San Quentin News
THE PULSE OF SAN QUENTIN
VOL. 2009 NO. 1

JANUARY 15, 2009

SAN QUENTIN, CALIFORNIA 94964

POPULATION:5,429

San Quentin’s
New Warden (A)

R.K. Wong, Warden (A)
By SQ NEWS STAFF
A new acting (A) warden
officially took the helm of San
Quentin on Dec. 31, 2008. R.
K. Wong, Warden (A) spent the
previous two weeks walking
around SQ with former Warden
Robert Ayers, Jr., getting a feel

for his new assignment. Wong
last worked at San Quentin in
March of 2006, serving briefly
as interim warden.
Three months later, Wong
went on to another facility. He
has served as acting warden at
Lancaster, and most recently as
the chief deputy warden at Solano State Prison.
The new warden (A) is impressed with the depth and
scope of the programs that are
available at SQ, and plans to
continue the vision of former
Warden Ayers.
Wong, who began his career
at San Quentin in 1983, is continuing to become familiar with
the prison staff and prisoner
population. “It’s good to be
back,” Wong stated.

The Impact of
Proposition 9
By NOOR DAWOOD, Prison
Law Office, UNCOMMON
LAW, ROSEN BIEN &
GALVAN LLP
California state prisons are
currently at 195 percent capacity, annually imposing a $10
billion drain on the state’s
overburdened budget. Proposition 9’s limitation on early
release could obstruct California’s future attempts to address prison overcrowding.
California currently does not
release state prisoners early.
However, early release for
non-violent offenders has been
seriously considered by state
legislators as a means to ease
the strain on the bulging system. This proposition eliminates that option. The measure
further obligates legislators to
provide funding for prisoners
to serve out their full prison or
jail terms.
Overcrowding results in
unconstitutional prison conditions. This could plausibly be
used by legislators as justification for expanding prison construction, rather than pursuing
exceedingly less costly alternatives to incarceration for
non-violent prisoners. Additionally,
some
California
counties release jail prisoners
early, primarily in response to
federally imposed inmate
population caps. It is unclear
how jail operations would be
altered to accommodate this
clause while maintaining compliance with federal orders.
(For more details, see the
Legislative Analyst’s Office
online analysis of Proposition
9 at:
http:/www.lao.ca.gov/
bllot/2008/9_11_2008.aspx.)

Frequency of Hearings
For the past 20 years, the
annual parole rate for “lifer”
prisoners has been less than 1
percent. Proposition 9 extends
the default time lapse between
parole consideration hearings
from one to 15 years, further
reducing prisoners’ narrow
chances at parole. This law
applies to all term-to-life prisoners.
Moreover, under current
circumstances, it is implausible that the board would opt to
decrease the lapse between
hearings well below the15year default instituted by the
measure. Currently, the board
may only lengthen a standard
one-year parole denial if it
finds that it is unreasonable to

expect that parole will be
granted the following year.
Proposition 9 sets a much
tougher standard to shorten the
standard 15-year denial time;
the denial length may only be
curtailed if “clear and convincing evidence” demonstrates
that the prisoner does not require the total length of additional incarceration to maintain the safety of the public
and victims.
See Proposition 9 Page 2

T.R.U.S.T. Graduation Class of 2008 with volunteers and sponsors

24 Prisoners Celebrate
Responsibility Graduation
By DAVID MARSH
There were plenty of smiles
and words of encouragement
for the 24 men who, one by
one, made their way down the
aisle to the podium where each
received a handshake, a single
red rose, a T.R.U.S.T. bracelet,
and a certificate of graduation.
But for the men, the walk to
the stage through the packed
audience at the Garden Chapel
meant so much more than the
material presentations awaiting
them upon the stage.
For this was a ceremony to
note the achievement of a personal milestone, or perhaps to
mark the first step on the road

to a potentially life-changing
personal transformation. These
men had completed the rigorous and comprehensive 22
week program of workshops,
classes and symposiums that
are the heart of the leadership
program sponsored by the San
Quentin T.R.U.S.T. (Teaching
Responsibility Utilizing Sociological Training) for the Development of Incarcerated
Men.
The S.Q. T.R.U.S.T. is the
behind-the-walls affiliate of a
national organization, The National T.R.U.S.T., whose goal
it is to work with men to purge
negative thought processes and
re-awaken them to their his-

tory, culture and values. And in
the process, to develop within
them a sense of responsibility,
respect, unity, pride and integrity. It is hoped that upon completion of the training program,
the men will be able to utilize
the tools that they have learned
to assimilate back into society
successfully, capable of making
positive changes in themselves
and their communities.
The graduation ceremony
featured a number of speakers
and an audience which included
program sponsors, outside community affiliates, T.R.U.S.T.
board members and a number of
previous graduates.
See T.R.U.S.T. Page 2

Hep-C Protocol Hits Snag
By MICHAEL R. HARRIS
& KAMAL SEFELDEEN
Hepatitis C is flooding California prisons, threatening to
overwhelm the state’s inmate
medical system.
The serious medical disease
is increasing by 300 cases per
year in prisons, “indicating an
endemic,” says Dr. Tootell, San
Quentin’s chief medical officer.
Hepatitis C rates are 60 percent among Reception Centers
inmates and 40 percent among
General Population inmates,
according to a study by California Medical Facility (CMF).
Federal Receiver J. Clark
Kelso’s plan to bring the state’s
prison health care system into
constitutional compliance includes a detailed protocol for
Hep-C treatment. The plan was
presented to federal Judge Thelton E. Henderson, who appointed Kelso.
The new protocol provides
for a team approach, called
Team Model Hep-C. When the
disease is detected upon the
arrival of a prisoner, a registered nurse and lab technician
identify the infected person.
The Hep-C Clinic coordinator

assigns the inmate to a primary
care physician or a Hep-C treating clinician. Advanced cases
are referred to a hepatologist
and radiologist for cancer
evaluation. A transplant specialist will assess the liver condition for potential placement

Dr. E. Tootell,
Chief Medical Officer
on a transplant list.
Kelso’s Hep-C protocol has
not been implemented. No HepC coordinator exists in any of
the 33 California prisons.
Treatment with Ribviran and
Pegylated Interferon, the pri-

mary treatment, remains expensive with many side effects
“I can’t apply this treatment
on a large-scale with a clear
conscience. It would be unethical to do so. The harmful effect
is way higher than the benefits,” says Dr. Tootell. She said
that the severity of the side effect did not preclude staff physicians from prescribing the
treatment to selective inmate
patients.
California Health and Safety
Code Section 103885 (Ken
Maddy Cancer Registry) requires reporting of treatment for
cancer patients. Liver cirrhosis
can develop into liver cancer.
“If a patient doesn’t know he
has developed liver cancer,
there is no need to refer him to
treatment management, and he
will not be referred to treatment
management until there is proof
of cancer,” said Russell “Rusty”
Trunzo, 52, a recently released
prisoner. “I received treatment,
but it was too late. I waited for
years to get a liver biopsy, and
when it finally happens, I found
out I have stage-three cirrhosis.”
See Hepatitis C Page 2

Page 2

JANUARY 15, 2009

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

T.R.U.S.T
Continued from Page 1
T.R.U.S.T. board member
Paul Jordan opened the Dec. 2
ceremony, and served as the
master of ceremonies. Jordan
praised the many people who
have worked together in support of the group. “We are
really blessed to have the full
support from these gifted people. Doctors, lawyers and professors, they each come in to
SQ to lend their support to the
vision of men helping one
another,” he said. And with
that, he introduced the program’s first speaker.
The executive director of
The National TRUST, Dr.
Garry Mendez, took the stage
to congratulate the recent
graduates and commend the
work that each has done in an
effort to prepare themselves
for the work ahead, and to
encourage each man present to
respect himself and those
around him. “I have a vision
that I will be helping you see
more about yourself,” said
Mendez. “You are a person
who must accept who you are.
TRUSTFELLOWS is a leadership program, and not a prison
program,” Mendez said in
stressing to the graduates that
the program’s values will
work for them both inside and
outside the walls of the prison.
Many of the graduates
shared a unique affinity for
the next speaker to make his
way to the podium. For Rah-

man Willie Green, former
T.R.U.S.T. chairman and a
long-time Lifer resident of
SQ’s North Block had been
there at the beginning for
many of these men. Green was
the mentor that so many of
them had looked to for leadership following their induction
into the T.R.U.S.T. Green had
been released earlier in the

