Podcasts about california state prison

Explore APSC's My Family Audio Series A story-driven 3-part audio project about Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian families doing everything possible to breathe with ease and live freely besides the people we love.  Created by the Asian Prisoner Support Committee and APEX Express, and hosted by writer and activist Michelle MiJung Kim, My Family seeks to answer many of the questions countless families in our communities are grappling with today. Mass deportation and family separation are fueled by isolation and silence. With My Family, we aim to dismantle both with stories full of heart, compassion, and an honest look at the tangled paths many of us take to reckon with the past, rebuild our lives, and make a new place home.  Our deep gratitude extends to all the community members who shared their stories with us, even while painful to recount. Their commitment to creating stronger, more informed communities is unparalleled.    My Family Ep. 1: How did we get here?  In our first episode, we talk to Roger Viet Chung to bring APSC's longstanding Restoring Our Original True Selves (ROOTS) program from inside San Quentin to listeners outside. Roger is faculty in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Laney College and a founder and faculty lead of Restoring our Communities (ROC), Laney College's program for formerly incarcerated students and justice involved juveniles. He previously served as the lead instructor and curriculum designers of ROOTS.  We also speak with NC, Pam, and T. NC was deported to Laos this past year. Pam was deported to Cambodia three years ago, and T was deported to Cambodia six years ago.  Music from episode 1, as well as related resources, can be found below in the show notes. If you are an impacted community member in California or have a family member who is directly impacted by detention and deportation, we encourage you to contact APSC at info@asianprisonersupport.com or our partners at New Light Wellness and the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants.   Music: Somleng Tro Khmer by Satiya, a Cambodian Australia singer and songwriter Pka Kompong Thom by Satiya   Resources: My Family Episode 1 discussion guide  APSC Data Report on Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Asians and Pacific Islanders Asian Law Caucus legal resources and video explainers for Southeast Asians facing deportation threats Eddy Zheng's story    Transcript Michelle MiJung Kim: [00:00:00] All across the United States, ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is terrorizing immigrant neighborhoods. Every time I scroll on social media, I see horrifying videos of children being ripped apart from their parents as they get shoved inside unmarked cars of ICE agents. You can hear the family's cries for help, children wailing, neighbors and protesters yelling at the abductors.   The scene is [00:01:00] pure chaos, swirling with desperation and fear. I notice I'm clenching my jaw as I imagine the trauma of the moment that will last a lifetime for these families. But the scene usually ends here, and not long after I scroll away, I'm met with another slew of videos of similar intensity. But what happens to the people after this painful moment?   What happens to the families after the protesters depart? What happens when their loved ones actually get detained, get deported? where do they go, and what happens to those who remain? I'm your host, Michelle MiJung Kim, and I'm partnering with the Asian Prisoner Support Committee and APEX Express to bring you stories from families who are grappling with the impossible choices amid the cruelty and horrors of mass detention and deportation, stories full of truth, understanding, and lived experiences that are too often hidden or silenced. [00:02:00]   Tony (pseudonym): Even though I don't have no family and I don't even have no family over there, and I don't even know nothing about Vietnam because I left the country when I was 10 years old.”   My dad raised all four of m- you know, me and my sibling all by himself. So just emotion and everything rush in, it's just like, you know, heartbreaking.   So every time, when my dad come to visit me, he always break down and cry because he just like, feel sad that his oldest son is gonna get shipped back to his country.   Pam (pseudonym): My son bought a car for me. He bought a car. He's like, “Mama, you're not getting deported. I got you a Honda Civic already. I got you a car. I got a place for you.” You know how, that affect me when your family member bought you stuff be thinking they'd be coming home?   Michelle MiJung Kim: [00:03:00] Every family threatened by ICE is different, with their unique traditions, memories, and inside jokes. But there are also fears and questions that every community being ripped apart shares, whether our families are Asian, Latino, Black, or Arab. For many Southeast Asians in the United States, there's one other thing in common.   Their families found refuge here in the '70s and '80s, fleeing unthinkable genocide and war in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Most have loved ones who didn't survive. The ones who made it out, around one point one million, are the largest refugee community ever resettled in the United States. Upon arriving here, families were forced into impoverished and under-resourced neighborhoods.   Parents who just lived through war and genocide never got the mental and physical healthcare they critically needed. To survive poverty and attacks in their neighborhoods and schools, some youth turned to gangs and [00:04:00] crimes. After serving their time, they've since grown up, transformed, and found their ways to heal.   They are now mentors, parents, small business owners, homeowners, just everyday neighbors who, like most of us, take their kids to school and pick up groceries and call this country home. And yet, around sixteen thousand of these Southeast Asian community members are facing imminent deportation based on convictions from years, if not decades ago, and despite the fact that they already served their sentence.   Today, California is home to the largest Southeast Asian American population, followed by Texas, Washington, and Minnesota. And these families are seeking answers. How did we get here? What can we do to keep our family safe and together? And their friends and neighbors are asking questions, too. How can this be?   What can we do? That's where these stories come [00:05:00] in. We're taking a closer look at what happens to families after the headlines pass and the blaring noise quiets down. You'll hear directly from people who are living on all sides of this nightmare, all trying to do what's best for their kids, their parents, their loved ones.   Welcome to My Family.   As some listeners may know, the Asian Prisoner Support Committee based in Oakland, California, was born out of the campaign to support the San Quentin 3, Eddy Zheng, Viet Mike Ngo, and Rico Riemedio. The San Quentin 3 advocated for ethnic studies in the California State Prison, and in retaliation, the prison administration sent them to solitary confinement.   Out of that struggle, they started the Restoring Our Original True Selves, or ROOTS program at San Quentin, which the Asian [00:06:00] Prisoner Support Committee continues today, teaching hundreds of people under the motto, ” No history, no self. Know history, know self.” Together in ROOTS, community members incarcerated in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prisons, or CDCR, learn immigrant and refugee histories, address intergenerational and inherited trauma, and build lifelong leadership and community skills.   Many ROOTS alumni are now mentors and counselors in California, while others are working in reentry, violence prevention, faith, and other community organizations across the state.   To kick off our first episode, we'll start with some context from Roger Viet Chung. Roger is faculty in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Laney College in Oakland, and founder and faculty lead of Restoring Our Communities, Laney's program for formerly incarcerated students and justice-involved youth.   He has served as the lead instructor and curriculum developer of the ROOTS in San [00:07:00] Quentin.   A content warning for our listeners that in today's episode we'll be discussing war and genocide, inherited trauma and self-hatred, depression, and family separation. Here's Roger.   Roger Viet Chung: My name is Roger Viet Chung. Uh, I'm from Oakland, California, and I currently work for Laney College. At Laney College I instruct in the Department of Ethnic Studies, a range of classes that range from Southeast Asian studies all the way to courses like race, gender, and sports.   In 2013, um, I had the honor and privilege of, supporting and facilitating a course for Asian Americans and others in San Quentin State Prison, and which launched me on a, a journey of understanding more about incarceration, the prison industrial complex, abolition, the way pipelines form. And since 2013, I've been deeply involved in figuring out how to work reentry, how to support those in custody, how to help people come home, how to help people on parole tell their stories.   Um, [00:08:00] and so since 2013, uh, I've been working for a program called Restoring Our Communities, which is a reentry program at Laney College, where we support the reentry of folks coming home from prison, jail, juvenile hall and help them explore their post-secondary pathways and dreams. In addition to that, I also run our Laney College, a satellite campus inside the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center, where, we work with, uh, young people who are interested in going to college, transferring to four-year universities, um, and, uh, reuniting with their families.   Uh, I'm a Vietnamese American. I was born in, uh, 1978 and, born in the United States, my proximity to incarceration and the entire carceral landscape you know, was pretty distant up until I went to graduate school. Uh, when I was in graduate school in, um, the early 2000s, I heard a story about a person named Eddy Zheng, who at that time was incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison.   We heard this story about how Eddy and two other folks were asking for ethnic studies programming at their [00:09:00] prison when there was a growing movement for education inside CDCR. Uh, we understood that, you know, that movement, um, you know, landed Eddy in solitary confinement, got him transferred, uh, to another prison.   And I think for me, that was my first moment where as an Asian American, I connected both with this idea that Asian Americans were doing time, but also you know, it intersected with my field of study, ethnic studies. And so, that was probably my first moment where I saw myself possibly in the work.   Michelle MiJung Kim: Before we come back to Roger, we had a chance to talk to Eddy Zheng about his fight for ethnic studies at San Quentin, the early days of APSC, and how he continues to support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated community members. Let's hear from Eddy   Eddy Zheng: Happy New Breath everyone. My name is Eddy Zheng.   The importance of ethnic studies, Asian American study, [00:10:00] is really focuses on the long tradition of the struggles, that many of the immigrants and refugees, the people who came to this country, uh, for multiple reasons, right? Some of them came voluntarily, and some of them came as refugee because the forced migration as a result of the United States' foreign policies, and then many of the push and pull challenges that came from other, uh, countries across the world.   The long tradition of, of that struggle really is a internal one, right? The internal struggle is finding a sense of belonging in a foreign country or in a country even though we may be born here sometimes, there's still this sense of being treated and being respected as an American versus a perpetual uh, foreigner.    And for many of the people who were impacted by the criminal legal system [00:11:00] and by this type of oppressive foreign policy and systemic racism oftentimes people don't necessarily get an opportunity to understand their culture and history that informs their identity. So therefore as even I was learning how to read and write and speak English and to eventually to become thinking critically I have experienced the power of when I was able to comprehend and articulate the connection that I have, right, with my ancestors and my culture and the history that informs my identity.   Immediately, I was able to, find confidence and find that sense of belonging that I was not alone, that there, there was a long lineage of the knowledge, The connected point to, not only who I am as an individual, but then who I am connected [00:12:00] to, the rest of the humanity, right?   I think when we talk about that lineage really ties back to the 1968 Third World Liberation Front, when students and people in the community, the activists that who stood up fighting for the opportunity to have curriculums and, or materials that really teaches a more well-rounded history around, the makeup of the United States of America, So the fight for the Asian American studies, women's studies, and global studies was very important, as it continue to 1969 in UC Berkeley, and then also later on in 1999, where students are also facing threats of having ethnic studies and Asian American studies eliminated, from the university curriculum, right?   So I have experienced all those lineage of struggles to fight for what the basic academic right, for people [00:13:00] to learn about each other's culture and history and how that historically has been continued to also trying to erase history. when I was in San Quentin State Prison, then once I was able to start to become a thinker, then I realized especially after September 11, the scapegoating of people of color, scapegoating of people that who came from other countries is perpetuated within the prison industrial complex, myself and three of my friends, we were advocating for, uh, the opportunity to be able to, uh, engage, in this process of, Asking to have Asian American studies or ethnic studies within the prison college program, And so that, that was when we signed a proposal, you know, advocating not only for the opportunity, to study, Asian American histories a- and cultures, but other people's culture and [00:14:00] histories at the same time, and then also honoring the prisoners' rights, right?   To choose, what we want to learn and how we participate in the decision-making process within the volunteer-ran college program in the San Quentin State Prison. The outcome was the three of my friends who signed the proposal you know, Mike Ngo Rico Riemedio we were, uh, put into solitary confinement uh, for signing that proposal.   And then my other friend that, who signed the proposal, Stephen Liebb, you know, even though he didn't go to solitary confinement, that he, but he was punished as a result of signing the proposal. That's when the forming of an unexpected Asian American movement, right, in the Bay Area, which is the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, where volunteers and activists that who have heard of the struggles, of the activism inside San Quentin advocas- in advocacy for Asian American studies, ethnic studies, and prisoners rights, that they [00:15:00] came together to support us, you know, inside the prison system.   And so it's very interesting in that, the dynamic, uh, between, we want you to, uh, learn and we wanna give you opportunity to learn, but then learning and applying what you learn comes at a price, that's where the importance of why ethnic studies of Asian Americans are important because it allow us to gain power, right? when we gain power of thinking, and critical thinking, then there's this fear from the, the people that, who have power and don't wanna share that power.   And so that's why it's very important. So fast-forward to post-incarceration after… first of all, I spent 11 months, uh, in solitary confinement as a result of that advocacy in San Quentin. And then later on, uh, when I was finally released after, uh, being incarcerated for 21 years, [00:16:00] I've never forgotten the importance of, creating more learning opportunities within the prison system for those that who are still incarcerated.   Around 2012, that's when we, you we meaning that, you know, that's when I me and members of the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, we started thinking about how do we go inside the prison and create Asian American studies and ethnic studies program inside, We were able to went under you know, as volunteers, we were able to go into San Quentin State Prison to participate, uh, in in this program called, TRUST. I believe the acronym is, uh, Teaching Responsibility Utilizing Sociological Training, uh, which is designed to transform incarcerated men, uh, from social liabilities into assets, right?   So, Uh, while we were participating, we were able to get an opportunity to engage The participants who are [00:17:00] AAPIs to ask them if they are interested into creating a program where we're able to, learn about our culture and history, And they all agreed that it's important.   After about, like, almost like a year or more of kind of like a collaboration, brainstorming, and advocacy from within the prison, finally in 2013, I think that's when, we started the first cohort of the ROOTS program. The ROOTS acronym is Restoring Our Original True Selves, uh, which is, really came about as a result of the brainstorming of the prisoners, a lo- of many of the lifetime prisoners who were inside.    Because they felt that along the way they have lost themselves, right, as they were trying to find a sense of belonging.   So the goal is to, uh, use that as a way to heal intergenerational trauma that many of the prisoners experience when they came to the United States, and that ended up, making poor choices and then, [00:18:00] uh, involved in the criminal legal system.   that's when the first ROOTS program was started in 20, uh, 13. And then what is interesting was that when it started, I wasn't allowed to go in to participate in the program that I co-founded with the people inside, it wasn't, uh- Until the graduation of the first cohort of ROOTS, uh, that they allow me to go in to do a keynote speech, right? Because the participants inside, advocated saying that, “Hey, we would like Eddy to come in to be our keynote speaker at our graduation.”   