BEHIND THE WALLS of San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, incarcerated individuals are writing powerful narratives to share with the world about childhood trauma.
It was a first-of-its-kind graduation on Jan. 14 for a storytelling program, sponsored by Back to the Start, a nonprofit organization founded by physicians, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Dr. Jenny Espinoza is the cofounder and executive director of the nonprofit organization.
“I approached a team of incarcerated writers and journalists and asked them how we could start a storytelling program that teaches people how to write a narrative about their childhood trauma,” said Espinoza. “I want to improve outcomes when it comes to the population’s health. I want to stop the school-to-prison pipeline.”
She quit her job after eight years of working as a primary care physician at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center because she wanted to do more after hearing so many stories about adverse childhood experiences in the prison. Childhood trauma is a significant factor in the connection between adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, and incarceration, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People with four or more ACEs are seven times as likely to develop alcoholism, twice as likely to develop cancer, four times as likely to develop emphysema and almost twice as likely to develop heart disease and diabetes, according to the National Institutes of Health.
This event is designed to raise awareness. It was co-hosted by Michael Callahan, an incarcerated facilitator, and famed comedian, filmmaker and author W. Kamau Bell, who is also an advisory board member for Back to the Start. San Quentin warden Chance Andes also stopped by to say a few words to open the event.
“I have lived experience with childhood trauma,” Andes said. “I was lucky. I had someone in my life to help get me back on the right path. We’re changing what we do now as far as incarceration here at San Quentin. We provide rehabilitation to get folks what they need and that’s real public safety.”
An ear to policymakers
Lawmakers, Marin County health officials, members of the governor’s office and incarcerated people’s families attended the event. Among lawmakers were Assemblymembers Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, and Mia Bonta, D-Oakland.
Chesa Boudin, the former San Francisco district attorney who is now the executive director of the UC Berkeley Criminal Law and Justice Center, was also in attendance, among others. “Breaking the Cycle: Writing to Right the System,” were the words written on the brochures reserving their seats.
Utilizing a team of incarcerated facilitators, Espinoza conducts a 26-week curriculum, using a series of selected writing prompts to encourage incarcerated individuals to write letters, poetry and spoken word to create their narrative about the trauma that affected their lives growing up. Two years and three cohorts later, over 60 men from different walks of life have come together to share similar stories. Many of them stood on the stage before the crowd and their incarcerated peers; some were overcome by tears as they openly shared painful stories about their young lives.
George Lopez never felt accepted as an American and endured many racial slurs that made him feel unwanted. James Daly had everything as a child except the love and attention of his father. Daly developed a methamphetamine addiction. Donald Thompson grew up in a foster home where he was beaten by his foster mother. He tried to run away and live with his real mother but she was addicted to drugs and living in a rundown motel on skid row.
One by one, incarcerated men took to the stage revealing their heartbreak. Alex Ross struggled with illiteracy. He used violence as a tool against those who made fun of him. Fred Huante was born weighing less than 2 pounds. He would fit in one hand. It was a miracle he survived, but he went to a foster home because his parents were addicted to drugs.
“What I find so touching is that all these participants are driven by a desire to stop the cycle of trauma happening in communities,” said Espinoza. “They want to help others.”
‘A universal cancer’
Juan Haines is also a co-founder of the organization. He is an incarcerated journalist and facilitator for the workshops.
“San Quentin is a community of trauma and tragedy,” said Haines. “In order for people to be able to understand how to stop crime, a lot of the reality and facts has to come from the stories of those who are incarcerated.”
Edwin Chavez is also an incarcerated co-founder and facilitator for the Spanish and bilingual program.
“We’re fortunate the non-English speaking community also has a place to tell our stories,” Chavez said. “I was the breadwinner in my family at seven years old. I was born in El Salvador. My step father was an abusive alcoholic.
“Childhood trauma is a universal cancer. It doesn’t have borders,” he said.
After the stories were read, Espinoza moderated a health panel discussion with Dr. Jeff Grant, a physician and surgeon at San Quentin and cofounder of the group; Dr. Kristine Madsen, a pediatrician and research scientist at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health; Dr. Palav Barbaria, chief quality officer with the California Department of Health Care Services; and Bonta, the East Bay assemblymember and new Assembly health committee chairperson.
The group discussed the health consequences of ACEs and the necessity for policy to address these issues.
“I grew up in New York dealing with racism and feeling unsafe,” said Bonta. “I suffered from hunger and domestic violence. ACEs were prevalent. We are only now addressing the need for policies. We have to address the environmental, social, and structural racism that contributes to this problem moving forward.”