Dr. Garry Mendez
National T.R.U.ST. Founder
year after serving more than
25 years in prison, when a Los
Angeles judge threw out his
conviction after ruling that the
main witness against him had
lied. So when Green spoke to
the men of hope and a belief
in themselves, his message
resonated well.
“I never gave up on myself,” said Green, and I will
not give up on you, either.”
Green shared with the men of
just how the tools that he,
himself, had learned inside the
walls and taken out to the

Proposition 9
Continued from Page 1
With a current backlog of
overdue parole consideration
hearings already at nearly
1,500 cases, as well as growing
pressure from prosecutors and
victims’ rights groups to increase the period between
hearings, there is little likelihood that commissioners will
significantly cut back denials
below 15 years. For many lifer
prisoners, a 15-year parole
denial could mean they will die
of old age in prison.
The further severing of prisoners’ ties to the community
makes both prisons and communities less safe – not more.
Further, most lifer prisoners are
over the age of 40 at the time of
their first parole board hearing.
By significantly extending prisoners’ time in prison, this
amendment will dramatically
increase the housing and medical costs necessary to support
this aging population.
Victims’ Role in Hearings
Proposition 9 significantly
expands victims’ role in parole
hearings. These amendments
are the opposite of parole consideration hearings’ stated purpose: to determine whether a
prisoner poses a risk to society.
Victims and their families are
deeply impacted by these

crimes – an impact that remains decades later – but rarely
do they possess evidence relating to the prisoner’s current
threat (which the California
Supreme Court recently made
clear is the only relevant issue
in a parole hearing). This measure is intended to play on the
board’s sympathy for victims
and their families, which may
distract from the board’s obligation to make an objective and
sound judgment regarding the
prisoner’s suitability for release. Proposition 9’s expanded
definition for the victim
“representative” could dramatically alter parole proceedings.
Prior to Proposition 9’s enactment, a representative had to
be a member of the victim’s
family or household and he or
she was only permitted to attend or testify at hearings if the
victim and next of kin were
unable to attend. Proposition
9’s elimination of these requirements opens the door for any
individual to attend and testify
against the prisoner in parole
consideration hearing. For example, prosecutors could be
hired to speak against the prisoner, and victims’ rights groups
could even send “professional
victims” to testify at all parole
consideration hearings. The
initiative further states that prisoners and prisoners’ attorneys
are prohibited from asking
questions of victims or victims’

streets had contributed to his
ability to enrich and enjoy his
new life. A life that includes
his work with parolees as he
assists them into reintegrating
back into society. “There is
not a day that I do not think
about you,” a smiling Green
told the men. “I am having fun
out there, learning and growing each day. I pray that every
one of you will join me out
here with your families.”
Following someone like
Green with his special bond
with the graduating men could
not have been easy, but class
valedictorian Michael “Yoshi”
Nelson next shared briefly
with the audience his own
perspective on what the training had meant for him.
“Taking the time to listen and
get to know one another is
important,” said Nelson. “We
can all use the tools that have
been offered in T.R.U.S.T.
The graduates then received their certificates from
Dr. Amy Smith, a psychologist, sponsor and supporter for
the T.R.U.S.T., who thanked
the group for allowing her to
be a part of the learning process. “…this class is very special because I have learned
more about life and the world
through each of you here. As
you have turned a liability
into an asset. It is an honor to
be here with you,” Smith said
in her remarks to the audience.
The chief sponsor for the
group, Lt. Sam Robinson, delivered the closing comments
to the graduating class and the
audience. Robinson praised

“…the transformative effects
of the values that you have
learned and acquired. It is a
good heart and a good head
that will lead you forward in
life.”
In addition to the numerous workshops, lectures and
symposiums that the
T.R.U.S.T. offers, both members and non-members alike
can appreciate and enjoy the
Yoga classes offered and the
Health Fair held each year at
SQ. In addition, the group
sponsors Anger Management
workshops, a class on Mental
Health, Cultural Concerts, and
the Richmond ProjectViolence Prevention; which
brings community members
and leaders to meet with prisoners in an attempt to resolve
issues of violence in the community. The men of the Richmond Project group are also
working to create a curriculum for re-entry.
Since the T.R.U.S.T. became an organization in SQ in
2003, they have graduated 84
men through the program. The
group meets in the Inter-Faith
Chapel Thursday afternoons
from 2:30-5:00. It is open to
all men with one over-riding
qualification; a desire for
change in their lives. The
T.R.U.S.T. is now a part of
the STAND-UP program utilized in H-Unit. Sign-ups for
the program will soon be
posted in each of the H-Unit
dorms and North Block late
February.
Contributing writers
RAPAEL CALIX &
MICHAEL R. HARRIS

affiliates at parole hearings, and
no one may interrupt a victim’s
(or victim affiliate’s) testimony.
Under current procedure,
victim testimony occurs at the
end of each hearing, and no
further comment is permitted
by the prisoner or prisoner’s
attorney following that testimony. As a result, the only opportunity to question the validity of the victim’s testimony is
to interrupt and draw the
board’s attention to unsupported claims or deviation from
the permitted scope. Under
Proposition 9, unproven allegations by victims will be accepted by the board without
providing prisoners with an
opportunity to address those
allegations. Proposition 9 additionally requires the board to
consider the “views and interests” of the victim before
scheduling a subsequent parole
consideration hearing. This
could be interpreted to delay a
hearing beyond the statutory
due date if it is inconvenient for
the victim to attend.

Rehabilitation to provide prisoners with rights beyond those
mandated by state and federal
law. Under the strain of severe
overcrowding, legislators could
use this provision to cut
“extraneous” costs in order to
redirect funding towards prison
expansion. The likelihood of this
prospect is heightened by Proposition 9’s requirement that legislators fund prisoners’ full terms.
Parole Revocation Hearings
A court injunction has placed
this portion on hold. Proposition
9 includes several provisions to
curtail parolees’ due process
rights in parole revocation proceedings. These changes directly
challenge the stipulated permanent injunction in Valdivia v.
Davis, a 2004 federal court order establishing those rights.

Continued from Page 1
“Unlike HIV, Hep-C is a
disease that doesn’t have the
political and the public support
to educate people and make
them aware that Hep.C infection is much higher and rapidly
spreading in the U.S,” says Dr.
Tootell.
She said the four northern
California centers equipped for
liver transplants are: UC Davis,
with over 850 in waiting list
(currently closed for intake due
to lack of funds), UCSF Medical Center, California Pacific
Medical Center, with 450 on
waiting list, and Stanford Medical Center, with nearly 440 on a
waiting list.
“One donated liver can accommodate the need of two
recipients,” says a infectious
disease specialist.
The medical centers under
contract with CDCR claim that
their refusal of intake to inmates transplant cases is due to
inconsistency of CDCR followups.
“Stanford would not take
inmate patients because they
are not sure CDCR would dispense anti-rejection injections
and prescribed medication accordingly,” says a treating physician at CDCR.
“There are many surgical
procedures we can do to manage liver cirrhosis, but we just
don’t perform liver transplant
for prisoners,” says Dr. Scott
Biggins, a hepatologist at UCSF
Medical Center.
Tootell said it’s discriminatory for UCSF to prevent a life
from being saved just because it
belongs to a prisoner. She said
the state has performed poorly
in contracting with medical
centers, which need CDCR
money to bail them financially.
“Once these contracted centers and hospitals are out of
financial problems, they no
longer need the CDCR money
and their service is selectively
applied,” says Tootell.
Dr. Tootell said the delay in
implementing Kelso’s Hep-C
protocol is not due to a money
shortage, but the problem with
getting the right people in place
to make it happen. She said the
plan should be in place within
six months.

L.A. District Attorney
Opposes Prop. 9
By SQ NEWS STAFF

Prisoners’ Rights
The initiative includes a
vague provision limiting prisoners’ rights to those designated
in the U.S. constitution and
California statutes. The provision could potentially negate
various rights now afforded to
prisoners, such as visitation,
higher education and recreational programming. Additionally, the change could interfere
with some court-ordered consent decrees requiring the Department of Corrections and

Hep
-C-

Los Angeles County District
Attorney Steve Cooley expects
little immediate change following voter approval of Proposition 9. or Marsy’s Law.
Cooley, who has opposed the
law, feels Proposition 9 will be
successfully challenged in the
courts and is flawed in several
areas.
“We are still analyzing it,”
Cooley said, “Our initial take is
Proposition 9 is unconstitutional,
especially if it’s applied retroactively.”