And so that's when I was able to go in and really, experience this fruition of all the advocacy. seeing many of those leaders and participants graduating from the first year of the ROOTS program really solidified why an Asian American study is so important, right? It really focuses on, uh, for the participant to [00:19:00] learn about the connection the, to the ancestors and the culture and, and the history.   I mean, That sense of belonging they had lost along the way or for many was not able to learn in traditional economic environment, and then part of this is also even though the curriculum focused Asian American studies, but then it also connects to other people's colors of histories and how the intersection of that of that experience domestically, internationally, are connected to the same systems of oppression in, in that space.   I think what, what is also important is that once they were able to learn about their own culture and history, they inform their identity. They're able to also learn about other people's history, other people's culture that inform their identities. So immediately there's opportunity to, humanize each other And so that's why this is so important that we must engage in the collective learning [00:20:00] process that allow us the opportunity for collective healing. And when the collective learning, collective healing is invested and engaged in racial solidarity, that's how we can embark on this journey of collective liberation.   The ROOTS program is the first ever Asian American studies ethnic studies program in the history of the penal system, and then this continues on to today, right? since 2013.   Michelle MiJung Kim: That was Eddy Zheng. In 2017, Eddy founded the New Breath Foundation to help underserved frontline groups empower, heal, and change the lives of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community members with a focus on the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and those who have been impacted by immigration and criminal legal [00:21:00] systems.   Let's return to Roger and what stood out to him when he first started working in San Quentin.   Roger Viet Chung: I think when I first went into San Quentin State Prison in 2013, um, again, I mentioned I was born in 1978, and, um, you know, I looked across the room to people who were around my age, um, none of whom were actually born in the United States. And so I think there's this really interesting question that needs to be pursued around Southeast Asians, Asian Americans that have immigrated at a young age, you know, largely through, the pathways of war that make that experience so much different than a, an experience like my own, right?   Born here in the United States, but also different than my parents, who immigrated to the United States as adults. And so the 1.5 generation as we will frame it today, we're gonna be talking about Asian Americans, Southeast Asians, refugees, immigrants that came to the United States at a, a young age, you know, all the way up until their adolescence. We're looking at a population that has had significant experience with [00:22:00] social institutions like schools, uh, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools that their parents may not have.   This was a time in California where we began to see more prisons being built, more apparatuses designed to be able to figure out how to work with young people, mainly through the lens of punishment and deterrence.   And so I think the idea of coming into, a state like California during a political landscape where, punishment, prisons and tough on crime positions were being applied to both adults and young people is something to consider when we're thinking about the 1.5 generation, um, that has been incarcerated.   I think that as the 1.5 generation immigrated into the United States you know, through various refugee and immigration policies, you know, they're inheriting a context in California where they've already been criminalized and their pathways into, uh, juvenile halls, into county jails, and into state prisons are being mapped out, without them really even knowing.   In [00:23:00] ROOTS, um, which was an Asian Prisoner Support Committee sponsored program, everyone has an, a unique and individual story, but, you know, the more we learned about people's stories, there just seemed to be a lot of collective threads that, tied everyone together. so if we were to talk about the 1.5 generation, you know, like a common collective journey would be something like this, right?   You know, whether a person escaped from Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos a lot of the common stories were, young people were born in Southeast Asia during or at the tail end of the wars in Southeast Asia, and most of them were not part of the original refugee exodus, which mainly featured, the elite and the educated.   And so one of the collective stories has been that a lot of the 1.5 generation, who would have otherwise left at much younger ages or even been born in the United States were experiencing significant transitions in countries that, were returning from civil [00:24:00] war. a lot of that destruction and a lot of the, the trauma and those experiences, right, began right around there.   And when people began thinking about, exiting, these positions, whether it be for political or, or class-based reasons or both, one of the collective stories that we tended to hear very often was that young people were really able to visualize, remember, right, even today, a lot of violence, a lot of trauma, that, you know, really propelled their, either their escape or, their emigration Young people met, went to camps oftentimes.   If they left Vietnam, they were in the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong or Thailand. And if, you left Cambodia or you left Laos, you ended up in a variety of different forms of camps in Thailand awaiting for United Nations sponsorship. I think this is an important part of understanding the journey, because a lot of the one point five generation that became incarcerated were exposed to a variety of different traumas at [00:25:00] young ages that they still had kind of these vivid memories of.   And so as they, they left camps, you know, many stayed in camps for months, some even years. They were resettled into the United States, often in places that didn't have a lot of Asian Americans. And so at the time, United States refugee policy really asked all the states to share, right, some sort of, right, burden in resettling refugees.   And so a lot of the one point five generation that we met inside San Quentin, you know, their story in the United States didn't actually originate in California. Many of them were in Wisconsin or Ohio or Florida or Arkansas as their first stop into the United States before their parents did a secondary migration into a place that had more support, had a stronger ethnic community, um, and in some cases, right, just had, more protection against racial discrimination.   And so as parents, moved into ethnic communities and, and sought spaces that could protect themselves from racial [00:26:00] discrimination, the young students, right, the one point five generation didn't have, those same protections. And so many of them were enrolled into public schools, oftentimes schools that were underfunded and oftentimes schools that, uh, were in districts that had young people of color competing for resources.   When it came to that, that 1.5 generation, that journey into United States schools, was, I think, the beginning of understanding how to survive in a place where, a unique form of racial discrimination, a unique form, right, of class identity had to be navigated as they began their journeys in education, a lot of them feeling a lot of pressure to be, strong students in order to, you know, deliver their parents out of poverty. A lot of themes came up. One of the approaches that we took in the ROOTS program was looking at trauma.   We're not the first program to look at this, but I, I do think that it's a very important and interesting way to think about, [00:27:00] understanding the stories of people who are incarcerated. You know, oftentimes the, the narrative of people who are incarcerated is that they have committed an act that has traumatized another person, and therefore, right, their own trauma is something that we often either don't allow, ignore, or outright say, right?   “You don't deserve your own trauma because of the things that landed you in custody.” And so I think one of the projects that we really wanted to look at was to help people kind of, like, name their trauma, explore it, and, right, heal from it. And so when we thought about, the activities and the curriculum design, you know, we had people kind of, share stories of immigration, share stories of how, their parents came to name them, stuff like that.   And, you know, one humongous theme that came out in the ROOTS program was this idea of self-hatred and how much being in, right, the United States and being in places where you experience discrimination and you experience poverty led to really, really low concepts of [00:28:00] self and, , really resulted in, people, literally writing, right, reflections, saying things like, “I hated myself.   I hated how I looked,” right? “I hated my name.” Those are some of the themes that kind of were fleshed out as we explored the ROOTS program. And we wanted to take a look at, How that trauma not only would h-help people kind of understand their own trajectories more, but how that trauma could also be translated into, right, a more institutional form of advocacy for themselves and understanding how to do things like describe and explain, right, and be introspective about the things in their youth that led to, right, their incarceration.   Because one of the things we also noticed was that people were struggling to tell stories about their families because they didn't wanna bring shame, they didn't want to blame their families. And so, a lot of our 1.5 generation folks struggled with being able to tell a story to a parole board that kind of held their freedom in their hands.   And so being [00:29:00] able to have people tell their stories, right, to engage, right, some of the things that they experienced as traumatic, help them heal from those things, but also name them, , through ethnic studies concepts, through, history and through culture, was in a lot of ways, very freeing.   I think I'd be remiss to not mention that, you know, when we did programming inside ROOTS, there was a very, very, I think collective agreed upon, workshop that people inside wanted to do, and it was a workshop about gangs. Not just the criminalization of gangs and how gangs have become criminalized into the '90s, into the 2000s, but I think, incarcerated people, were really advocating around things like gang prevention. And so a lot of stories came out around, like, why people join gangs in the first place and, , it's not a brand-new story at all, but it was something that they wanted to explore and they were really, I think, very adamant about exploring among themselves.   And, you know, I think if you talk to incarcerated people, one of the things that they're so passionate about is [00:30:00] making sure their stories reach young people, which has also inspired me to go into juvenile hall to do a lot of work. But, one of the things that they wanted to develop, I think conceptually, was the idea of the migration to school-to-gang pipeline.   And, you know, whether or not the gang itself, should be conceptualized as, right, a protective, mechanism against racism, against bullying, against harassment, against exploitation. I mean, those are all things that we know, young people are looking for, as they join gangs, especially those that are immigrating from Southeast Asia or even, right, Latin America.   I think the folks inside were really, really adamant about making that connection and understanding that, not only their participation in gangs, but the criminalization of the gangs through that participation was one of the pathways that led them to places like juvenile hall, the California Youth Authority, the Division of Juvenile Justice.   I think the folks inside would, um, say that they need to be accountable to you know, the decisions that [00:31:00] they made and they wish that they were stronger about not making decisions to do things like join, criminal-based organizations. But, I think that there is a reality that, you know, there are a lot of social forces that, drove, that type of youth behavior.   And so, when we were in San Quentin, I think a lot of the folks were like, we need to improve this idea by, you know, understanding that, part of our journey has been, as 1.5 generation young people is , our responses to our trauma, our responses to racism, our responses to, disconnects between us and our families, particularly our parents, right, led us through a path, that was laden with policies that were designed to punish us.   You know, I think something that's really important that that I would wanna mention is, you know, the apparatuses that were designed to control and to rehabilitate and to correct youth, those apparatuses have been abolished because they didn't work.   And so when I think about the 1.5 generation that immigrated to the United States during a time of [00:32:00] heavy, heavy juvenile punishment, had they immigrated today, right, and, these systems not existing, you know, would they have done a significant time in state prison? You know, I don't know.   Would they been criminally adjudicated as adults? I don't know. And so I think that when we think about, you know, Asian Americans and Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders that are coming to the United States at a very specific time, specifically those guys we worked with in ROOTS, you know, history was just not on their side, and that's not something that individuals can control.   And so when we think about the situations that we're put in, I reflect on my own life about, you know, looking at people that look like me that were the same age as me and, just weren't born in the United States and had privileges like I did. You know, I think those are some of the things that, I would ask the community to reflect upon.   That, you know, we're looking at, such a traumatic and punished time in California and U.S. history to really kind of take, a broader approach and to be able to, you know, deconstruct some of the things that have happened to help understand the lives of people who, you know, are in ICE detention today   Michelle MiJung Kim: [00:33:00] That was Roger Viet Chung, faculty in Laney College's Department of Ethnic Studies and founder of Restoring Our Communities. This is APEX Express. We'll return after a short break. [00:34:00]   NC (pseudonym): We were refugees. It was because of the, the war, the secret war in Laos, I guess.   Michelle MiJung Kim: This is NC. He grew up in California after his parents' harrowing escape from war and persecution in Laos. He was incarcerated for 24 years as a result of a conviction when he was a young person. He earned parole last year in [00:35:00] 2025.   NC (pseudonym): You know, I don't know for sure, but I'm just going off what people say and what they tell me is because- we were refugees, and we were hunted, and, so we fled, and crossed the river into Thailand.   And from Thailand we were, um, we were sent to the US. That's it.   When my, when I came here, my dad says, ” Well, you gotta learn everything here, know the language and everything, because this is your country now.   You're gonna live here.” So that's, that's what he told me.   Things were tough because my parents don't know nothing about this country, so they don't, You know, it's help was very, I would say, I think the best word I can use is help was very narrow, because we had, like, an…   I had, like, an uncle who knew the language, and they would help my, dad and my mom. And then, um, my dad actually went to a vocational training school to learn how to do auto body, This was in when we were in, in Long Beach, but they [00:36:00] came over to, uh, Stockton to open up a, um, garage, you to fix cars and do auto body. Growing up it was just hard because, you know, we were, uh, always poor and we didn't know how to adjust to the c- you know, the community.   America is, like, totally different, 'cause we go to school and then we read, write, speak English, and then we don't, we don't do none of that inside the house. So there's kind of that culture clash where, you know, the parents wanna teach you something and then you go to school and you learn something else, and then you're s- you struggle with your, um, you know, everyday life because, those are two different things   I was basically working while I was in prison, taking a lot of self-help classes and, um, earning certifications and trying to better myself, um, learning job skills. So when I, parole, I can, become a productive member of society. So while I was in, also incarcerated, I was taking college courses, to try to, attain a [00:37:00] AA degree.   So I was doing a lot of that stuff while I was in prison programming. My plan was… when I got out, as far as for work I would just like any job will do, just as long as I got work, any job will do.   But the goal was to continue my education, get my, uh, degree in, um, sociology, try to to open up a, a place and to be, um, LCSW certified, a licensed clinical social worker so I can help people, just like how, um, when I was, um, incarcerated, I was talking to, um, an LCSW so they can like, help you when you get back from this environment to the streets to help you adjust. First of all, it's helping people, and a lot of people, when you come out and get out, there's really nothing, like nobody's… the way I see it is, like- I don't see a lot of help, you know?   I don't see a lot of help or any [00:38:00] help, in my community that I'm at. I figured that, you know what? More help or help is always good, and a lot of times people… While, while I was in, um, incarcerated, you know, incarceration does affect you, it, in a way, institutionalizes you and makes you think a certain way, act a certain way, be a certain way, and when you come out, you have to, like, try to adjust to, you know, the norms of, outside living.   