This letter was written by a person incarcerated at San Quentin.
I truly feel that the prison system really didn’t care about the welfare or true rehabilitation for people on the inside because if you look back between the years 2008 to 2011 when California Department of Corrections added the word “rehabilitation” to their name, I feel they only did that to receive extra money from the federal government because I can remember that time like it was yesterday.
I was at Chino State Prison, and some of the COs were upset because now they have to go out and buy new uniforms with the word “rehabilitation” added to the patch on their shoulder. But at the same time, we lose a lot of our groups and classes. If you really look into the groups and vocational programs, classes in CDCR from 2008 to now, you would see the decline over the last 10 years. The only thing CDCR is doing, is trying to house as many people as they can to receive the money per inmate to use as they see fit, and nine times out of 10, it’s to buy something for them and not the prison population.
The bottom line is that the prison system right now isn’t safe for anybody because they are now trying to force us to cell up with guys who are on sensitive needs yards, SNY, or even another race. Now, everybody knows that’s a recipe for destruction. So, now you have to decide if you wanna throw away your possibility at board because you can’t allow someone who could have snitched or raped somebody into your cell, and when you refuse them, they give you a 115 for refusing a cellie.
Now, when you go to board, they give you a three- to five-year denial for that 115. I have truly been blessed with an amazing wife who has really helped keep me focused and hearing her voice on the phone is always a plus because even since I can’t see her, I know she is doing okay just by the tone of her voice. Sweetheart, I truly love you with my whole heart and soul.
Thanks for always pushing me to stay positive because you know there were times when I wanted to just go off and mess my positive program up behind someone who truly wasn’t worth it to begin with. You will forever hold that special part of my heart, always, forever, and a day. Love always. PrisonPandemic Project, thank you for giving us a voice behind these bars during this pandemic. May God bless you and keep you all safe.
Respectfully.