Wording in Proposition 9
allows victims the right to confer with prosecutors on what
charges the accused will face.
Cooley adamantly opposes what
he views as interference from
persons outside his office.
“It will not happen,” said
Cooley. “They will have to sue
me. Just because you have the
status of a victim doesn’t make
you an expert.”
He points out that victims
have not taken the oath that is
required of attorneys and that
victims are generally untrained
in the law.

JANUARY 15, 2009

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

Page 3

Restorative Justice
By MONTA K. TINDAL
& KEVIN PENN
It was murder, kidnap or rape
that brought them to this point
in their lives. Some call them
victims and some call them
survivors. The word victim
seems so callous but as an offender I gave that word its life.
These survivors came to attend
a Restorative Justice (“RJ”)
Symposium.
The issues were Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration. Fifty people from around
the globe came, and some were
victims/survivors, others came
to help resolve the problems or
our world.
They told haunted stories of
being kidnapped, raped, and
even the loss of innocence of a
9-year-old child. I came to RJ
to listen to the pain poured out
in words; the words expressed
and touched the very core of
my being. Even through all
their pain, some were able to
overcome their hurt and make
profound statements of forgiveness, and healing.
One survivor stated, “Even
through all my pain some were
able to over-come their hurt and
make profound statements of
forgiveness, and healing. Another survivor stated, “Even
through all my pain, when I
first came in today, the only
thing I saw, was loving faces.”
Leonard Rubio welcomed
everyone at 9:30. A prayer,

written by a condemned prisoner, was read by Robert “Red”
Frye. The sister of Angela
Davis, Fania Davis was our first
guest speaker. Davis marched
with Dr. King, and played a
vital role in the adoption of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. As a
lawyer,
Ph.D.,
Freedom
Fighter, motivational speaker; a
supporter of RJ.
Kevin Penn asked Davis,
“Why is Restorative Justice
needed?”
“We need to substantiate our
spirit,” answered Davis, “It’s
headed in the wrong direction.
Restorative Justice helps turn
everything around. Peace isn’t
always easy.”
“How has Restorative Justice
impacted your life?” he asked
next.
“In 1996, I left law practice,
and turned towards spiritual
healing, anger was a motivation;” answered Davis, “I was
ready to bring down the system.
Restorative Justice in Africa
gave balance back into my life,
which changed my perspective
of ‘Screw the white mentality,’
to a more subtle guest of, will
this bring more conflict or bring
more peace. Restorative Justice
just grounded me.”
At 11:30 there were breakout groups, which consisted of
survivors and offenders; they
were asked to analyze two
questions: What is the impact of
violence on victims, survivors,
community, and offenders fam-

ily?
How does RJ apply to
you? After these break outs, we
went into other stories from
victims/survivors. A victim by
her own son’s actions of murder, Pat Cleveland told of trips
she had to endure in order to
sustain her family life.
In an interview with Parole
Agent “Sharon,” of Victim Services, Kevin Penn asked why
RJ was needed from a correctional officer’s point of view.
She stated, “I believe that the
power of healing that Restorative Justice brings amazes me,
how people sharing their loss
helps them. You know, Restorative Justice is not believed
to be accountability, but it is the
true essence of accountability.
There are men who need to be
in prison. It angers me that
there isn’t more assistance in
enlighting the public and the
incarcerated on responsibility.”
Kevin Pen then asked, “How
has Restorative Justice impacted your life?”
“I was familiar with the concept,” she answered, “and practiced
Restorative
Justice
through my commitment with
Victim Services. Restorative
Justice awakened me to ‘live it
and be it.’”
Jill Weston of CDCR’s Victim Services stated, “As a 25year CDCR employee, it’s encouraging to see victims/
survivors program offenders put
together. These necessary program are rarely seen, and are a

critical part of the ‘R’ in rehabilitation, especially for offenders who will return to our
communities.
Restorative
Justice creates accountability
and an opportunity for offenders to do no further harm.”
Right before the end of our
day, we were all mesmerized
by Ms. Arlindo Love, who
performed a dance.
Ms.
Love, being a past offender as
well as losing a son to gun
violence, is a firm believer in
the power of RJ. “It helps
heal the soul and makes the
world a better place,” she
said, “Restorative Justice
means healing for all.”
There was so much pain
expressed through testimony,
that I myself felt the pain that
I caused my family. Each day
I live with the responsibility
of
what
I’ve
caused.
Thereby, I acknowledge that
rehabilitation is yet to come
in my life. It was sad that the
youth in H-Unit weren’t allowed the opportunity of rehabilitation in this program
and others like them. Those
are the very ones who will be
back in our communities lost:
someone dropped the ball.
It makes one wonder who
wants to take the “R” out of
CDCR and what’s their real
motivation. I’m proud to be a
part of the RJ’s table, envisioning ways to give Restorative Justice, one step at a
time.

Administrative Segregation:
One Giant Leap Backward
By JEFF BROOKS
Without exception, mainline
prisoners find brief stays in San
Quentin’s South Block Administrative Segregation Unit, “The
Hole,” are deplorable.
With a large population of
North Block prisoners doing
life sentences, on occasion a
prisoner may find himself in
trouble and sent to Carson Section, where The Hole is located,
until staff resolves the situation
that got him there.
The resounding word that is
echoed by prisoners who return
from The Hole is how inexcusable the conditions are. Terry
Burton, 49, is a prisoner serving
30 years-to-life under California Three Strikes law and incarcerated since 1998. He recently
found himself sitting in The
Hole for 30 days after being
involved in mutual combat.
Upon his release, Burton said,
“When I was put into the cell it
was despicable. There was no
ventilation, there was dirt, hairballs, and the bars were all
sticky. The mattress was completely ripped up and shredded,
the lights didn’t work properly
and I never could get them to
fix them. I couldn’t even begin
to think that staff thought this
cell was livable.”
Burton described his arrival
in The Hole as complete depravation and said he found it very
deflating and depressing. “It
felt like being arrested again,

like being knocked down,” he
said, “My self-worth and selfesteem seemed to go down; it
was a very oppressive place.”
Burton was ultimately found
not guilty of any rule violations
and returned to North Block to
resume his normal program.
Alfred “Skip” Fernandes,
55, incarcerated since 1982 on a
16-to-life second degree murder
conviction, recently spent 30
days in The Hole. Fernandez
said, “The whole time that I
was in The Hole I only got one
sheet exchanged. Half the time
we were supposed to get showers, they got canceled due to a
shortage of staff and only one
time was a book exchange
done. I think it’s degrading the
way we are being denied the
most basic of rights.”
The administration cleared
him of any wrongdoing and
sent him back to North Block.
McKinley “Mac” Dupree,
66, a three-striker serving 40
years-to-life,
spent
seven
months in The Hole. He said,
“The cell was very dirty; the
whole time I was there I couldn’t get any cleaning supplies. I
didn’t get a spoon for two days
and I was never given a cup to
drink with. I only got toothpowder and a replacement
toothbrush two times in the
seven months that I was in
there. There never was a librarian or a CO that did book exchange, which forced prisoners
to ‘fish’ outside the bottom of

their cell doors just so we could
read a book. I was wanting to
speak to a chaplain, but not
once did one ever come by.”
Sgt. D. Kilmer, a correctional officer since 1988, is the
third watch sergeant in charge
of The Hole in Carson Section
since January 2008. Kilmer
said, “The Enhanced Out Patient (EOP) prisoners need constant care, and it is a constant
challenge. San Quentin would
be better served if they were at
an institution designed specifically to deal with their problems if they were in a hospital it
would serve them better.”
When asked about prisoners
not receiving supplies and services, Kilmer said that supplies
and services are provided to
the inmate, if any inmate needs
something, all he has to do is
ask the tier officer. Kilmer
said, “Prior to placing an inmate in a cell the tier officer
signs off on the cell file that
the lights, toilet, sink, and mattress are all in good order, and
the cell is contraband free.”
Asked about prisoners complaints about lights not working in the cells, Kilmer said,
“The maintenance repair on
lights could be better.”
Eugene Pena, 52, a lifer
has been incarcerated since
1991. He spent 31 days in The
Hole.
Pena said, “I couldn’t get
anything from the tier officer, I
asked and asked but they ig-

nored me. I couldn’t get a Title 15 (rules book), a writing
pen, a spoon, cleaning supplies
of any kind, a toothbrush, I
mean, nothing.”
Prisoners have told staff and
other prisoners of the filthy
conditions of the cells, and
some incarcerated have returned to North Block with
staph infections.
Burton suggested that a way
to improve conditions in The
Hole is by having “fish kits”
issued that contain the legally
bare necessities for prisoners
in The Hole: toilet paper, soap,
toothbrush, tooth powder, eating utensil, cup, writing pen,
paper, five indigent envelopes,
cleaning powder, two bed
sheets, a blanket, a book, earplugs and, if needed, reading
glasses.
Additionally, prisoners who
have been to The Hole say that
all cells need to be inspected to
make sure the mattress is in
good condition, not ripped
open and they are clean and
sanitary. The prisoners should
not be placed in any cell when
the lights, toilet or sink is not
working properly.
While most lifer prisoners
rarely find themselves in The
Hole, prisoners who come
back from there describe it as
taking one giant leap backward
in their programs.
One inmate said, “If you
ever go there, you won’t ever
want to go back. It is nasty.”