When I was talking to my, um, social worker, she was giving me a lot of those pointers. So I was thinking, like, “Okay, you know what? This is something I could do.” I could help, you know, like, a youth who's been incarcerated or young people coming out or anybody of any ages from anywhere that has, um, cultural issues, You know, like, if they're coming from a different country and they're, they're coming to the US and they're having, like, cultural issues. it's just about transitioning from one place to another place.” when I paroled from prison and they told me that, I have a ICE hold, an immigration hold. And [00:39:00] then I wasn't sure, like, what that was, if it's happening or not. And then when they paroled me, uh, immigration came and picked me up and took me to a detention facility.    ICE came and picked me up at the prison and, um, I went to a detention facility in Bakersfield called Mesa Verde   Michelle MiJung Kim: We're gonna come back to NC and what he experienced at Mesa Verde on the next episode, and what happened after he was deported to Laos just four months ago. Right now, I want to introduce you to another community member, Pam. Pam also grew up in California. She was incarcerated for 16 years. Three years ago, she was detained by ICE and then deported to Cambodia   Pam (pseudonym): [00:40:00] So I'm gonna start it off when the day I find out that, um, I probably get deported in 2000… yeah, 2012. ICE came and see me, and they say, ” Well, we got you on record that, you know, you're on a list that you're gonna get deported when you parole.” So if I have any kind, like American citizen to prove that, you know, I can't parole, and this and that.   I was like, “Okay.” I really didn't pay attention. My mind was more like stuck. On that day, my mind was more like, “Wait, my attorney told me I'm not ever gonna get deported,” and it just, my mind is like wondering off, like, why is this happening now? So other than that, I started doing research. I just signed the paper.   I didn't even hear exactly what they told me because I, my mind's already like blow. So I just signed the paper. Didn't even know what I'm signing, so I just signed the paper like so they can leave me alone. I just [00:41:00] need to process something on my own.   When I finally process, I start doing research and…   But before I start doing research, I call my parent up and told them, “What's gonna happen?” And they, you know, and my parents tell me, “Just tell them you don't have a family over there. There's nobody over there that could support you, take care of you. You've been, uh, here in America all your life. There's nobody.   Nobody. So why they came and… why did someone send it to you, send you over there, and since you already did your time?” So it's some kinda- mixed feeling. It's a lot of mixed feeling as I can see there's a lot of hurt inside my family. I can see what they go through, and then I was like, “Okay, now just too much.”   So after I talk to my parent and then see how they feel about it, and I understand, and I do feel them, too.   And I do understand, and, um, ‘ cause I've never been really separate from my family that long until I got [00:42:00] locked up. So it's harder difficulty than anything. I don't even move away from my mom that far.   I live across the street. So it's hard for me to see that, I'm really, like, can't see my mom ever again. I started doing research for years and years and still, hoping that I could fight and why I'm in prison, but people keep on telling me, “You can't fight your case until you get through, um, the ICE detainer, and that's how you fight your case.”   And it's like, eh, I need to find a… You know, I started doing more research on the law library about ICE and, you know, about deportation, everything about the law. I did all that, but it's nothing that really helped me unless it's something against my life. So and I did more research about, like anything They say the only way you could get away from it is, like, something affects your life, something that danger you. It's like, it mean life or death. [00:43:00] But I even do research on that. They say if they stop the war in Cambodian… So it was hard. It was just a lot. It was just a lot of paperwork that I would have to go through and try to do the research and find out.   So I started talking to more about with my family about that, and then my dad say, “You know, I can see this is really stressing you out, and I can see that you're looking through a lot of stuff that don't help you to get out. But we still have hope that you're gonna come home to us.”   Michelle MiJung Kim:  Every person who shared their story with us talked about the family members and friends who supported them through these traumatic experiences, those who have stood with them in the darkest of times. Those relationships are what keeps people going, and it's no different for the person you're about to hear from, T.   T served his time in prison many years ago. After he got out of prison, he led a [00:44:00] full life. He got married, became a father, and grew in his career as a superintendent of a welding business, including jobs for the US Navy. And then one day, everything changed.   T (pseudonym): You know, I, I'd been reporting, uh, as scheduled, to the, you know, the ICE agent e- every, you know, I start out once a month, once every three months, once every six months, once every year.   And I, I, I've been reporting perfectly how they want. And then one day, you know, I, I came home and I went look at, check my mail and, there's a, a mail from them. So I opened the mail up and it tells me, the mail tells me they're gonna detain me. They give me a date to be there, and they say they're gonna detain me.   You know, I, and my, my heart just sank, you know. When I saw that letter- Mm … I'm like, “Oh my God.” And you know, I, I, it broke me down right there, standing over there by the mailbox. And then I told my wife and, , we [00:45:00] both, sat and, you know, did a little, a little crying.   And it's just like depressed knowing that they can, uh, detain me, that scheduled date that they gave me, yeah, it, it, it was tough. It's like a, a little… I think they gave us like a, a month or something. No, three weeks, half a month, something like that. it, it, it was tough 'cause I, I, me, me and my wife and my two daughter we, you know, we have family.   They, they okay, you know. yeah, I, I've checked in and, uh, they, they, they did detain me and, uh, of course my wife's all crying and, you know, my daughter, my, both my daughters young at that time. They're still young. They don't know what, what happened, you know. They asked my wife, “Hey, where's Dad?”   And you know, my, my wife didn't tell them what happened yet because they didn't, my wife didn't want them to, you know, worry. So my wife just told them, “Oh, you know, uh, your dad went to work. Maybe he'll be gone maybe a month or so.” She just don't want them to feel bad.   But yeah, my wife went through some stuff and trying to figure things out while I was in the detention center. and uh, [00:46:00] yeah, I got interview and got deported. and my wife, she was struggling at that time. She didn't work either because she's the, you know, she stayed home as a housewife, take the kids to school and stuff like that.   Michelle MiJung Kim: T's wife and daughter are now with him in Cambodia. He's currently serving as a staff member at New Light Wellness in Phnom Penh providing mental health and healing services to other people and families who are deported and separated   T (pseudonym): Yes. To me it's very important, to have someone to talk to 'cause when you're deported, uh, you, you already broken. you feel like you're a broken person, and, and sometime you don't know who to talk to because you're at a new, new place.   You don't really know no one, you know? And, uh, it, it, it's heartbreaking you trying to, uh, find someone to talk to. You, you feel like you're alone.   But at New Light, [00:47:00] we provide all that. You need someone to talk to, here. We, we, here you could pick one of our team here to talk to. You can go to the facility that we have over there and just talk to someone and just relax over there and just, you know, we, we have, always have someone there to help, talk about anything you want, to guide to bring closure, that, that's the thing, uh, about our team here.   We wanna make sure we have all that, everything Cause we understand, we understand, uh, being deported need someone to talk to, because that's what I, I did when, uh, the first couple years when I got deported here and I, I was so stressed out, and I don't know who to turn to, where to go.   Luckily, I found New Light, and I'm so glad, and I'm still with them now.   Deportation to me, I feel it is very cruel. It breaks families apart, and then it'll change the life and future of, your children. You know, it, it… Deportation, it, it's just a sad [00:48:00] word, it's just a sad word. It, it's just… It's like pain. It's a lot of pain, that word deportation.   It's a lot of pain. I mean, I, I… It, it's just… To me, it's just a lot of pain. It is just getting ripped off from your family, and affect everyone. It affect, you know, your brother and sister, your cousin, your niece, your nephew. You know, that's how, that's how I, I sees it,   Roger Viet Chung: Yeah, I think it's, um You know, I, I think it's important to, understand that, um, you know, deportation, isn't something that existed, since 1776, right?   Michelle MiJung Kim: That familiar voice is Roger, who you heard from earlier. Here's what he thinks about previously incarcerated people getting deported despite having already served their time.   Roger Viet Chung: And so I think when we kinda think about the logics of a [00:49:00] person who is serving a sentence and is being released by even authorities around in the carceral state and determining that they're not a threat to society, that they're no longer harmful to society, that they've done their rehabilitation in order to continue to contribute to, right, the nation and to their families and their communities, I think we have a very contradictory message where, you know, you actually have, a, a carceral apparatus naming a person as no longer a harm to society, but then, right, being deported.   And so when we think about these stories and, you know, I remember talking to a life term prisoner who has children who were born in the United States. And, he's going up to the parole board, and he has, an ICE hold. He has, you know, a mandatory deportation because of his conviction. He's asking the questions to himself, you know, “What do I do? do I fight to be released from prison? If that's the case, I might get taken to ICE custody right away and, [00:50:00] get my travel documents prepared to be deported. Or do I stay in prison so that my family can continue to see me in the United States, right?   And maybe, I don't do the types of things that are gonna win me my freedom in front of a parole board.” And I think those are the types of contradictions in the stories that I think illuminate the contradictions and, right, like, the problems with the way that we approach, deportation today.   There's, the idea of deportation, we often, I think because it's related to law, oftentimes, right, you know, our communities, see that as an objective or neutral phenomenon, that's always been that way. And so I think, when we try to get folks to kinda understand the ways that deportation and, you know, immigration policy, has been shaped, one of the things that I'll ask students, I remember being inside San Quentin, and I, I ask this of my Laney students all the time, you know, I ask them, “When was Immigration and Customs Enforcement founded?”, “What year was like the birth of what we understand now as ICE?” And, [00:51:00] students will guess, they'll guess, they'll guess, and maybe they'll look it up online, and they'll say, ” Oh, Roger, it's 2001.” Then I'll ask people, “Who's older, you or ICE?”   And most of the time, the people that I ask are older than ICE. And so I think one of the ways that we kind of approach this is, you know, by understanding that what's happening now is a, a very new and contemporary phenomenon immigration in its most brutal form, right? Or deportation in its most brutal form.   And I ask people, right, you know, “What was ICE called before it was called ICE?” There was an, a, an organization that existed before. And, you know, people will struggle a little bit, and then, you know, I'll say the initials, uh, INS. And then people will say, “What does that stand for?” INS stands for, uh, Immigration Naturalization Services.   And so you have this really significant institutional difference, just in the name itself around how a migrant is being treated and perceived. Right? On the one hand, right, you have enforcement through [00:52:00] ICE. But for the most part, right, immigration policy in the United States was not ICE. It was Naturalization Services, right?   It was about welcoming people to come to the United States, contribute, be taxpayers, right? And, become citizens, become naturalized. And so I think that's one of the ways that we begin thinking about how to deconstruct the idea that deportation is just a matter of law, it's a neutral idea, and that it's always existed in the form that it has.   And, you know, we know that the law that really is driving Asian American deportation or a- and other immigrant-based deportation today is a law that was designed in 1996. And so- The way that we see, right, immigration today is really kind of like a parcel, a very small piece of immigration history and deportation history for that matter in the United States.   And I think that's one way that I think helps people understand that you know, what we're seeing now is, a phenomenon that doesn't have to be what it is.   I'm lucky enough to be able to be [00:53:00] part of a post-secondary system that is, you know, one of the largest in the world and one of the most welcoming in the world.   I feel like part of my passion or my drive to keep going is I feel like there are some things that are still very much unexplored around this concept of re-entry. When I was in juvenile hall a couple of years ago, I met a young person who told me that he didn't have a good relationship with his dad.   His dad wasn't in his life. His dad has been in and out of prison and learned mostly about his dad through his sister, but began reconnecting with him a little bit. this young person had, a pretty significant conviction inside the juvenile hall which, like I mentioned earlier, which had it happened 10, 15 years ago, he would be in the California Youth Authority.   And, you know, he was telling me about his dad and, you know, there were so many things that felt like I knew him. He told me the job that his dad had, which was a very unique job [00:54:00] that is not very common. And I wrote who I thought his dad was on a piece of paper and I showed it to him and he said, “Yes, that's my dad.”   And so his dad, came to Laney College, um, joined the machining program after years in prison and got you know, a living wage job, in the steel industry, was able to buy a home and he was able to put his daughter through graduate school. but he never mentioned a son to me. And I left the hall that day and, I called him walking to my car and I said, “Hey, like, um, I think I met your son.   I didn't know you had one.” And he said, “Yeah, that's still a shameful part of my life that I'm, still trying to figure out.” And so I, I think that there's something that we're missing still. I think, you know, when in San Quentin we talked about, intergenerational trauma and the trauma that you can inherit from your parents and your parents' parents, and I think there's something here where, you know, we, we can engage both generations at [00:55:00] once to really kind of figure out some of this healing.   I feel like there's still something that, we as a team as a family and as a community are on the verge of understanding a little bit better and breaking those cycles.   Michelle MiJung Kim: I can't stop thinking about what T said about the word deportation. It's cruel. It's a painful word. It's a sad word that rips you off from your family. Many of our listeners are here because you believe a different world is possible, one that replaces isolation with kinship, trauma with repair, and loss with transformation.   You want a future full of families together and safe. That's the kind of future we at My Family want, too. Each story we share is not only a reminder about the violent systems that harm so many communities, but it's also a reminder of how much each of us is [00:56:00] needed in this fight for a more just and liberatory future.   There is so much pain and trauma in each person's story, there's also so much strength, resilience, and a steadfast belief in community and hope. I'm taking a deep breath as I reflect on these stories, and I invite you to do the same.   And if you're impacted by mass deportation and detention, there are organizations and advocates who can help you, from mental health and wellness to legal help and family support. In Northern California, where we are based, we encourage you to reach out to the Asian Prisoner Support Committee, the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants, and New Light Wellness.   You'll [00:57:00] find links to these organizations in the show notes at kpfa.org/programs/APEX-express. The music in today's program is by Cambodian Australian singer and songwriter Satiya. We'll include links to his songs in the show notes, too.   We hope you'll join us for episodes two and three of My Family, where we'll deep dive into what happens when our family and neighbors are detained, and what happens when they are forced to move to a country they've never known. Thank you for joining, and we'll see you next time on My Family.   I'm your host, Michelle Mijung Kim, and this podcast is brought to you by APEX Express and the Asian Prisoner Support Committee. APEX Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam.   Have a great night.   [00:58:00]    The post APEX Express – 8.20.26 – My Family Ep. 1 appeared first on KPFA.

