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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 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 &