Editorial San Quentin News
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We have updated our website with new features and stories. Check us out at sanquentinnews.com San Quentin News THE PULSE OF SAN QUENTIN Award Winner VOL. 2016 NO. 4 April 2016 SAN QUENTIN, CALIFORNIA 94964 www.sanquentinnews.com POPULATION 3,985 Teachers’ Forum Addresses School-to-Prison Pipeline “Teaching is a political act,” on, where on March 4 about a sentence for a 1998 murder he said Berkeley High School dozen convicted criminals met committed during school hours teacher Hasmig Minassian. with Bay Area teachers, a lo- at age 16. “It’s the job for the teacher to cal TV news producer, and an Barriers to the educational [ international author to discuss process became a central focus create safety for students.” solutions for keeping children of the roundtable discussion. Minassian said teachers need in school. “What is going on in these to be willing to act decisively “We come from unstable public schools that’s adding to [ homes, and then we come into the problem instead of helping avoid focusing on policies and an unstable school system. So kids?” asked Bowen Paulle, the practices that don’t work. the kids don’t change,” said author of “Toxic Schools.” She was speaking at a round- moderator Miguel Quezada, table at San Quentin State Pris- 34, who is serving a life See Teachers’ on Page 4 Photo by Eddie Herena -San Quentin News Dr. Ted Mitchell, shaking hands with a coding student U.S. Undersecretary Of Education Visits San Quentin By Juan Haines tion, which was hosted by the Staff Writer coding program Code.7370. “I have 312 days left to make Another cadre of inmates a difference,” Dr. Mitchell learning computer program said, referring to the amount of skills hosted a coding demon- time President Barack Obama stration at San Quentin State [ O Prison on March 15. too long, we’ve disregarded The undersecretary of the helping the incarcerated U.S. Department of Education, prosper.” Photo by Amanda Berger Dr. Ted Mitchell, was among Educators and participants of the Teacher’s Forum those attending the demonstra- See Undersecretary on Page 4 Enhancements Leave Thousands with Longer Sentences By David Eugene Archer Sr. with extraordinarily long sen- Journalism Guild Writer tences,” said NBC reporter Stephen Stock. Tens of thousands of Critics and researchers say convicted criminals are in dozens of “extra” provisions state prison longer than the exist in California’s penal sentence for their crime due code, which can be added on to California sentencing as a sentencing enhancement. enhancements. This has led to overcrowding The Investigative Unit of of the state’s prisons and in- “NBC Bay Area News” aired equity in sentences depending on the discretion of the pros- about unfair and unjust state ecutor and judicial officer, re- prison sentences. ports Stock. Photo by Eddie Herena -San Quentin News “Enhancements leave thou- Actress Susan Sarandon and SQ Warden Ron Davis sands of California inmates See Sentencing on Page 5 Kid CAT Banquet Inspires Important Notice: San Quentin News asks for National Juvenile Reform supporters to hold all By Rahsaan Thomas “You are such an asset,” said from attending the banquet for Journalism Guild Chairman Sarandon. “If I go into a school, Kid CAT (Creating Awareness donations for San Quentin News until further they are not going to listen to Together). Wearing a leg brace, notice. PLEASE DO NOT send any donations Actress Susan Sarandon me; but they’ll listen to you, and she made her way around the to either Prison Media Project or Media limped into San Quentin State you can make a difference.” tables in the Protestant Chapel, Alliance in support of San Quentin News. Prison to learn from incarcer- Sarandon fell down a interacting with the incarcerated ated Kid CAT members how she mountain, fracturing her ankle. men she met. Thank you for your patience and support. can help them stop the school- However, the proud New to-prison pipeline. Yorker didn’t let that stop her See Kid CAT on Page 10 Page 2 SAN QUENTIN NEWS www.sanquentinnews.com April 2016 Collette Carroll Undersecretary Visit 1 Trade Program 11 Teachers’ Forum 1 Arts & Entertainment 12 Enhancements 1 News Briefs 13 Kid CAT Banquet 1 Wordcross Puzzle 13 Dedicated to Collette Carroll 2 Gobierno Sector 14 PPI Research 3 Estadisticas 14 Court Uphold Prop. 89 3 Brown’s Proposal 14 CDCR New Blueprint 3 Changing Lives NBC Sparks Debate 15 CDCR Inmate Appeals 3 Death Penalty Initiatives 15 By Miguel Quezada Critics Question Prisons 4 Prison Stats Misleading 15 Staff Writer Distance Determine Visits 5 Asked On The Line 16 Prop. 47 Results 5 Yard Talk 16 Collette Carroll is the kind of Editorial 6 Scripture Graduation 16 San Quentin volunteer who sees SQ News Adviser 6 MAC Corner 16 [ & Kid CAT Speaks 7 Book Review 17 need was to prepare prisoners for their release into the outside Felon’s Second Chance 8 Watch This 17 world. SQ Annual Black History 8 Screening Visitors 17 After eight years volunteering Youth Offender Program 8 Sports 18 in