Mark Richards (1953–) is a convicted murderer serving life without parole in California State Prison, SolanoWikipedia's W.svg at Vacaville, California.[1] He prefers to be known as "Captain" Richards, although he never served in the military. After graduating from high school in 1971, he attended the College of Marin and then graduated from Dominican College in San Rafael in 1976. He has spun multiple bizarre yarns about his service in the so-called "Secret Space Program" battling alien forces, in addition to his imaginary service in the US NavyInvestigation by a journalist from the Marin Independent Journal revealed a dimension to the murder that was literally incredible. The writer, Erik Ingram, reported that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin." Ingram reported that police detectives had retrieved from Richards' home maps, aerial photographs of Marin County, plans for a laser-gun, instructions for the construction of machine-guns, and "notebooks containing references to a new form of government." He wrote that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin."In the weeks that followed, a number of witnesses came forward with stories indicating that the Pendragon group in fact existed. Crossie Hoover told investigators that one of the inducements to the murder was Richards' promise to appoint him Duke of Angel's Island. It appears that Richards fantasized about converting Marin County into a version of King Arthur's Camelot, with himself as King. He allegedly promoted plans in meetings with his workers to take over Marin County by destroying the Golden Gate and Richmond-San Rafael bridges and placing a laser gun on top of Mount Tamalpais. Carl Shapiro, a San Anselmo attorney representing Richards, asserted that the documents found by the police were research materials for a science-fiction book (Imperial Marin) that Richards was writing. The prosecution countered that regardless of Richards's writing, he used the Pendragon material to manipulate Hoover into committing the murder. Starting in November 2013, Richards became a major source for conspiracy theorist Kerry Cassidy. On that date Cassidy conducted a 1h 18m video interview[2] at the prison in Vacaville. Cassidy regards Richards as an important whistleblower exposing the "Secret Space Program." She has said that he was framed for the Baldwin murder, and that he is imprisoned by the Illuminati-Draco run planetary government.[3][note 1] At the time of writing Cassidy says she has conducted nine interviews with Richards, for an aggregate time over 14 hours. Since recording devices are not allowed in the prison, the normal format of these videos is Cassidy speaking to camera recalling what was said immediately after her meeting with the convict. Her tenth Interview with Richards was released in March, 2019.Much of the material consists of tales of personal heroism, as Richards commands exotic space battleships fighting and defeating aliens. He commanded an Orion battleship at the asteroid Vesta in August 1979. Soon after that, he led an attack against aliens to reclaim a secret base at Dulce, New Mexico. The aliens had violated a treaty and abducted humans for experimentation.[4]Richards claims that he was on active duty at the age of 13, with a high security clearance. After graduating from high school, Richards said he became an Army officer flying helicopters in Vietnam and later became a Navy Captain. He also claims to be a Rhodes Scholar with several advanced degrees and to be a member at the highest levels of the Republican National Committee. Neither Cassidy or Richards have provided documentation to support his claims.[5]Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Mark Richards (1953–) is a convicted murderer serving life without parole in California State Prison, SolanoWikipedia's W.svg at Vacaville, California.[1] He prefers to be known as "Captain" Richards, although he never served in the military. After graduating from high school in 1971, he attended the College of Marin and then graduated from Dominican College in San Rafael in 1976. He has spun multiple bizarre yarns about his service in the so-called "Secret Space Program" battling alien forces, in addition to his imaginary service in the US NavyInvestigation by a journalist from the Marin Independent Journal revealed a dimension to the murder that was literally incredible. The writer, Erik Ingram, reported that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin." Ingram reported that police detectives had retrieved from Richards' home maps, aerial photographs of Marin County, plans for a laser-gun, instructions for the construction of machine-guns, and "notebooks containing references to a new form of government." He wrote that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin."In the weeks that followed, a number of witnesses came forward with stories indicating that the Pendragon group in fact existed. Crossie Hoover told investigators that one of the inducements to the murder was Richards' promise to appoint him Duke of Angel's Island. It appears that Richards fantasized about converting Marin County into a version of King Arthur's Camelot, with himself as King. He allegedly promoted plans in meetings with his workers to take over Marin County by destroying the Golden Gate and Richmond-San Rafael bridges and placing a laser gun on top of Mount Tamalpais. Carl Shapiro, a San Anselmo attorney representing Richards, asserted that the documents found by the police were research materials for a science-fiction book (Imperial Marin) that Richards was writing. The prosecution countered that regardless of Richards's writing, he used the Pendragon material to manipulate Hoover into committing the murder.Starting in November 2013, Richards became a major source for conspiracy theorist Kerry Cassidy. On that date Cassidy conducted a 1h 18m video interview[2] at the prison in Vacaville. Cassidy regards Richards as an important whistleblower exposing the "Secret Space Program." She has said that he was framed for the Baldwin murder, and that he is imprisoned by the Illuminati-Draco run planetary government.[3][note 1] At the time of writing Cassidy says she has conducted nine interviews with Richards, for an aggregate time over 14 hours. Since recording devices are not allowed in the prison, the normal format of these videos is Cassidy speaking to camera recalling what was said immediately after her meeting with the convict. Her tenth Interview with Richards was released in March, 2019.Much of the material consists of tales of personal heroism, as Richards commands exotic space battleships fighting and defeating aliens. He commanded an Orion battleship at the asteroid Vesta in August 1979. Soon after that, he led an attack against aliens to reclaim a secret base at Dulce, New Mexico. The aliens had violated a treaty and abducted humans for experimentation.[4]Richards claims that he was on active duty at the age of 13, with a high security clearance. After graduating from high school, Richards said he became an Army officer flying helicopters in Vietnam and later became a Navy Captain. He also claims to be a Rhodes Scholar with several advanced degrees and to be a member at the highest levels of the Republican National Committee. Neither Cassidy or Richards have provided documentation to support his claims.[5]Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Venerable De Hong, a Buddhist Monk, joins us today to discuss growing up in Viet Nam during the war, and the path he took to becoming a monk. He shares stories of 13 years of work with California State Prison inmates, and how the traumas in their lives turned them towards a path of crime. Through education on Buddhism, teaching mindfulness and meditation, he shares great success stories -- prisoners healing from the most severe traumas and turning their lives around -- from being on Life Without Parole to rehabilitation and release. De Hong is a co-founder of The Engaged Buddhist Alliance, which reaches out to help break the cycle of incarceration and create healthy communities through education, meditations and Dharma talks. WEBSITE/LINKS: https://engagedbuddhistalliance.org EMAIL: engagedbuddhistalliance@gmail.com FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/ASMALPodcast VISIT OUR WEBSITE: http://www.asmallmediumatlarge.co EMAIL: asmallmediumatlargepodcast @gmail.com Show Produced by Green Valley Production Studio Music by DJ Booda: http://www.djbooda.com