Released
Inmates
Face
High
Death
Rates
By DAVID MARSH
At a time when the percentage of American adults
serving time behind bars has
reached an all time high, a
study published in the New
England Journal Of Medicine
found that recently released
prisoners suffer a risk of dying
during the first two weeks following release is 12.7 times
greater than other persons.
The study found that the
two-week reentry period was
extremely critical for former
prisoners, many of died from a
variety of causes such as drug
overdose, cardiovascular disease, homicide and suicide.
The lives of over 30,000
prisoners freshly released from
the Washington State Department of Corrections were
monitored for 1.9 years following their release from July
1999 through December 2003.
The rate of mortality during
the 1.9 month follow-up period
was a risk of death 3.5 times
that of other state residents.
The majority of those in the
study were non-Hispanic
whites (62 percent), despite the
fact that non-whites generally
make up a disproportionate
number of prison populations.
The authors also noted that the
study pertained only to a
prison system in a single state
in the United States, Washington, and that a wide variety of
socio-economic and demographic factors could drastically affect the results of the
study.
The study pointed to the
stressful rigors faced by former
prisoners during the reentry
period as they are forced to
locate housing and employment and access to health care,
while also attempting to reintegrate into their families and
communities.
The leading cause of death
among prisoners in the study
group during the 1.9-year follow-up period was 103 deaths
due to drug overdose, caused
primarily by cocaine use.
Other leading causes of overdose deaths in the group were
methamphetamine (19), heroin
(18) and methadone (18).
The second leading cause of
death (56) was due to cardiovascular related issues, followed by homicides with 54
deaths.
It was noted that efforts to
reduce the high mortality rates
of newly released prisoners
should include interventions
focused on transitional planning. Such planning would
include work-release and drugtreatment programs, halfway
houses and improving access
to mental and medical health
care for newly released former
prisoners.

Page 4

JANUARY 15, 2009

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

Clinton T. Duffy, San Quentin Reformer
(Part 3 of a 3-part series)
When Clinton Truman
Duffy became warden in 1940,
no one expected San Quentin to
change. Because of the public’s
revulsion at the prison’s sadism
and corruption, San Quentin
seemed to need a lion tamer or
bomb disposal expert. Instead,
it got a meek, mild-mannered
little man who wore goldrimmed glasses and a rosebud
in his lapel.
Appointed temporarily for
30 days while the governor
searched for a more impressive
crusader, the new acting warden
turned out to be a piece of the
sun, radiating an energy and
force unlike anything ever seen
in the history of American penology.
During the 11 years that
followed, Duffy, growing in an
idealism obsessed with exposing rot and corruption, never
abandoned his belief that San
Quentin could rehabilitate as
well as punish.
“Never confuse fairness with
softness,” he told his officers,
“as we assign men in trades or
to school.” He then established
broad programs of academic
and vocational training.
He was the first warden in
the nation to allow convicts to
listen to radios in their cells. He

organized extensive recreational programs for both athletes and non-athletes, believing
strongly that physical fitness
led to psychological health and
well-being. He inaugurated a
prison newspaper to which he
contributed a regular column,
“Facts Not Rumors,” He established the first chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous and allowed
prisoners to pursue handicrafts
such as belts and wallets.
He
wrote
the
first
“scientific” classification system and advanced changes in
parole policies. During World
War II, he supervised an unequaled prison contribution to
the military efforts. Bands, music, religious clubs and activities, as well as a radio station
with inmate DJs and commentators became an integral part of
prison life.
As warden, Duffy watched
150 die in the gas chamber,
never hesitating to explain his
opposition to the death penalty.
He maintained that only the
poor were executed and that the
death sentence did not deter
crime.
“We want an eye for an eye
and that’s wrong,” he once said.
“It is wrong for these people to
kill and it’s wrong for the state

Clinton Duffy: Warden
1940-1951
memoirs, Warden’s Wife which
was published in 1959, she describes how “the men” got to
know her. After the Japanese
bombing of Pearl Harbor on
Dec. 7, 1941, the prisoners
nearly panicked in the unexplained blackout that evening.
Gladys took the microphone of
the “Gray Network,” the San
Quentin radio system, and ex-

plained that all the lights in the
greater Bay Area had been
turned off to thwart a possible
Japanese aerial attack. The inmates also came to know her
through her visits to the movies,
unprecedented for a warden’s
wife, and to the chapel.
In early January 1952, Duffy
turned San Quentin over to his
first assistant, Harley Oliver
Teets, and became a member of
the state’s parole fixing adult
authority. As he walked the
upper yard for the last time as
warden, a rheumy lifer clutched
his hand and said, “I speak for
my fellow prisoners. God bless
you, Mr. Duffy. You’ll never
know what you did for us.”
After Gladys’ death in 1969,
Clinton Duffy lived another 13
years working tirelessly to improve his staff, the guard line,
and the Department of Corrections. He had served more than
32 years.
In 1972, he was honored by
President Richard M. Nixon for
his public service and humanitarianism. The commendation
read in part, “In recognition of
exceptional service to others in
the finest American tradition.”
Before his death on Oct. 13,
1982, at the age of 84, Duffy
had authored four books on

prison life and problems. The
best known were The San
Quentin Story, 88 Men and Two
Women, and Sex and Crime.
No one who knew him,
worked with him or served a
sentence under his watchful eye
as warden disputed the unofficial title the media gave him,
“Father of Modern Penology.”
But he was much more than
this. If it’s true that a great man
rises out of the need of his time,
then Clinton Duffy appeared on
the scene when the need to fight
corruption and brutality was
most pressing. This powerful
but kindly man addressed himself only to the deplorable conditions he found at San Quentin, the safety of his staff and
the rehabilitation of his prisoners.
This simple three part series
hardly honors a warden who
should be measured not by his
extraordinary accomplishments,
but by his vision of the future
for the incarcerated. That vision
included an unfailing respect
for almost all human beings
who have in them the capacity
to do well, to be good, if only
given a chance.
Researched and
written by Don DeNevi.

Warden Johnson
Curbed Abuses at
Folsom, San Quentin

‘Life’
With
Cancer

(This is the first of a
three-part series on California
prisons reform.)

By KENNETH R. BRYDON
Editor-in-Chief
Homer McWilliams began
his 15-to-life prison term at
age 23; he has now turned 50.
McWilliams murdered Jeff
Stewart after he walked in on
Stewart with his “Old Lady.”
Though Stewart’s family remains bitter towards
McWilliams, they’re not opposing his parole.
During the 15 years at San
Quentin he’s earned a twoyear college degree and is
now working on his bachelor’s degree through Ohio
University. He’s clean and
sober and a graduate of the
Victim Offender Education
Group program. McWilliams
married Myriam in 1994, and
she remains in his life.
In the spring of 2007
McWilliams prepared for
another hearing. On the day
before he was called to medical and informed he had a
cancerous tumor in his leg .
A specialist advised
McWilliams to have his leg
amputated. The next day the
Parole Board found him suitable. “Having a date at this
time was bitter sweet,”
McWilliams said.
North Block physician Dr.
Rand sought out a second
opinion for McWilliams, who
determined his leg could be
saved. On Dec. 18, 2007, a
golf ball sized tumor was

to kill.” Even after he retired,
he continued fighting for the
men on death row.
Clinton’s wife, Gladys, was
known as “Mother Duffy” to
thousands of inmates who had
nothing but the highest respect
and admiration for her. In her

By RAPHAEL CALIX
Homer McWilliams
removed and he started treatment. Then, the Governor
again revoked his release
date.
“I felt irate,” said
McWilliams, “but I didn’t let
it stop me from my goal of
being paroled. I took it in
stride and concentrated on
medical treatments.”
Another tumor was later
discovered in the area of
McWilliams’s pelvic bone.
Another surgery and six
weeks of radiation were completed in July 2008.
A
growth
remains
in
McWilliams’s groin area and
he says, “You find yourself a
little bit more, looking inside
and asking questions, like
what if I do lose my leg and
what quality of life will I
have?”
In December 2008, a third
release date was given. “My
future looks bright,” he says,
“Having cancer has made me
look at things more humbly.
Too many times you take
things seriously when there’s
nothing.”
During the period from
January 2000 through June
2007, 924 Lifers have died in
prison. In that same period
only 140 Lifers have been
paroled.