the prison, she founded Court Blocks FCC 8 Sports 19 the organization that became Blues Quartet 9 Eddy Zheng 20 known as the California Reentry Institute (CRI). It led to her David Johnson 9 CGA Graduation 20 being recognized and honored as a leader in reentry services for the incarcerated in California. However, pre-release was not enough for Carroll. “It’s not UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY good enough to just prepare Graduate School of Journalism someone for freedom; they need assistance and resources to put into practice what they have learned,” she stated. In 2013, Carroll opened the so- Prisoners United in the Craft of Journalism cial enterprise 2nd Chance Bou- in collaboration with students from the tique, with the intent to make '#*[#+/<'# opened its own re-entry home, Roland’s House, named after her late husband. She describes the home as a safe place where the men in her program can receive Courtesy of Collette Carroll the specialized services to en- Roland Peck and Collette Carroll at SQ in 1994 sure their successful future. CRI was created when she re- San Quentin in 1994 with her dinary contributions to human- alized the work she was doing late husband, Roland Peck, a itarian aid and improve their San Quentin News strives to report on forward- was just scratching the surface. volunteer of 25 years, to attend communities. thinking approaches in criminal justice policies The program developed into a banquets in the chapel. In that same year, the comprehensive 18-to- 24 month “It was through my husband California Assembly awarded that support positive changes in prisoner behavior, curriculum. and the chapel that I was able Carroll with an Assembly particularly through rehabilitative efforts. The men learn extensive in- to meet and admire the men in Resolution. In March 2016, she sight into the causative factors P\ was honored as the Assembly’s We Want To Hear of their crime and the impact ![- 2016 Women of the Year. San on victims and focus heavily on unteer was to sing Christmas Carroll commented that From You! emotional development. They carols in the cellblocks to the “awards, or any honors, are The San Quentin News Quentin are immersed in an orientation incarcerated men. It was a tradi- ["#R% encourages inmates, free staff, to the latest technology, profes- tion she continued with her hus- I am — it’s not about me — it custody staff, volunteers and News others outside the institution to sional career-building and basic band until his passing. never has been about me but I submit articles. All submissions Current and past copies of the San = "- In 2015, she was honored as a realize the spotlight allows me become property of the Quentin News are posted online at: pants who have been in prison CNN Hero for her pre- and post- to give a voice to those that are San Quentin News. (www.sanquentinnews.com) for several decades, society has release work in San Quentin. doing the hard work, to be a Please use the following criteria (www.flickr.com/photos/san- changed drastically. The recognition is granted to voice for the people changing when submitting: quentinnews) # [ individuals who make extraor- their lives on the inside. That’s Permission is granted to reprint articles my heart.” than 350 words. appearing in the San Quentin News # “She is extremely dedicated,” provided credit is given to the author for content and length. and this publication, except for articles said Community Partnership # Manager Steve Emrick. “I’ve [ reprinted herein from other publications. the prison appeals process.) We had the great pleasure of work- Administrative Review encourage submitting articles that ing with Collette over the years are newsworthy and encompass R[ Lt. S. Robinson and building a relationship of issues that will have an impact on .................................................Sgt. Chris Siino trust. Importantly, Collette can the prison populace. [........... be trusted by the men because "## ...................................Kristina Khokhobashvili language in your submissions. she will always show up. It Senior Adviser .......................... John C. Eagan "$ would take a natural disaster to and drawings) are welcomed. Adviser ......................................Linda Xiques stop her from meeting with the # Adviser ............................William Drummond men.” short and to the point. Adviser .........................................Joan Lisetor “We try to help people un- Send Submissions to: Adviser ........................................Jon Spurlock derstand the causative factors CSP - San Quentin San Quentin News Staff of why they did what they did. Education Dept. / SQ News We try to help them understand 1 Main Street Executive Editor ...................Arnulfo T. Garcia San Quentin, CA 94964 Editor-in-Chief ......................R. Malik Harris the pain and harm they caused To receive a copy of the Managing Editor ..............Richard Richardson their victims and the ripple ef- an Quentin News S in the mail, Associate Editor ....................Kevin D.