In this episode, we interview Tyler Caffee, the brother of Correctional Officer Jami Bowechop. Jami worked at the California State Prison, Corcoran for nine years before she died by suicide in 2016. Tyler shares about their family history, how Jami's death impacted their family, and reasons why he believes Jami took her own life: Jami reported a use of force incident as a whistleblower and kept a detailed journal about the harassment and retaliation she experienced at work. After being fired for a separate allegation, she took her own life at the age of thirty. You can access The Staff Assistant Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Audible or Google Podcasts.

California State Prison, Sacramento – also known as New Folsom Prison – is considered one of the state's most dangerous. It's one of several facilities in California that house the most violent offenders, and corrections officers there use force at a rate that's nearly 40% higher than in other prisons. It's also a notoriously difficult environment for prison workers, who face high rates of work-related mental health issues, as well as hazing and abuse if they report official misconduct. A new season of KQED's award- winning podcast “On Our Watch” looks at the pattern of abuse, cover-up and corruption at New Folsom and traces the stories of whistleblowers who tried to bring it to light. We learn more from the KQED reporters behind the investigation. Guests: Julie Small, criminal justice reporter, KQED; reporter, "On Our Watch" Sukey Lewis, criminal justice reporter, KQED; host/reporter, “On Our Watch”; co-founder, the California Reporting Project Valentino Rodriguez Sr., father of Valentino Rodriguez Jr. - a whistleblower who worked at New Folsom Prison

On a November Sunday in 2005, two 14-year-olds were shot outside of a street carnival in South Central Los Angeles, CA. One of the teenagers died, but the surviving victim and other individuals identified 21-year-old Jason Walton as the gunman. Despite having been seen on video surveillance footage miles from the scene at the time, and with no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Jason was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Jason believes police never bothered investigating other leads.“I don't feel like they ultimately cared about the victim nor myself,”  says Jason, speaking by phone from California State Prison. “It's like, “Well, one gang member's dead, one gang member's shot, one gang member's in jail. We got a three for one in a way.” To learn more and get involved, visit: https://theinnocencecenter.org/jason-walton https://linktr.ee/Justice4jasonwalton https://gofund.me/0b59e571 Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A podcast investigates CA State Prison, Sacramento - formerly called New Folsom. Also, a Placer County production company makes a film on homelessness starring Billy Baldwin. Finally, the nation's first Black woman cartoonist in the mainstream press. Podcast Investigates CA State Prison in Sac The second season of KQED's investigative podcast On Our Watch debuted this week, focusing on the deaths of two correctional officers at California State Prison, Sacramento - formerly called New Folsom - who reported misconduct, corruption, and abuse by fellow officers. KQED Criminal Justice Reporters Sukey Lewis and Julie Small join Insight to talk about what their investigation uncovered within the walls of “New Folsom,” and the barriers and challenges officers faced when trying to report wrongdoing. The California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation released the following statement in response to the podcast: CDCR takes every allegation of employee misconduct very seriously and has restructured its process to ensure complaints are properly, fairly and thoroughly reviewed. In January 2022, CDCR implemented emergency regulations to improve the investigations process on staff misconduct allegations, and the department received funding in the 2022-23 state budget to support these continued efforts. A system of fixed and body-worn cameras is in place. In September 2022, CDCR announced changes to employee discipline for misconduct directed at incarcerated people, parolees, other employees, or members of the public. CDCR continues to work with outside law enforcement agencies on this case and cannot comment on many specific questions raised by reporters for this story. Placer County Movie on Homelessness There's a lot of movie buzz in Sacramento these days and one of the films that's getting attention is called No Address, starring William Baldwin. The feature movie, along with an accompanying documentary, will tell the story of the homelessness crisis and how so many Americans are one paycheck, one job loss, or one medical emergency away from ending up on the streets. Actor William “Billy” Baldwin, along with Jennifer Stolo, CEO of Placer County-based Robert Craig Films, join us to talk about the movie and why they believe the story of homelessness is an important topic to tackle, especially in light of the situation here in California. ‘STILL: Racism in America, A Retrospective in Cartoons' It's a special bond when a parent and child share a common passion. But one father and daughter took it to a whole other level, pioneering their own groundbreaking paths as Black cartoonists in the mainstream press. And their decades-long work is now on display, with a message that still resonates today. Cartoonist Barbara Brandon-Croft and curator Tara Nakashima Donahue, discuss their new installation at the UC Davis Design Museum “STILL: Racism in America, A Retrospective in Cartoons," which explores racism through cartoons by Brandon-Croft and her late father Brumsic Brandon, Jr. The exhibit runs through April 21.

Former "That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson, convicted of raping two women, has commenced his prison sentence at California State Prison-Corcoran, a facility with a history of housing notorious inmates, including cult leader Charles Manson. Official records show that Danny Masterson, now identified as inmate No. BW7253, entered the Los Angeles County prison on December 27, marking the beginning of his incarceration following his conviction earlier last year. Masterson's legal ordeal began in 2020 when he was initially arrested. In May, he was found guilty on two out of three counts of rape, which had occurred between 2001 and 2003. Subsequently, in September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison for these heinous crimes. Last week, Masterson's request for bail pending appeal was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo, who expressed concerns about his potential flight risk. Judge Olmedo underscored the gravity of Masterson's situation in her order, stating that without a successful appeal, the actor would "likely remain in custody for decades, and perhaps the rest of his life." Notably, California State Prison-Corcoran has been associated with housing some of the most infamous criminals in history. Among its former inmates was Charles Manson, a cult leader convicted of nine murders. Manson spent nearly three decades in the Protective Housing Unit at this very prison until his death in 2017. His crimes included the gruesome murder of actress and model Sharon Tate Polanski, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her killing in 1969. During Manson's incarceration, he was denied bail 12 times, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the risk he posed to society. Manson's case remains one of the most chilling chapters in the annals of true crime. Leading up to Danny Masterson's sentencing in December, several of his former "That '70s Show" co-stars, including Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, wrote letters in support of the actor. However, these letters prompted public criticism, leading Kutcher and Kunis to issue apologies for their endorsements. Ashton Kutcher also stepped down from an anti-sex abuse organization co-founded with his ex-wife, Demi Moore, citing an "error in judgment." As Danny Masterson embarks on his prison sentence at California State Prison-Corcoran, his case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences for those convicted of serious crimes. The facility's history, including its association with Charles Manson, adds a unique dimension to the actor's incarceration, which will undoubtedly be closely watched by the public and the legal community alike. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Former "That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson, convicted of raping two women, has commenced his prison sentence at California State Prison-Corcoran, a facility with a history of housing notorious inmates, including cult leader Charles Manson. Official records show that Danny Masterson, now identified as inmate No. BW7253, entered the Los Angeles County prison on December 27, marking the beginning of his incarceration following his conviction earlier last year. Masterson's legal ordeal began in 2020 when he was initially arrested. In May, he was found guilty on two out of three counts of rape, which had occurred between 2001 and 2003. Subsequently, in September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison for these heinous crimes. Last week, Masterson's request for bail pending appeal was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo, who expressed concerns about his potential flight risk. Judge Olmedo underscored the gravity of Masterson's situation in her order, stating that without a successful appeal, the actor would "likely remain in custody for decades, and perhaps the rest of his life." Notably, California State Prison-Corcoran has been associated with housing some of the most infamous criminals in history. Among its former inmates was Charles Manson, a cult leader convicted of nine murders. Manson spent nearly three decades in the Protective Housing Unit at this very prison until his death in 2017. His crimes included the gruesome murder of actress and model Sharon Tate Polanski, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her killing in 1969. During Manson's incarceration, he was denied bail 12 times, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the risk he posed to society. Manson's case remains one of the most chilling chapters in the annals of true crime. Leading up to Danny Masterson's sentencing in December, several of his former "That '70s Show" co-stars, including Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, wrote letters in support of the actor. However, these letters prompted public criticism, leading Kutcher and Kunis to issue apologies for their endorsements. Ashton Kutcher also stepped down from an anti-sex abuse organization co-founded with his ex-wife, Demi Moore, citing an "error in judgment." As Danny Masterson embarks on his prison sentence at California State Prison-Corcoran, his case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences for those convicted of serious crimes. The facility's history, including its association with Charles Manson, adds a unique dimension to the actor's incarceration, which will undoubtedly be closely watched by the public and the legal community alike. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Former "That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson, convicted of raping two women, has commenced his prison sentence at California State Prison-Corcoran, a facility with a history of housing notorious inmates, including cult leader Charles Manson. Official records show that Danny Masterson, now identified as inmate No. BW7253, entered the Los Angeles County prison on December 27, marking the beginning of his incarceration following his conviction earlier last year. Masterson's legal ordeal began in 2020 when he was initially arrested. In May, he was found guilty on two out of three counts of rape, which had occurred between 2001 and 2003. Subsequently, in September, a judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison for these heinous crimes. Last week, Masterson's request for bail pending appeal was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo, who expressed concerns about his potential flight risk. Judge Olmedo underscored the gravity of Masterson's situation in her order, stating that without a successful appeal, the actor would "likely remain in custody for decades, and perhaps the rest of his life." Notably, California State Prison-Corcoran has been associated with housing some of the most infamous criminals in history. Among its former inmates was Charles Manson, a cult leader convicted of nine murders. Manson spent nearly three decades in the Protective Housing Unit at this very prison until his death in 2017. His crimes included the gruesome murder of actress and model Sharon Tate Polanski, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her killing in 1969. During Manson's incarceration, he was denied bail 12 times, reflecting the severity of his crimes and the risk he posed to society. Manson's case remains one of the most chilling chapters in the annals of true crime. Leading up to Danny Masterson's sentencing in December, several of his former "That '70s Show" co-stars, including Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, wrote letters in support of the actor. However, these letters prompted public criticism, leading Kutcher and Kunis to issue apologies for their endorsements. Ashton Kutcher also stepped down from an anti-sex abuse organization co-founded with his ex-wife, Demi Moore, citing an "error in judgment." As Danny Masterson embarks on his prison sentence at California State Prison-Corcoran, his case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences for those convicted of serious crimes. The facility's history, including its association with Charles Manson, adds a unique dimension to the actor's incarceration, which will undoubtedly be closely watched by the public and the legal community alike. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

On this Episode of A Brothers' Creed Podcast Jared and Ethan talk with Wayne Boatwright. Wayne shares with the brothers his story of how he went from being an Ivy League graduate with a successful job as a lawyer to serving 6 years in a California State Prison. Wayne shares insights about his time in prison with a focus on the lessons he learned there that have changed him forever. The brothers and Wayne chat about a wide range of topics like the rebuilding of trust he lost with his children, lessons on fatherhood from prison, to a story about the importance of Sriracha in prison.  Don't miss this thought provoking conversation! You can find More from Wayne Boatwright at the below links: LinkedIn Substack For more from A Brothers' Creed Podcast look on these platforms:  Follow us on Instagram @a.brothers.creed Follow us on YouTube Follow us on TikTok @a.brothers.creed

Jaylen Fleer was arrested in July of 2020 for unthinkable offenses. Thankfully he will be spending the next 12 years in a California State Prison without the possibility of parole. What did Fleer do? Find out more in today's episode. To listen to Fleer's full interrogation: https://youtu.be/ZbNmFZU9gCk Click here to join our Patreon. Click here to get your own Inhuman merch. Connect with us on Instagram and join our Facebook group. To submit listener stories or case suggestions, and to see all sources for this episode: https://www.inhumanpodcast.com/

​ @vicblends the former celebrity barber from Fayetteville, North Carolina, transcended from your favorite Celebrity's barber to an Entreprenure that will leave you with more than a clean line up. Aside from the Exponential Growth in Support online, Victor Fontanez took his skill and utilized it to change peoples lives. With his own Barbershop Academy online Vic took things a step further to develop the first ever Barber licensing program for rehabilitating inmates throughout the California State Prison system. Whether its a complementary shape up at the park or the opprotunity at a second chance with society, Vic's Legacy is set in stone.