In the early years of the 20th
century, riots, revolts, plots,
escapes, killings and investigations had spread like an incurable disease within the bowels
of Folsom and San Quentin
prisons. The evil was a cancer
and a cure was necessary.
The governor of California
in 1912 was Hiram Johnson,
and the order for change could
only come from him. Folsom
was bursting at its seams with
violence. Therefore, the governor chose as warden a “new
man,” to implement the necessary changes. James A. Johnston was the man chosen. His
previous experience was in fiscal matters.
“Prisoners were in an ugly
mood. Punishments were plenty
but apparently ineffective. Discipline was not improving. In
fact it was getting worse,”
Johnston said in his 1937 book
Prison Life Is Different.
San Quentin and Folsom
both utilized corporal punishment freely. Johnston wrote,
“Prisoners who broke the rules
were severely punished. They
were regarded as a hard bunch
and treated rough. The dungeon
was always full, and the ‘back
alley’ was fitted up as a place of
punishment.”
Hooks meant a prisoner was

Prisoners in classrooms, some of the benefits of prison reform
shackled and fettered, then
pulled up, his arms twisted behind him, his neck and shoulders wrenched, his head lowering to his chest and his feet
straining to touch the floor. In
Johnston’s view, “Such punishments were barbarously brutal.”
It was time for “a new way” to
run the California penal system.
As the new warden at Folsom, Johnston abolished corporal punishment. The experts
said it could not be done. “I
told the governor that I knew
the head-and-heart handling of
men, and that I thought I could
make an impression on the prisoners without using a club,”
Johnston said.
“It is well to have prison
reform and to do all that we can
and ought for the unfortunate,
the erring and the sinful. But it
is more important to prevent the
disgrace, the shame, and the

suffering in the first place. just
as the modern school of medicine devotes more and more
time to destroying the germs
which make disease instead of
letting unhygienic conditions
produce illness and then applying medicines, so must the philanthropist, the publicist, the
official, the humanitarian, and
the industrial captain act as
social physicians and lay a hand
to the work of ameliorating the
conditions which in many cases
are responsible for crime.”
Johnston became the Folsom State Prison warden on
June 01, 1912. Because the
governor and prison directors
liked his “new way” of running
a prison, in November 1913
they asked him to take charge
of San Quentin as well. He
became warden for two of the
most notorious prisons in
America.

JANUARY 15, 2009

Page 5

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

An Appreciation
of Poetry

Arts & Entertainment

were blown away by the talent
displayed that evening. I was
floored by the cultural diversity
and the range of subject matter
uniquely expressed in each performers piece. The unity, respect and admiration held by
everyone in attendance were
astonishing. Even Dominique
Brassey, a Patten College tutor,
was compelled to perform.
The men of San Quentin
would like to send out a special
thanks to Jennifer Scaife.
Whether performing poetry, rap
of Shakespeare, you are always
willing to see the men of S.Q.
for the human beings that we
are and not the way society may
portray us.

By BLACK MYTH

Poetry

Snippets

I Know…..

The term “Basket Case” was

I know who I am the black dot centered
in the light the silent peace wedged
deep between the struggle in the fight
I am the star in the sky of night
leading to freedom simply by shining bright I am the first atom
made flesh
I bless you with my greatness and you
hate this the fact that I gave the world
language history explains this
I am the pharaoh who wrote the letter
to Rosetta on stone encrypting my code
of ethics on the homes of my people
whom were buried in pyramids wrapped
in the finest clothes our bodies draped
in shimmering emeralds, diamonds & gold
while your corpses lay rotting in the womb
of our mother earth and I know back then
that my people saw more with one third
of an eye than at present you do with the
whole of two must I remind you that
the heavens were our mansions and thee
obelisk were then what you would now call
trump towers that towered over all
great or small yes I built the walls
of Babel and the fortress of Babylon from
which the great wall of china tried to
duplicate but could not replicate
I gave them arts to martial limestone
and marble to sculpture I am your
culture most humans know
by the evidence of their lips nose and skin
that they are of African melanin
and who do you think gave Indians
their bow and arrows it was the Zulus
who for centuries had traveled to
and fro Cortez saw their gold
tips and monuments of me viewed
from his ships at sea I know who I am!
and I am the Niger river bathing eve
in the evening of here grieving
moments after her eating from the
tree of me I am the symbol of life and
I know who I am! and I simply am what I am!
I know! yes I know!
who I am!!!
Written by Black Myth the lyricist M.C.

originally coined by soldiers
describing a soldier who had
lost all four limb and as a result
not able to move with out assistance.

Ice cream headache in medical terms is: speno pulatine
ganglio neuralgia

The San Quentin quarterly
poetry reading sponsored and
supported by Jennifer Scaife
was canceled Dec. 31 due to
heavy fog that crept in to the
bay during the evening. Many
inmates were saddened by this
unfortunate turn of event. But
once again, like the phoenix
rising through adversity, Jennifer Scaife, the program director
of the Prison University Project,
made it happen.
On Jan. 12, the inmates at
San Quentin continued their
ritual of self-expression to an
audience of over 50 comrades
and a few outside guests who

Quote of the Month

Most

fruits denote their
ripeness by their color. However, cranberries are sorted for
ripeness by bouncing them;
good cranberries bounce and
bad ones don’t.

“Tough times never last
but tough people do.”

Emetophobia is the fear of
vomiting or being close to anyone else vomiting. According
to officials, emetophobia is the
fifth most common phobia.

H

uman foreskins, which are
removed in circumcisions, are
sold to biomedical firms which
use them to cultivate artificial
skin. Approximately 250,000
square feet of new skin can be
grown from the genetic material
in a single foreskin.

Eat

your heart out, was
coined by Diogenes Laertius
who gives the credit to Pythagoras who said “Do not eat
your heart” 2500 years ago,
meaning “don’t waste your life
worrying about some thing.”

American cheese is an original product of England.

After a While…..
After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build all of your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid flight
After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
And you learn that you can endure…
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and learn….
With every good-bye you learn
By Veronica Shoffstall

By Furious Khan 32-ta-Life

Los Angeles’s entire name is
El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la
Reina de las Angeles de Poriuncula.

SUDOKU PUZZLE
By GEORGE LOWE
1

Saddam Hussein, before his

2

demise, snacked on American
food, his favorites being Doritos and Raisin Bran.

5
5

LAST MONTH’S
SUDOKU SOLUTION
6
8
3
1
9
7
5
2
4

9
4
2
8
5
3
1
6
7

8
6
4
7
3
5
2
9
1

3
1
5
2
8
9
4
7
6

7
2
9
6
1
4
8
5
3

5
7
6
9
4
1
3
8
2

4
9
8
3
6
2
7
1
5

2
3
1
5
7
8
6
4
9

3

6

7

1
5
7
4
2
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9
3
8

5

1

5

4

7
2

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9

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1

1

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2

2

3
5

5

6

4
1

2

7

Page 6

RELIGION
Over 2 Million Muslims
Make Pilgrimage
By ALY TAMBOURA
This past holiday season
while many people in America
were crowded into shopping
malls buying Christmas gifts,
millions of Muslims from
around the planet were making
their way to Saudi Arabia to
perform the Hajj.
Hajj is the pilgrimage to
Mecca, the 5th pillar of Islamic
faith, which all able Muslims
must make at least once in their
lifetime. Muslims travel to the
region Arabia which encompasses the cities of Mecca and
Medina, in which Islam was
first founded, considered some
of the most sacred sites in the
Islamic faith. The Hajj has ancient roots dating back to the
time of the prophet Muhammad, who himself made a pilgrimage from the city of Mecca
to Medina in 622 C.E.
During the Hajj, which fell
in the first week of last month,
Muslim men shed their modern
clothing for seamless fabric and
women wear their national and
traditional dress. The removal
of modern clothing during the
Hajj symbolizes a pure and
consecrated state. In a state of
purity, more than 2 million
Muslims traveled to the area
known as Hijaz in the Western
Arabian Peninsula to complete
the Hajj.
“It is very crowded with
millions of Muslims in the same
dress all making their way to

