes to those behaviors that are negatively impacting us.
Being incarcerated, is very
challenging to a person’s well
being in may ways. Think about
those three aspects of your overall health and wellness. How
healthy is your body, spirit and
mind right now? Are any of
your behaviors causing harm to
any of these parts of you? How
do you support and nurture these
different aspects of your overall
health and wellness in the challenging situations that you’re in?
Until next time, peace and
blessings…Helen.

Page 4

“LIKE ME”
abdul al tawqui
done easily, yet instead we
Listen Lil’ Homie…
i’d rather have you like me, than choose to struggle and live
to be like me, See, cause if you deviently, over lookin all of
were like me, peace would be life’s possibilities, then have
unlikely, See, i live in a world the odaciety, to ask the queswhere its likely, some convict tion why me, See, i’d rather
will knife me, or the guntower have you like me, that to be
will snipe me, so I’d rather have just like me…
you like me, than to be like look thru my eyes and you’ll
see a color that’s bloody, walk
me…
i’m thinking…even if you were in my shoe’s you’ll need
to like me, which is unlikely, boot’s cause its muddy, strip
you’d probably be shisty, still in naked, squat and cough, spread
the street’s going dumb being you cheeks everyday made to
hiphy, lowdown, dirty, just like feel dirty, simply, i’d rather
me, aint nobody written me, my have you like me, that to be
only contact is when somebody just like me…
fight’s me, but even still, i’d not mindin nobody, not liven
rather have you like me, than to honestly, cost me my family,
rejected by society, got me
be just like me…
i wish i could make feel my hatin everybody, MATTER
FACT!
heart…
its cold and icy, treacherous, just i don’t want you to like me,
like prison life be, yet…you out hate me and berate me, cause
there actin bad, yeah lil’ homie, in the end, i’d rather see you
you gon end up like me, a has you liven nicely, instead of
been, a might be, or in the cell liven life in prison, JUST
wit some bandit tryin to make LIKE ME…
his wifey, liven life could be

SAN QUENTIN GIANTS
“WINNING” SEASON
David Marshall
The San Quentin Giants
have managed to win more than
they’ve lost, so far. This past
Saturday (May 31, 2008) there
was a sense of “wow” that the
“Santa Monica Suns” had come
over 500 miles just to play the
game we all love, Baseball!
While the San Quentin
Giants have plenty of dirt to
overturn before they can claim
they’re real contenders,
thoughts of the Suns seemed to
be that of, “No problem here.”
The Suns had their struggles, as did the San Quentin
Giants, but, after 5 innings, it
was 9-0 (San Quentin Giants).
With Chris Rich on the hill, it
was the 3rd time around for the
Suns batting order, and they got
to Chris and produced some
runs. Our coach, Kevin, pulled
Chris to be succeeded by
Marvin, who pitched for 2 innings, and walked 5 batters, and

hit 2 batsmen. Marvin appeared upset the coach pulled
him, but what coach wouldn’t.
The Suns scored, San
Quentin Giants then tacked on a
few more, and it came down to
the 8th and 9th innings. San
Quentin Giants up by 7 runs,
the Suns rallied for 3 in the 8th,
and 2 in the 9th. With the score
13-11, San Quentin Giants, the
Suns had the tying run at 2nd
base, 2 outs, and the count 3-2.
The Santa Monica Suns popped
up to end the game, final score
13-11, San Quentin Giants.
It seems that all the San
Quentin Giants want to do is
just play baseball, the re-living
of that old childhood game.
Those flashbacks of fame, and
the need for trusting each other
and the losing of sleep about
this or that. Really, though,
what San Quentin needs, is the
best 9 threw 9 innings.

SHARED EXPERIENCE

A SURVIVING SOUL
Dominique McDowell
The Healing Circle/No More Tears
They say when death
nears, your priorities change; so
with my experience with that, I
have a question: What is your
hope in the face of death?
I see a lot of people live on
hope, but it’s truly a hopelessness because the hope never
manifests to become true: “They
just don’t believe in miracles!”
I live with the homeless, I
play in the dirties playground
populated with bodies whose
souls has slipped through the
cracks of communities and end
up stripped of all essence. What
you see in me, or what you see

in you is all that’s left after the
soul has been tested, degraded,
mis-lead, lied to , forgotten,
slandered, abused, neglected,
manipulated, and looked down
upon. And what hurts the most
is: “I don’t even know how to
cry.” All of my tears have been
handcuffed years ago, so don’t
act like you don’t feel my pain
in this diabolical scheme of
soul-snatchin. So be prepared
for sacrifice, it builds character.
My soul always tells me that,
and, plus deep inside I know, if
I wasn’t built for this I’d be
dead by now.

“Things do not change;
we change.”
--Henry David Thoreau

“Learn to behave from
those who cannot.”
—Sanskrit

CO-EDITOR: MICHAEL HARRIS
It has been said on many occasions, “If these walls could
talk, what stories would flow
from them.” Well, San Quentin
now finds itself in a unique position to once again have its walls
speak. For the benefit of future
generations the San Quentin
News is here, for everyone to
share/express their thoughts, experiences, and ideas of the past
and present.
The human beings that are
encapsulated inside these prison
walls have the power to change
themselves, as well as influence
others in positive ways. Some of
us will never get out and others
will. What has become the obvious is that we can learn from our
mistakes, and so can others, if
we, as a community, are brave
enough to share in this undertaking.
San Quentin News intends to

Special thanks to:

be the vehicle to communicate
what’s going on inside that impact our lives. At the same
time, to convey our hopes and
dreams to an outside world.
As a prisoner/human myself,
I know that we are products of
our life’s experience. It is not
our individual, or collective,
faults. When it comes to the
behavioral information we receive from birth, and our various environmental backgrounds, we must deal with the
cards in our hands.
Nevertheless, we are responsible for our actions which
have produced our different
incarcerations. Yet, all humans
are responsible for the present.
The question now is what will
you do? What, about the
knowledge of life, will you
share?