Part 2 of the interview with my guest Gilbert Bao. On this episode we discuss his transition after spending 21 years in a California State Prison. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE! anchor.fm/urbanspinster/subscribe  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/urbanspinster/message

Continuing the episodic series on MacLaren Hall, my guest Gilbert Bao has spent more of his life in state custody than he has outside of it. From being removed by children's services at the age of 8, to a revolving door of juvenile detention and then sentenced to 24 years to life in California State Prison, Gilbert has come out on the other side. He admits that there are daily adjustments to be made. But his freedom is worth it. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE! anchor.fm/urbanspinster/subscribe --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/urbanspinster/message

Once upon a time, theater Director Susie Tanner, steelworkers, & Bruce Springsteen teamed up to spread the devastating truth about steel plant shutdowns across the US. This is their story. BIOSusan “Susie” Franklin Tanner has worked as a Theatre Artist since 1973. In 1983 she received a California Arts Council Artist in Communities grant to create TheatreWorkers Project. As the founder and director, she has led the company in the development of 16 documentary plays including Lady Beth: the Steelworkers' Play that toured 16 cities, co-sponsored by Bruce Springsteen and was profiled in the PBS documentary “A Steel Life Drama”. In 1982, Tanner was honored to share her work on a production of Brecht's A Man's A Man with members of the Berliner Ensemble. She was a member of the Living Stage Company/Arena Stage in D.C. for 6 years, performing and/or teaching workshops for at-risk and underserved children, teens and adults. Her work with the company included workshop/performances in prisons and treatment centers. In Los Angeles, her community-based work has included creating theatre with steelworkers, shipbuilders, critical care nurses, Latino immigrants workers, formerly incarcerated men and women, and youth. Since 2016, Susie has led teams of artists in theatre, writing and movement workshops for formerly incarcerated and those on work release through CAC and California Humanities grants. In January 2019 Susie and her artist teams will bring this work to California State Prison, Lancaster through a CAC Arts in Corrections contract.She is a member of the SAG-AFTRA Radio Play Committee, for which she has directed 5 live radio performances. As a member of Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, she has directed numerous staged readings and the critically acclaimed production of “To Serve Butter” for the 2016 One Act Festival, and has provided ongoing opportunities for young artists to work side by side with professionals. Producing/Directing credits include “The Luckiest Girl” and “No Word in Guyanese for Me”, staged at the Atwater Village Theatre, “Lake Titicaca” for the 2016 Short + Sweet Hollywood one act festival, “ISAAK”, which tours schools on an Actor's Equity Theatre for Young Audiences contract, and "Fathers & Sons".Susie was an adjunct professor of Theatre for Social Change at Woodbury University for two years. In 2014-15, she collaborated with Woodbury on a project with La Colmenita, the Cuban national children's theatre, and has collaborated with Mt. St. Mary's University to implement the Theatre Intervention Project, serving severely depressed and recovering low income women from South Central LA. Teaching Artist positions include/have included LACHSA, Sequoyah School, Mark Taper Forum Saturday Conservatory, College of the Canyons, UCLA Extension, CSULA/EOP, LACC Theatre Academy, College of the Canyons, LAUSD and PUSD.Grants and awards include: 2011 Bravo Award and CTG JP Morgan Chase Fellowships, a 2014 National Artist Teacher Fellowship and the LA County Federation of Labor Union Label Award for cultural work within the labor movement. Susie has been funded by the California Arts Council for nine consecutive years and her company, TheatreWorkers Project, has recently been awarded an LAUSD Arts Community Network contract to being theatre productions and classes to underserved middle and high schools. for her eighth consecutiveNotable MentionsTheaterWorkers Project: (TWP) is dedicated to providing opportunities for members of underserved and unheard communities to tell their stories through the medium of theatre and to providing classical and contemporary theatre experiences that reflect and illuminate the human condition.Lady Beth: the steelworkers play...

A special episode from Uncuffed: During the COVID lockdown at San Quentin, Steve and Darren both got unexpected letters that changed their lives. This is the second episode of the new season of KALW's Uncuffed, a podcast training program at San Quentin and California State Prison, Solano. They're in the middle of an emergency fundraiser right now, trying to keep their training and broadcast programs going after their main funder rescinded a grant because of a bureaucratic error. You can learn more and support Uncuffed's work here. Uncuffed is a production of KALW public radio in San Francisco. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Rodrigo Jacques Alcala-Buquor) war ein verurteilter US-amerikanischer Serienmörder. Er war auch als The Dating Game Killer und John Berger bekannt. Er wurde für fünf brutale Morde und Vergewaltigungen zum Tode verurteilt; Quellen sprechen davon, dass er 130 Frauen ermordet haben und andere schwere Gewalttaten verübt haben könnte. Definitiv soll er in den Jahren 1968 bis 1979 acht Morde begangen haben, ehe er am 24. Juli 1979 verhaftet wurde und bis zu seinem Tode eine Haftstrafe im California State Prison, Corcoran Er wurde damals zu lebenslänglich mit zusätzlichen 25 Jahren verurteilt. Alcala wird manchmal als The Dating Game Killer bezeichnet, weil er 1978 inmitten seiner Mordserie in der Fernsehsendung The Dating Game auftrat. Kommentare gerne unter info@mord-s-sache.de und im Blog https://qf9yxo.podcaster.de und Twitter @MordsSache Intormusik: https://ronaldkah.de/, @ronaldkah ✓ INSTAGRAM ▷ Musik von Ronald Kah, Web: https://ronaldkah.de/, @ronaldkah ✓ YOUTUBE ▷ Musik von Ronald Kah, Web: https://ronaldkah.de/ ✓ FACEBOOK ▷ Musik von Ronald Kah, Web: https://ronaldkah.de/, @ronaldkah:

Scott Dyleski is serving life without parole in a California State Prison, while the real killer goes free. So say his attorneys, Katherine Hallinan and Sara Zalkin, who just filed a new petition in the State Court of Appeal. At age 17, he was convicted of 1st degree murder of his neighbor Pamela Vitale, while her husband, attorney Daniel Horowitz, took suspicious advantage of her death to advance his career as a TV legal commentator. Scott's heartsick mom, Esther Fielding will share her frustrations and her hopes.

Scott Dyleski is serving life without parole in a California State Prison, while the real killer goes free. So say his attorneys, Katherine Hallinan and Sara Zalkin, who just filed a new petition in the State Court of Appeal. At age 17, he was convicted of 1st degree murder of his neighbor Pamela Vitale, while her husband, attorney Daniel Horowitz, took suspicious advantage of her death to advance his career as a TV legal commentator. Scott's heartsick mom, Esther Fielding will share her frustrations and her hopes.

This episode of the Amazing Cities and Towns Podcast sponsored by Bearing Advisors, Jim Hunt interviews Sarah Aquino of Folsom, CA about solutions to the current labor shortage situation.   A candid conversation about the current labor market How Sarah choose to deal with the situation and lead by example And, much more   7 Steps to an Amazing City:   Attitude Motivation Attention to Detail Zing Inclusiveness Neighborhood Empowerment Green Awareness   Thanks for listening and look forward to having you join us for the next episode.   Links Mentions During Show:   AmazingCities.org AmazingCities.org/podcast to be a guest on the podcast   About  Sarah Aquino Sarah Aquino was elected to the Folsom City Council in November 2018 and was chosen by her colleagues to serve as vice mayor in 2019, mayor in 2020, and vice mayor in 2021.  Prior to her election to the Council, Sarah served four years as a member of the Board of Education for the Folsom Cordova Unified School District. She is the city's representative to the Association of California Cities Allied with Public Safety, Folsom Tourism and Economic Development Corporation, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. Sarah represents California's 1st Senate District on the Citizens' Advisory Committee for Folsom State Prison and California State Prison, Sacramento. She is a past chair of the Folsom Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, former Folsom Library commissioner, three-time PTA president at Russell Ranch Elementary, and former board member of the Folsom Cordova Education Foundation. Sarah is a licensed life and health insurance agent and runs her family's insurance agency. She grew up in Fair Oaks, attended public schools in the San Juan Unified School District, and graduated from California State University, Sacramento. Her husband, John, is a physical education and adaptive physical education teacher. They have been married for over 20 years and have two children.   About Your Host, Jim Hunt: Welcome to the “Building Amazing Cities and Towns Podcast” … The podcast for Mayors, Council Members, Managers, Staff and anyone who is interested in building an Amazing City.   Your host is Jim Hunt, the author of “Bottom Line Green, How American Cities are Saving the Planet and Money Too” and his latest book, “The Amazing City - 7 Steps to Creating an Amazing City”   Jim is also the former President of the National League of Cities, 27 year Mayor, Council Member and 2006 Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County Magazine.   Today, Jim speaks to 1000's of local government officials each year in the US and abroad.   Jim also consults with businesses that are bringing technology and innovation to local government.   Amazing City Resources:   Buy Jim's Popular Books: The Amazing City: 7 Steps to Creating an Amazing City: https://www.amazingcities.org/product-page/the-amazing-city-7-steps-to-creating-an-amazing-city   Bottom Line Green: How America's Cities and Saving the Planet (And Money Too) https://www.amazingcities.org/product-page/bottom-line-green-how-america-s-cities-are-saving-the-planet-and-money-too   FREE White Paper: “10 Steps to Revitalize Your Downtown” AmazingCities.org/10-Steps   Hire Jim to Speak at Your Next Event: Tell us about your event and see if dates are available at AmazingCities.org/Speaking   Hire Jim to Consult with Your City or Town: Discover more details at https://www.amazingcities.org/consulting   Discuss Your Business Opportunity/Product to Help Amazing Cities: Complete the form at https://www.amazingcities.org/business-development   A Special Thanks to Bearing Advisors for the support of this podcast:  www.BearingAdvisors.Net                                          

For more than a century, California's approach to incarcerating people has gone mostly like this: Incarcerate them. But now, there's a program offered by the Cal State University system that helps incarcerated folks not only develop skills but also reimagine themselves — as people who could have lives after serving long prison terms, as scholars. Today, we're going to talk about this new educational opportunity for those on the inside with L.A. Times education reporter Colleen Shalby.More reading:They were supposed to die in prison. Instead, they earned freedom as college graduates Editorial: For former prisoners to have a shot at a normal life, we need successful reentry programs Apodaca: UC Irvine law professor sees college degrees as a way to reduce recidivism 