Muslims celebrating the Hajj in Arabia
the various locations,” says
Abraham Nana, an Islamic
scholar who has been volunteering at San Quentin for almost 20 years and who has
made the Hajj twice, in 1968
and 1991.
Once in Arabia there are several rituals done to complete the
Hajj. One of the rituals is to
circumambulate of the Ka’ba
(the sacred black stone which
Islamic faith holds holy) seven
times on three occasions. The
faithful also travel to the plain
of Arafat where they stay for a
short period in a standing ceremony which starts at noon with
a special prayer (salat). This is
followed by throwing stones at
pillars symbolizing the driving
out of Satan, a ritual called Wuqoof. In completing of the pilgrimage the faithful stop in
Mina, a city between Mecca

and Medina, where they spend
the night in prayer. The end of
the Hajj is celebrated by the
slaughter of a sheep, goats, camels, and cattle. The ceremony of
blood sacrifice extends to the
time of Abraham and signifies
the end of the Hajj festivities
when the slaughtered animals
are eaten in a Feast (Eid al
Adha).
“I don’t recommend slaughtering a camel,” says Abraham
Nana. “It’s a large animal and
difficult to slaughter. I recommend slaughtering a smaller
animal.”
The Eid feast is celebrated by
Muslims here at San Quentin
along with other Islamic holidays such as Ramadan. If you
are interested in learning more
about Islam or attending Islamic
services, contact Imam Rafeeq
S. Hassan by institutional mail.

Faith Proclaimed Loudly
By KENNETH R. BRYDON
Editor-in-Chief
For those who’ve recently
watched San Quentin Television
prison channels, the Protestant
time slot for religious programming has had a certain feminine
touch. Pastor Melissa Scott, a
television evangelist, took up the
banner of both the Faith Center
and University Network of
which her late husband, Dr.
Gene Scott, was the pastor.
Dr. Scott was well known for
his fiery testimonials and dispo-

“You can always start
sition. He was often heard saying
that Balaam’s jackass was a better spokesperson for God than
most Christian preachers. Such
comments brought him both high
regard and angry rebuttals. Dr.
Scott was a man a great scholarly
depth; who also owned a collection of Bible manuscripts dating
as far back as two centuries after
the death of Christ.
Dr. Scott was also known for
his love of the prisoners, and his
church has been coming in to
San Quentin for well over 10
years. Dr. Scott’s sermons were

JANUARY 15, 2009

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

broadcast
on
KRON-TV channel four, up to
the time of his
death in Feb.
2005.
His
preaching went
beyond the usual
reciting of the
simple as he
broke down and
defined challenging and informative Biblical truths. He spoke his
convictions without tricks and
pleas for money, saying only
those being “fed”
over with God.” by his
messages
w e r e
those he welcomed to contribute.
Pastor Melissa Scott was ordained by her husband, who
asked her to carry on his message. She reads, writes, and

Pastor Melissa Scott

‘Grave Robber’
Unearthing Hope
By KENNETH R. BRYDON, Editor-in-Chief
Hitland Ministries will
stage performances on Jan.
17 and 18 of “Grave Robber”
in the Protestant Chapel. This
is the same group that in July
handed out tall glasses of pink
lemonade and hotdogs to the
lower
yard
packed full
of prisoners.
Musical entertainment
was Gospel Music from three
bands, who put on solid performances appreciated by
many.
Grave Robber’s intricate set
designs and backdrops make
it the best live show one
would encounter inside of
prison. Past audiences have
left the play talking of the
high drama and intensity of
the story line.
Coming in for the fourth
time, “Grave Robber” is produced by Brad “Doc” Walker.
He and his wife Crystal began
Hitland in 2002 as a Christian

community event in San Jose.
They brought together 25
churches for a Gospel musical
program in a local park that is
now an annual event with
over 8,000 in attendance.
Hitland began coming in to
SQ while serving as a Sponsor
of the Trustfellows Program.
During an interview in July Walker stated,
“The hotdogs are much of the
attraction, but we’re here to
talk of Jesus’s love and that
you haven’t been forgotten.”
He went on to talk of actions
that speak louder than words,
quoting Saint Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel, and
if you must use words.” With
the help of Kenny Brown,
Gospel music and “Graver
Robber” plays are presented
in a number of communities.
If one has never experienced a live play, this would
be a very good introduction.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT LIVES
By DARRELL C. HARTLEY, Staff Writer
Saturday Dec. 13, 2008, marked a milestone in evening holiday
celebrations in the Protestant Chapel. This magnificent festive night
was full of praise, worship, moving testimonies, entertainment, an
awards presentation, and food; glowed with brotherhood, communion, friendship and was enjoyed by special guests, honored volunteers as well as the dedicated members of the chapel ministry. The
event certainly gave new meaning to what the joy of Christmas is
truly all about. The banquet featured a series of delicious menu items
and an absolutely delectable dessert, was catered by Cornerstone
Church. Protestant Chaplain Dr. Morris A. Curry Jr. lauded the grand
evening as "Wonderful." On the next night, the Catholic Chapel
hosted their annual merry holiday celebration with a scrumptious
banquet of their own that honored their special guests and the exceptional efforts of members of the chapel ministry.

Do Not Limit
Yourself to
Fundamentalism
An opinion By TROY THOMAS

Dr. Gene Scott
speaks 20 different languages.
Having her own presentation
style, one still can see the standards of teaching that Dr. Scott
set forth. Pastor Melissa Scott,
who has visited San Quentin
many times, recently donating an
electric drum, guitar, and numerous publications to the Garden
Chapel. Asked if she had a specific message for the prisoners
here, her answer was: “You can
always start over with God.”
Pastor Scott's messages can be
found at one o’clock in the
morning on KRON 4 Monday
and Wednesday), and at the same
time Monday through Friday on
the “ION” station (channel 24).
For those who wish to receive a
Bible and study guides write to:
Pastor Melissa Scott
P.O. Box 1
Los Angeles, CA 90053.

The mind’s possibilities are limited by its concept of its potential. Moreover, human potential is also broadened or limited by the
concept of God. Thus, if God is anything finite (that is, limited), to
a person, that person has already limited his or her mind. However,
if God is looked at as infinite (without limits), without boundaries,
without deficits or definition, and always seem as “greater than”
you have already expanded your mind to reach for the limits of all
things. Such a consciousness of God puts us into the proper field to
grow to our greatest height.

My New Year’s
Resolution
By CHRISTOPHER R.
SCHUMACHER
With the dawning of a New
Year I will embrace each day,
fresh and clean, with no mistakes in it. I will continue
striving to learn, to grow to
become a better man than I
was the day before. I will use
the power of my voice and
actions to spread messages of
hope and encouragement. I
will be brave enough to admit
when I am wrong; when I fall I
will rise up and persevere in
the face of adversity. I will not

allow my past of current circumstance determine my state
of mind. I will never forget
how to dream, nor will I be
deterred from the destiny that
awaits me. I will seek out and
seize upon opportunities to live
and to love, as a brother, a
friend, as a contributing member of my community. I may
be out of sight, but I refuse to
be out of mind. I will shine
like a ray of light in an effort
to transform the darkness that
surrounds us into a place
where healing and restoration
can begin. Will you join me?