Eldra Jakson III, Co Executive Director at The Inside Circle Eldra Jackson III Eldra served 24 years of a life sentence; the last eight were spent sitting with Inside Circle eventually leading to his release from New Folsom Prison in 2014. A living example of successful rehabilitation and re-entry, Eldra has dedicated his free time on the outside to serving at-risk youth, and acting as a facilitator, trainer, and mentor.  He is a writer and sought after public speaker on the topics of at-risk youth advocacy, effective criminal justice rehabilitation and turning around ‘toxic' masculinity. He also hosts the Inside Circle Podcast. The Inside Circle The Inside Circle exists to reduce recidivism and all forms of violence-physical, emotional, and psychological— in our prisons and communities. Using the power of human connection found in peer-guided healing circles, Inside Circle transforms lives, reducing violence inside and outside adult and juvenile prisons, lowering recidivism rates, and building social-emotional literacy. They Operate regularly within and around California State Prison, Sacramento (New Folsom), Sierra Conservation Center, and New Jersey's Juvenile Medium Security Facility. They have ignited and run programs in an array of adult and juvenile detention centers and community settings across the United States. After sitting in group with Inside Circle for an average of 3 years, members show shifts in resilience, empathy, self-regulation, and perspective taking. For participants, There's an 80% decline in the number of “115” rule violations. 70% of participants dropped 1-3 security levels. 44% of the men who were serving and went through the program are no longer in prison but instead serving their communities and contributing to society, and 0% of released participants returned to prison within three years of release. For more on The Inside Circle watch The Work documentary available on Amazon. Discussed In This Episode: Eldra's background and his storyWhat went through Eldra's mind when he was sentenced and his first years in prisonToxic masculinity, Eldra's definition of it, and how it impacted his lifeWhat we need to know about prison lifeRacial segregation in CA prisons and why this remains in practiceThe Circle -- how Eldra found it and how it healsWhat led to Eldra's freedom and eventual releaseThe adjustment to being out of prison and the biggest challengesThe pain of healingHow to reduce incarcerationCall to action Important Links: Waiting For An Echo by Christine MontrossThe Work documentary Eldra Jackson and The Circle on Instagram Other Episodes Like This: Healing From An Act Of ViolenceParenting a Child With Autism Happy Listening! With Fun and Love, Jackie

Get to know Kasper and Sick Boy as they share the start of their friendship that was formed in California State Prison. In this episode they discuss misconceptions of Prison life and how their friendship was created through skateboarding and punk rock music. They also interview ex-felon John Shin a tattoo artist out of Shogun Tattoo located in Pasadena, Ca. He talks hustle, prison tattoo guns, being a dad and Top Ramen noodles.

Get to know Kasper and Sick Boy as they share the start of their friendship that was formed in California State Prison. In this episode they discuss misconceptions of Prison life and how their friendship was created through skateboarding and punk rock music. They also interview ex-felon John Shin a tattoo artist out of Shogun Tattoo located in Pasadena, Ca. He talks hustle, prison tattoo guns, being a dad and Top Ramen noodles.

Molly and Irene introduce who they are, what they do as nurses, and why they started a podcast to normalize conversations about mental health. They also talk about what you can expect in future episodes. Irene shares her story about leaving nursing for a while to pursue a career in drug and alcohol counseling, and how she eventually got into psychiatric care. Molly gives a synopsis of her nursing career in the California State Prison system, inpatient and outpatient psych, and hospice care and why she decided go back to school to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. They talk a little about their family history of mental health and addiction to explain that mental illness impacts everyone. There's a segment at the end called "Lows and Highs" to demonstrate active listening and help us find words to describe our emotions. Go to their Instagram account @thatsnotcrazypodcast to share the homework assignment given out at the end of the episode. *DISCLAIMER: THIS PODCAST IS INTENDED FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE SUBSTITUTED FOR OR INTERPRETED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eldra Jackson III is a writer and public speaker on at-risk youth advocacy, effective criminal justice rehabilitation, and turning around ‘toxic' masculinity. Eldra brings clarity of purpose, mission focus, and inspiration to his role at Inside Circle. He was an inmate at New Folsom Prison when he found Inside Circle and began the inner personal journey that eventually led to his release in 2014 and his current leadership role. A living example of successful rehabilitation and re-entry, Eldra has dedicated his free time to serving at-risk youth, acting as a facilitator, trainer, and mentor for organizations like Youth Empowerment and Goals Association, Shoulder to Shoulder, and the Alternatives to Violence Project. Watch Eldra's TED Talk here, How I unlearned dangerous lessons about masculinity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vCIktrORFU Watch the documentary here, The Work: https://www.topic.com/the-work. "Inside the chapel at California State Prison, Sacramento, three members of the public enter into an intensive group-therapy session with convicts. Over four days, the men tear down their defenses, laying their pasts bare in emotional and sometimes physical ways. The prisoners and civilians are brought face-to-face with the men they were—and the men they want to become." Become a Prisoner Penpal: https://insidecircle.org/penpal-program Check out Inside Circle here: https://insidecircle.org Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inside__circle Follow him Twitter: https://twitter.com/inside_circle_ Follow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsideCircleOrg Be sure to check out the new Inside Circle podcast: https://insidecircle.org/podcast _________________________________________ Follow me on Instagram @LongDistanceLoveBombs: https://www.instagram.com/longdistancelovebombs Looking for a heartfelt gift? Visit my print shop here: https://www.longdistancelovebombs.com/theshop Sign up for my weekly newsletter! Each week, I share a personal story and my favorite books, tunes, articles, and ideas. Click here: http://eepurl.com/T0l91. It's easy and takes five seconds. Check out a list of 120 of my favorite books here, including many my guests have written and recommend reading: https://bookshop.org/shop/LDLB Here is all of my favorite stuff on the planet: https://www.longdistancelovebombs.com/favorites --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/longdistancelovebombs/message

This episode is a continuation from EP 006. Dr. Robert Weide is a Los Angeles Native who grew up in an area heavily influenced by racialized Sureno, Blood, and Crip gangs. Robert eventually obtained a Ph.D in Sociology from NYU and landed a teaching position at California State University, Los Angeles. In this episode, Robert discusses the California State Prison system, how the four main factions of racialized prison gangs created a peace treaty in maximum security prison, how the treaty extended to the streets, whats being done to undermine the treaty and much more. Thanks for tuning in and *****please***** don't forget to hit subscribe, leave me a review, and share this podcast with all of your homies! *****You can follow @anthroforthehomies and Instagram and Youtube.***** Peace homies! 

Scott "Junior" Ereckson is the author of The Unknown Mongol, a book about the history, story and tale of unforgettable experiences throughout the 30 years Junior has been apart of the Mongols Motorcycle club. Come experience life as he knows it from his first book, The Unknown Mongol. Junior's second book details his experiences as the unforgiving steel doors of freedom slam behind him. Go with Junior on this wild roller-coaster ride to hell and back. Experience the ins and out of Los Angeles County Jail "the closest place to hell on earth" then on to California State Prison. Hold on tight as you share the happiness, sadness and relationships in this unbelievable but true gripping expedition of one man's life. Find his books on his website, scottjuniorereckson.com Junior joined the San Diego [DAGO] chapter of the Mongols Motorcycle club in 1980 at the young age of 20, which is how Scott Ereckson got the nickname Junior. After serving prison time for the first retaliation in the well known war against the Hell's Angels, Serving as National President in 1988-89, then again from 1996 to 1998, Junior has also been a member of 7 different chapters and a founder of 3. Junior was a member of the Mongols M.C. for over 30 years, has held every office obtainable in the club and become one of the most recognized and respected in the outlaw biker world. Junior has been part of a nationally televised show on National Geographic called the Outlaw Bikers, Masters of Mayhem.

When we tell you he is a piece of work, whew child! Samuel Little was one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. He was already serving three consecutive life sentences at California State Prison when he confessed to murdering 93 women across 19 states between 1970 and 2005. 

Hunter Barnes is a documentary photographer whose work captures aspects of culture and communities ignored by the mainstream and often misrepresented in the modern American narrative. Hunter trained in photochemistry and traditional photographic techniques. At a young age, he began a nomadic life on the road. In his early twenties, Hunter self-published his first book, Redneck Roundup, documenting the dying communities of the Old West. Other projects followed: four years spent with the Nez Perce tribe; months with a serpent-handling congregation in the Appalachian mountains; bikers, lowriders, and street gangs; inmates in California State Prison. Intense, true pockets, and subcultures of America. The process is an integral part of Hunter’s work. He shoots exclusively on film—the pace of analog in harmony with his approach. Fundamental to Hunter’s work is the journey, the people, the place. Then committing them to film before they are greatly changed or gone forever. His new book is titled: .  Websites Hunter Barnes Michael Zagaris   Education Resources: Momenta Photographic Workshops   Candid Frame Resources Download the free Candid Frame app for your favorite smart device. Click here to download for . Click here to download Support the work we do at The Candid Frame by contributing to our Patreon effort.  You can do this by visiting or visiting the website and clicking on the Patreon button. You can also provide a one-time donation via . You can follow Ibarionex on and .

California State Prison, July 20, 2020. Read by Watani Stiner. Produced by the editor of Prison Focus newspaper, Kim Pollak. To hear the full song, Abolish It, look for Min. King X on itunes. To learn more about California Prison Focus or to get involved and/or support the work we do to elevate the voices of people incarcerated in California, visit www.prisons.org/action

A Covid report from CSP-LAC. August 2020. Read by California Prison Focus volunteer, Tess Mecleron. Produced by Kim Pollak, Chief Editor of the Prison Focus newspaper. You can listen to the complete song, Abolish it, and more from Min. King X aka Pyeface on itunes - which is another way to support California Prison Focus. You can also visit www.prison.org to support CPF or to get involved.

Episode 5: Mr. Wood a former gang member and former drug dealer share his story of serving time in both California State Prison and Federal Prison. Mr. Wood gain multiple college degrees while in prison and opens up about the struggles and successes of life after prison and what prison reforms need to be implemented in order for formerly incarcerated people to rebuild their lives.#prisonreform #prisonreentry

Madd Ronald is joined by Deaneal McKight (reformed) gang member that gives his account on growing up in a gang related environment, being placed in group home (placements), sentenced to county camps, California Youth Authority, and graduating to the California State Prison system, and paroling from an indeterminate S.H.U. program.He later reclaims he life and attends Washington State University, where he earns a degree in sociology, psychology, and comparative ethnic studies.

Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures joins Nick to discuss Economic Theory in Venture Capital. In this episode, we cover: You've written about a major lesson from Clayton Christensen's book, the Innovator's Dilemma, which was one of ‘deflationary economics.' Can describe what this means and why it should be a focus for startups? In light of deflationary economics, what are the key questions that a founder should ask him/herself about the business? Why is it that incumbents have such a hard time responding to startups w/ this approach? What should new market entrants focus on when it comes to price vs. functionality? At a high-level what are your thoughts on the trade-offs between growth and profitability? What are your impressions of what Bryce Roberts is doing at Indie VC? How have your thoughts on investment psychology and economics been influenced by The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb? What other principles of economics, that we haven't touched on, have informed your investment philosophy? In light of today's topics, what are the key things you're looking for in startups? Can you talk about Defy Ventures and your experience visiting California State Prison and the impact that Defy is having? To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/ for all of our other episodes. Also, follow us on twitter @TheFullRatchet for updates and more information.

  Keith takes us on a jaw-dropping, hysterical journey through his youth growing up in West Covina, to the edge-of-your-seat crime sprees and drug escapades that sent him to California State Prison.  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-hard-luck-show/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of Life with Josh and Amir, the two sit down with Amir's aunt, Dr. Kalwinder Kaur. Dr. Kaur has been a docter for many years, she works in internal medicine and today she is working for the California State Prison system. The three of them discuss growing up in India, immigrating to the United States, and how she found her passion for medicine.  Dr. Kaur is the definition of an immigrant success story, overall it was a great episode filled with great stories and insightful knowledge. This is Life with Josh and Amir Amir's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realamirallen/ Josh's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuajcolumbus/

CLEVELAND -- Samuel Little, perhaps the most prolific killer in American History, has been linked to at least 60 murders and Rick Bell, Investigations Division Chief in the Office of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, believes he is involved with 30 more. Little, 79, has claimed to have killed people between 1970 and 2005 in 14 states from California to Florida, according to CNN.  He is currently on trial in Cuyahoga County for the murders of at least women in Cleveland. Little is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and six counts of kidnapping in the deaths of a 21-year-old Mary Jo Peyton in 1984 and Rose Evans, 32, in 1991, Bell said. He added there may be a third victim if they can prove the murder happened in their jurisdiction. Bell joined Adam Fox and Noah Jones on the true crime podcast, Chalk Murder to Me to talk about his interview with the notorious killer, held in a California State Prison.