JANUARY 15, 2009

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

Page 7

SPORTS
Warrior Report
Basketball
Wrap-up
By GEORGE LAMB
The Warriors concluded our
season on a low note losing our
last game and three out of our
last six to end the season with a
record of 19 wins and 9 losses.
We didn’t quite meet some of
our goals and had a year filled
with some great highs and some
low lows; but overall our season was a success. There were
some setbacks, personality conflicts, administrative challenges, trips by some key players to the “hole” and all the
rests – oh! Not to mention attitude problems and a “J-Cat” or
two; none the less a winning a
season is a good season. The
games were competitive for the
most part and all the games

were enjoyed by many. We as a
group of men were challenged
in many ways and some times
at the same time which was
cause for a few gray hairs that I
didn’t start the season with. I
trust that we all grew from our
shared experiences. As a coach
I learned some things to do next
season and some things not to
do; but that’s kind of how life
works anyway, so it’s all good!
We are all hopefully better for
having completed the journey.
The coaching staff contracted
with each other at the beginning
of the season to ‘build men’,
and we believe that we accomplished that goal, at least in part
by at least improving the quality of man that some of the
team members are, only God

2008 San Quentin Warrior Basketball Team
knows! The greatest challenge
was taking guys who had decent ‘street ball’, games who
never played organized sports
and teaching them the game.
The season was highlighted by
our leading scorer and offensive
dynamo Shaun “SP” Payton at
22.5 points per game. However, the Most Valuable Player
went to Adrian “Onion” AKA
“Bell Pepper” Hay, averaging a
double double and, more importantly showed the most consistent growth over the course of
the season, good job!
We had a wealth of support
from the outside community,
which included one Division I

school, William Jessup University, one Division II school
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, 2 men’s
league teams and 2 church
league teams. They were all
very supportive and generous
with their time and resources.
We received the donations of
sports equipment uniforms,
basketballs, headbands, wristbands, knee and ankle braces.
We also were given some very
good quality team and individual photos and at the end
of the season received our
customary annual donation
and this year’s are considerably better in quality than last

years. These blessings came to
us from Bill Eppling and Big
Don of Prison Sports Ministries, Steve Irwin SQ Sports
Ministry’s General Manager,
Shaun Hurley of Imagio Dei
an East Bay men’s league
team and Justin from the
Golden State Warriors marketing department who donated the Warriors practice
uniforms from this year’s
training camp and has committed the new ones from this
season.
There are some home team
haters and home team supporters who are looking forward
to next season as much as we
are. This season will not start
until mid April. Strength and
conditioning camp will begin
the week of March 9th through
the 20th Try-outs will commence on March 23rd and first
cuts on the 27th. and final cuts
on April 3rd. There will be
scrimmages on April 4th and
11th, with the season opener
on April 18th. This season will
be 7 weeks shorter than last
year and total 29 games, consistent with a college season,
and concluding the last week
of daylight savings, October
31, 2009.

‘The Blues Brothers’ Season of Football
The season ended November
15, 2008, for the San Quentin
Blues Brothers, with a record of
four wins and two losses. We
faced our share of challenges
this season, and most them we
overcame. We developed new
relationships, a rivalry, and
more experience. We guarantee
you, next season, will be exciting and entertaining. We’d like
to give a special thanks to some
of our outside competition: Benicia Baptist Boys, Golden Gate
Seminary School, and No Soup
4U.

On behalf of the team, I’d
like to thank a few people:
Warden Robert Ayers Jr., for
indulging us, Kent Philpott,
Stan Damas and Lieutenant
Sam Robinson, our Sponsors,
Monica Knox, Tom Egan, Kairos Fellow, and Sunny Campbell of T&B Sports, for their
support and donations, and
Principal Ted Roberts and
Coach Don Denevi for their
continued supports. To our
families and fans, we extend
special thanks.
We hope we did everyone
proud, and looked forward to
the years ahead. To all of the
Blues Brothers, it was an honor.

SPORTS
TRIVIA
Hope….
By Helen Ameeta Singh
(Facilitator, The Trust's
Wellness Group)
Namaste my brothas….I
hope this article finds you well
and in good spirits. I have been
feeling hopeful of late- and it
feels good! It feels like it has
been a very, very long time,
since I last hoped. What power
lies behind our hopes. The
power to facilitate change in our
lives and in the world around us.
On January 20, 2009, we will
witness another historic event in
this country…..Barrack Obama
will be sworn in as the president
of the United States. His win in
the November elections gave
voice to my hope and that of so
many people, not just here in the
U.S., but all over the world. In

1.
2.
3.

Basketball: Name the Basketball Hall Of Fame class of 2003.
Baseball: Which 1980's team made 3 appearances in the World Series and won only once?
Football: What NFL team will move to it's new stadium and host the 2011 SUPER BOWL? Answers below 
1. James Worthy, Earl Lloyd, Robert Parish, Meadowlark Lemon, Dino Meneghin and Francis "Chick" Hearn.
2. The St. Louis Cardinals. Defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games 1982. Lost to the Kansas City Royals (1985)
and the Minnesota Twins (1987) both in seven games.
3. The Dallas Cowboys will relocate to the new Texas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

By WILLIAM ‘BIG WILL’
PACKER

the days leading up to the election, I found myself feeling increasingly fearful of hoping….Every time I would feel
that hope start to rise up inside
of me, I would stop myself in an
unconscious effort to protect
myself from the pain and devastation that would surely follow
were he not successful. For
many of us know the cost of
hope unrealized. But I could not
stop the hope, no matter how
much I tried. My spirit took
flight and when my hopes were
realized, the joy was incredible.
And it continues to carry me
forward. For the first time, when
I see the soon-to-be presidentelect, I smile. When I see the
soon to be "first family" my
heart smiles. The displays of
love and affection I see between
the president-elect and the soonto-be first lady brings me joy.
What is being reflected to me in
these images speaks to some

very deep woundings; woundings that are far greater than in
this lifetime alone.

“I Have a Dream”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
1968

Photo remastered by Ken Donnely

The Dream Came True!
Barack Obama elected
President of the U.S.
2008
For the first time in the history of this country, a country
built on the attempted genocide

of the indigenous peoples; off
the backs of chattel slavery; and
the continued unacknowledged
and demonized use of immigrant labor, the leader is someone who has an understanding
of what some of my experiences
have been like. Though there
are no doubt many differences
in our experiences, for the first
time, I feel there are some common understandings we share
that previous presidents never
could. And my heart smiles in
hope. President-elect Obama
embodies hope for me. And in
that hope is a re-emergence of
spirit and energy that I have not
felt in a very long time. In this
country where the race debate is
often limited to black and white,
with not much acknowledgement of the many shades of
brown that lie in between, I
have hope that the president can
one day be of South Asian descent. Growing up, that was

never even on my radar; but it is
now. And for many, many children of all the different descents
in this country, it is a tangible,
realizable hope.
On election night I received
the following text on my mobile: "Rosa sat so Martin could
walk. Martin walked so Obama
could run. Obama's running, so
our children can fly". And for
the first time, "our children" felt
inclusive to me. As we come to
the beginning of a new year, I
am hopeful, that hope carries
over into all areas of my life.
What do you feel hopeful about
for the New Year? In what ways
can you allow hope to take
flight in your own life, even
when the circumstances don't
feel very hopeful? Not an easy
question I know, but one I hope
you may spend some time reflecting on.
Until next time my brothas,
peace and blessings….Meeta

Page 8

JANUARY 15, 2009

SAN QUENTIN NEWS

Centerforce Offers
The Life Project
By ALISON TANZER &
JUDY LEAHY
●What is the LIFE Project? The Centerforce LIFE
(Leaders in Future Environments) Project is a mentoring
program for youth ages 11-18
who have an incarcerated parent of family member. The
goal of the LIFE Project is to
provide mentoring, support,
leadership building activities,
and events that help each youth
to develop his or her full potential. The LIFE Project also
provides specific support to
help youth deal with the unique
issues surrounding incarceration of a parent or immediate
family member.
●Who is eligible to participate in the Centerforce LIFE
Project? Youth with an incarcerated parent who are 11-18
years old and live in Alameda,
Contra Costa, Marin, San
Mateo, or San Francisco
County, are eligible to participate in Centerforce’s LIFE Project.
●What if the youth that I
am referring does NOT live in
the Centerforce LIFE Project
Counties or is younger than
11 years of age? There are
Mentoring Children of Prisoners (MCP) programs throughout
California and the United
States, including MCP programs that serve youth from 4
to 18 years of age. If the youth
you are interested in referring
for mentoring is not eligible for
Centerforce’s LIFE Project, the
LIFE Project staff can refer you
to programs in your area and/or
programs that serve youth who
are younger than 11 years of

age.
●What kinds of activities do
the Centerforce LIFE Project
offer? While mentoring pairs
communicate and work together
weekly, the LIFE Project plans
and hosts group events about
every six weeks. Activities and
events are fun and educational
with a focus on leadership skill
development.
Events range
from pro-football games to rock
climbing, concerts, plays, and
college tours. Events may include special guest speakers, art
projects and community service
opportunities.
●What will my children
get out of participating in the
LIFE Project? Youth can
benefit from participating in
LIFE by having another caring
adult in their lives, in addition
to their parents. LIFE youth
participants and their parents
have reported improvement in
grades, greater involvement in
school and community activities, increases in self esteem,
better relationships and more.
●How can I get more information or refer a youth to
participate? If you are interested in your child participating
in the LIFE Project, you can
write us a letter with the following information about you and
who you are referring.
Please include: Your name,
address, and CDCR number.
Youth and caregiver name,
youth and caregiver address and
youth and caregiver phone
number.
Centerforce Information:
Centerforce, Attn: LIFE Project, 2955 Kermer Blvd, 2nd
Floor, San Rafael, CA 94901

H-UNIT
MAC
MEETING
By DAVID MARSH
Present for the Administration:
C.O. Ceja (Administration representatives normally in attendance were absent due to
‘Farewell To Warden Ayers’
party.)

• Articles may be edited for
content and length.
• The newspaper is not a medium to file grievances. Use the
prison appeals process.
However, we do encourage
submitting stories and/or articles which are newsworthy and
encompass issues that will have
an impact on the prison populace.

San Quentin News

Topics of Discussion: new
healthy-foods items on the
canteen list (heart healthy oatmeal, unsalted cashews, brown
rice, and pop tarts are being
added having been selected by
inmates) • new American Indian representative on the
council introduced (R. Bennett) • start-up date for new
semester of Patten College
noted (Jan. 20 start, Jan. 5 orientation) sign-up lists going up
in all dorms • wearing of
gloves on the yard discussed
(gloves purchased thru packages are approved) • new
medical services trailer (trailer
to be placed in Jan. near Tower
9) • new press liason voted
onto council (D. Marsh) • possibility of special privileges for
STAND-UP participants in
dorms 4&5 (issue will be taken
up in up-coming STAND-UP
steering committee meeting) •
‘A’ days were discussed (‘A’
days are still charged against
inmates) • overdue work orders
in dorms (Pretty hopeless!!!) •
heavy bags on the yard
(pending installation of third
pole, bags are ready)

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily
reflect those of the Administration, or 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, except for
articles reprinted herein from other publications.
Administrative Review……………....R. Luna
Principal…...……………………..T. Roberts
Vice Principal….. ………...W. Reeves, Ed. D.
Print Shop Supervisor................. .J. Wilkerson
Chief Advisory Board Member… John Eagan
Advisory Member…………….....Steve Cook
Advisory Member……………....Joan Lisetor
Advisory Member…….…..Steve McNamara
Executive Staff:
Kenneth R. Brydon ……...…...Editor-in-Chief
Michael R. Harris……….….Managing Editor
Aly P. Tamboura………...…Technical Editor
David Marsh………………….....Staff Writer
Darrell C. Hartley………………..Staff Writer

• Please do not use offensive
language in your submissions.
• Art work is welcomed (i.e.
poems, songs, cartoons, drawings).
• Letters to the editor should be
short and to the point.

Send Submissions to:
Education Dept. / SQ News
San Quentin, CA 94964
(No Street address required)

H-Unit MAC
5H42L
1H12L
5H36L
4H63L
5H29L
3H33L
3H56L
3H45L
4H45L
4H30L
4H72L
4H99L
4H68L
4H06L
5H24L
5H74L
5H18U

A. Parker
D. Mairs
M. Andrews
P. Stelly
M. Le Melle
G. Pineda
S. Byers
R. Bennett
D. Ansted
D. Hartley
G. Harris
J. Phillips
H. Hopkins
D. Kaiban
M. Barrow
W. Branson
D. Saxton

Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Secretary
Parliamentarian
Sgt at Arms
Representative
Representative
Representative
Representative
Medical Rep.
Stand-Up Rep.
Food Rep.
Canteen Rep
Medical Rep.
Representative
Representative
Representative

North Block Executive MAC Members
Johnson, S.
Sefeldeen, K.
Mancinelli, T.
Tindall, M.K.
Pena, E.

2-N-81L
1-N-96L
5-N-87U
4-N-37L
3-N-24L

Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Secretary
Parliamentarian
Sgt at Arms

East Block Advisory Council
J. Van Pelt
D. Carey
K. Lewis
B. Williams
R. Marshall
P. Henderson
W. Noguera

By FRIENDS OF RUSTY
Russell “Rusty” Trunzo
paroled on Jan. 01, 2009 to his
wife Diane and family. Rusty
entered the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 1978 during a turbulent time of life in CDCR.

Time/Location: H-Unit
Chapel, Fri., 12-19-08.

We Want To Hear From You!

The San Quentin News welcomes and encourages inmates,
free staff, custody staff, volunteers and people and entities
outside of the institution to submit articles for this publication.
Please use the following criteria when submitting:
• Please limit your submitted
articles to no more than 350
words.

Another Lifer
Goes Home

1-EB-75
4-EY-17
2-EB-76
4-EB-71
1-EB-65
4-EB-79
4-EB-77

Chairman
Yard 1
Yard 2
Yard 3
Yard 4
Yard 5
Yard 6

Rusty Trunzo
Despite the struggle, Rusty diligently pursued a multitude of
self-help, therapeutic, academic
and spiritual programs for over
30 years. Throughout this journey, he remained grateful for
the positive opportunities and
experiences that impacted his
life and those around him.
With Rusty there was a deep
sense that he achieved selfdiscovery, healing, and reflection. It helped him transform
into a man of compassion, kindness, growth and service.
Rusty has a B.S. degree in
sociology, a California State
Certification as a Brothers
Keeper Counselor (Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention)
and was a guiding spirit of Addiction Recovery Counseling
(ARC) as well as a California
Association of Alcoholism and
Drug Addiction Counselors. He
will continue to make a positive
impact on his family, friends
and community.
On New Years Eve, Rusty

shared an emotional farewell
with many men in North Block,
sharing, “I feel so blessed. I
made the very best of my time,
I love all of you guys.”
Living behind bars since
1978, his parole parallels the
science fiction story of H.G.
Wells' time machine.
The
world he returns to is going at a
much faster pace. Some of the
issues confronting him will be:
high tech innovations, higher
cost of living, better medicine,
gains in science, a greater
awareness of our environment,
wider selections-choices, less
tolerance; the list is staggering.
As with all of us, there are
many challenges that we face
in this world. With no exception, Rusty will continue to
turn lemons into lemonade.
Rusty loved his peers. He
championed the cause of their
misfortunes with eagerness and
compassion, and always had
time to lend a helping hand or
to listen quietly. He showed us
how to not give up, to persevere, and to continue the fight
until victory is achieved. In
the end it was Rusty’s own
writ that won him his freedom.
He did it so that the rest of us
who remain incarcerated will
have a beacon of hope.
“Combined with the accomplishments you’ve worked for,
some serious time spent in the
law library and with the help
of some of the legal beagles in
the ‘Q,’ you can prevail,” said
Rusty. He would undoubtedly
followed those words with:
Never give up, never look
back, and work towards the
greater good and you too will
be so, so blessed. Rusty was
last seen talking on a cell
phone, wearing some pretty
decent street clothing, and
smiling ear to ear about having
his first free meal of plain yogurt, old twigs and brown rice.
God bless the little fellow!

Improvements to Visiting
Room Kid’s Areas
By NORTH BLOCK MAC
The San Quentin visiting
rooms have undergone much
appreciated renovations.
“It was a valiant group effort, and all are to be commended and recognized for
their humanitarian act of generosity,” said Sammy Johnson,
the North Block MAC chairman.
Prisoner G. White, the Visiting Room MAC representative,
was highly involved in the project.
The many contributors included D. Sheldon, who donated art supplies for the mural
and facilitated the project and
donations. PIA provided the
kids tables and chairs, Center
Force donated toys, the San

Quentin Education Department
supplied books and toys, the
Carpenter Shop anchored the
shelves, Project Reach and
Marin Literacy provided books
and a $500 donation, and Steve
Emerick and various prison
artists painted the murals.
The San Quentin Visiting
Room staff were very cooperative, with appreciation for Lt.
K. Evans, Sgt. J. Carlton, Sgt.
D. Moor, and Sergeant D.
Smith.
“A special thanks to Warden
Robert Ayers, Jr. and his administration,” said Johnson,
“for his vision which sparked
the beginning of a wonderful
project.”
Much effort came from the
prisoners who devoted their
heart, sweat, talent and skills in
bringing this about.