​​"When I first visited California State Prison, Lancaster what I saw there were not prisoners, but cages filled of hundreds of lights —lights of knowledge, wisdom, compassion, love, insight and remorse.​It was as if hundreds of candles had been locked in a distant closet, or that the stars had been hidden behind the blanket of the desert night, denying us the light that they had to shine upon the world." --Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy Words Uncaged is a creative platform, created by the men of A-Yard California State Prison, Lancaster, and CalState LA professor Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. Its purpose is for incarcerated artists, writers, students and poets to dialogue and critically engage with you. We invite you to experience our voices--uncaged from the prison walls. We invite you to rethink who incarcerated men are. We invite you to explore our common humanity together. We invite you to imagine alternatives to our current system of mass incarceration in the United States.

Mark Richards (1953–) is a convicted murderer serving life without parole in California State Prison, SolanoWikipedia's W.svg at Vacaville, California.[1] He prefers to be known as "Captain" Richards, although he never served in the military. After graduating from high school in 1971, he attended the College of Marin and then graduated from Dominican College in San Rafael in 1976. He has spun multiple bizarre yarns about his service in the so-called "Secret Space Program" battling alien forces, in addition to his imaginary service in the US NavyInvestigation by a journalist from the Marin Independent Journal revealed a dimension to the murder that was literally incredible. The writer, Erik Ingram, reported that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin." Ingram reported that police detectives had retrieved from Richards' home maps, aerial photographs of Marin County, plans for a laser-gun, instructions for the construction of machine-guns, and "notebooks containing references to a new form of government." He wrote that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin."In the weeks that followed, a number of witnesses came forward with stories indicating that the Pendragon group in fact existed. Crossie Hoover told investigators that one of the inducements to the murder was Richards' promise to appoint him Duke of Angel's Island. It appears that Richards fantasized about converting Marin County into a version of King Arthur's Camelot, with himself as King. He allegedly promoted plans in meetings with his workers to take over Marin County by destroying the Golden Gate and Richmond-San Rafael bridges and placing a laser gun on top of Mount Tamalpais. Carl Shapiro, a San Anselmo attorney representing Richards, asserted that the documents found by the police were research materials for a science-fiction book (Imperial Marin) that Richards was writing. The prosecution countered that regardless of Richards's writing, he used the Pendragon material to manipulate Hoover into committing the murder. Starting in November 2013, Richards became a major source for conspiracy theorist Kerry Cassidy. On that date Cassidy conducted a 1h 18m video interview[2] at the prison in Vacaville. Cassidy regards Richards as an important whistleblower exposing the "Secret Space Program." She has said that he was framed for the Baldwin murder, and that he is imprisoned by the Illuminati-Draco run planetary government.[3][note 1] At the time of writing Cassidy says she has conducted nine interviews with Richards, for an aggregate time over 14 hours. Since recording devices are not allowed in the prison, the normal format of these videos is Cassidy speaking to camera recalling what was said immediately after her meeting with the convict. Her tenth Interview with Richards was released in March, 2019.Much of the material consists of tales of personal heroism, as Richards commands exotic space battleships fighting and defeating aliens. He commanded an Orion battleship at the asteroid Vesta in August 1979. Soon after that, he led an attack against aliens to reclaim a secret base at Dulce, New Mexico. The aliens had violated a treaty and abducted humans for experimentation.[4]Richards claims that he was on active duty at the age of 13, with a high security clearance. After graduating from high school, Richards said he became an Army officer flying helicopters in Vietnam and later became a Navy Captain. He also claims to be a Rhodes Scholar with several advanced degrees and to be a member at the highest levels of the Republican National Committee. Neither Cassidy or Richards have provided documentation to support his claims.[5]Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Mark Richards (1953–) is a convicted murderer serving life without parole in California State Prison, SolanoWikipedia's W.svg at Vacaville, California.[1] He prefers to be known as "Captain" Richards, although he never served in the military. After graduating from high school in 1971, he attended the College of Marin and then graduated from Dominican College in San Rafael in 1976. He has spun multiple bizarre yarns about his service in the so-called "Secret Space Program" battling alien forces, in addition to his imaginary service in the US NavyInvestigation by a journalist from the Marin Independent Journal revealed a dimension to the murder that was literally incredible. The writer, Erik Ingram, reported that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin." Ingram reported that police detectives had retrieved from Richards' home maps, aerial photographs of Marin County, plans for a laser-gun, instructions for the construction of machine-guns, and "notebooks containing references to a new form of government." He wrote that behind the Baldwin murder "may be a secret organization, called Pendragon, that appeared to be planning an armed takeover of Marin."In the weeks that followed, a number of witnesses came forward with stories indicating that the Pendragon group in fact existed. Crossie Hoover told investigators that one of the inducements to the murder was Richards' promise to appoint him Duke of Angel's Island. It appears that Richards fantasized about converting Marin County into a version of King Arthur's Camelot, with himself as King. He allegedly promoted plans in meetings with his workers to take over Marin County by destroying the Golden Gate and Richmond-San Rafael bridges and placing a laser gun on top of Mount Tamalpais. Carl Shapiro, a San Anselmo attorney representing Richards, asserted that the documents found by the police were research materials for a science-fiction book (Imperial Marin) that Richards was writing. The prosecution countered that regardless of Richards's writing, he used the Pendragon material to manipulate Hoover into committing the murder. Starting in November 2013, Richards became a major source for conspiracy theorist Kerry Cassidy. On that date Cassidy conducted a 1h 18m video interview[2] at the prison in Vacaville. Cassidy regards Richards as an important whistleblower exposing the "Secret Space Program." She has said that he was framed for the Baldwin murder, and that he is imprisoned by the Illuminati-Draco run planetary government.[3][note 1] At the time of writing Cassidy says she has conducted nine interviews with Richards, for an aggregate time over 14 hours. Since recording devices are not allowed in the prison, the normal format of these videos is Cassidy speaking to camera recalling what was said immediately after her meeting with the convict. Her tenth Interview with Richards was released in March, 2019.Much of the material consists of tales of personal heroism, as Richards commands exotic space battleships fighting and defeating aliens. He commanded an Orion battleship at the asteroid Vesta in August 1979. Soon after that, he led an attack against aliens to reclaim a secret base at Dulce, New Mexico. The aliens had violated a treaty and abducted humans for experimentation.[4]Richards claims that he was on active duty at the age of 13, with a high security clearance. After graduating from high school, Richards said he became an Army officer flying helicopters in Vietnam and later became a Navy Captain. He also claims to be a Rhodes Scholar with several advanced degrees and to be a member at the highest levels of the Republican National Committee. Neither Cassidy or Richards have provided documentation to support his claims.[5]Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Freddy grew up in the LA gangster culture and went to prison, where he learned to tatoo. His youngest son was murdered in a gang confllict. He felt guilty, fell apart, started using drugs, went to prison, was diagnosed with congestive heart failures, had 3 heart attacks, thought he was going to die in jail, prayed and asked for more time. Freddy joined a rehab program, learned to live with son's death, dedicated his life to make his son proud and chose to be an example to his living son. He shares these nuggets of life wisdom: - no matter how low you've come, there's always hope - if you want change, there is hope and treatment, you just have to want it - approach things with an open heart Legendary tattoo artist Freddy Negrete is best known for his pioneering black-and-gray tattoo style, honed while serving time in the California State Prison system during a youth mired in abuse, gang life, and drug addiction. His “prison-style” designs eventually found their way out onto the streets of East LA and, in 1980, he created a piece that earned him a Tattoo Artist of the Year award. Freddy has been featured in the History Channel’s Marked series, in the documentary Tattoo Nation, on Spike TV’s Inkmaster as a guest judge, and in numerous print and online media. He has worked as a technical consultant and tattoo artist on over 30 Hollywood films including Batman, Blade, Con Air, Falling Down and Austin Powers. He currently works at The Shamrock Social Club on the Sunset Strip with his son, Isaiah and has been a volunteer counselor at the Beit T'Shuvah residential treatment center for eight years. His memoir, Smile Now, Cry Later, cowritten with Steve Jones, was released in 2016. https://freddynegrete.com/ https://www.instagram.com/freddy_negrete/?hl=en http://shamrocksocialclub.com/ 

Freddy Negrete Bio Legendary tattoo artist Freddy Negrete is best known for his pioneering black-and-gray tattoo style, honed while serving time in the California State Prison system during a youth mired in abuse, gang life, and drug addiction. His “prison-style” designs eventually found their way out onto the streets of East LA and, in 1980, he created a piece that earned him a Tattoo Artist of the Year award. Freddy has been featured in the History Channel’s Marked series, in the documentary Tattoo Nation, on Spike TV’s Inkmaster as a guest judge, and in numerous print and online media. He has worked as a technical consultant and tattoo artist on over 30 Hollywood films including Batman, Blade, Con Air, Falling Down and Austin Powers. He currently works at The Shamrock Social Club on the Sunset Strip with his son, Isaiah and has been a volunteer counselor at the Beit T'Shuvah residential treatment center for almost 10 years. His memoir, Smile Now, Cry Later, cowritten with Steve Jones, was released in 2016. Freddy Negrete Wiki: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddy_Negrete Social: Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreddyNegreteSmileNowCryLater/ Instagram: freddy_negrete Web: freddynegrete.com   Addiction Unlimited Podcast Full Transcript:  Angela Pugh:  Hey everybody, welcome to the Addiction Unlimited podcast. I'm your host, Angela Pugh, recording today from the beautiful Hollywood California and I want to say thank you to La Fuenta Hollywood Treatment Center for giving us a space to record. We appreciate that. You might hear some traffic noise in the background. We are in the heart of Hollywood so there's nothing we can do about the traffic. Angela Pugh: Today's guest, I'm so excited for you guys to hear a little bit of this story. It's so good. Freddy Negrete is joining us. Freddy's book is Smile Now, Cry Later: Guns, Gangs, and Tattoos-My Life in Black and Gray. Angela Pugh:                   Freddy, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for being here with us. Freddy Negrete:              Thank you for having me. Angela Pugh:                   Absolutely. Tell us a little about you and what you do. Freddy Negrete:  You got that tattoo artist part right, but I'm actually best known for pioneering the style of tattoo called black and gray realism. It's has it's roots in Chicano, [Cholo 00:01:01], [Vario 00:01:01] scene of East LA in the 70s. That was my life. I was a Chicano gang member. We gave the world, khakis and pendletons and bandannas, graffiti and tattoos. Angela Pugh:                   And tattoos, there you go. Freddy Negrete: I was born with art ability so ... and as a young Chicano, we had certain images that were really important to us like the clown girl and the Charo girl with the sombrero and the gun belt. Aztec imagery, religious Catholic images, crosses, roses, Jesus, Mary, things like that. And writing. Because we were very big on who you were and where we were from. And then spending most of my life in institutions, I developed my own style of art and then in prison learned how to tattoo with the homie tattoo machine in there. And when I got out, I started tattooing out of my apartment, meanwhile a tattoo shop opened up in East LA and found that everybody wanted tattoos, but they wanted their tattoos to look like they were done in prison. They wanted the Chicano style. Angela Pugh:                   Right. You actually learned to tattoo in prison? Freddy Negrete:              Yes. Angela Pugh:                   Okay. What is the ... how do you tattoo? What is a tattoo gun like in prison? Freddy Negrete:  It's funny because the machine that they use most today is a rotary machine and it's based off of that prison design. Basically it's a motor that you break out of a CD player or back then it was a cassette player. You use a toothbrush, a Bic pen, a sharpened guitar string, tape, and that motor, and a paperclip.

This is episode #416, and my guest today is Luis Ontiveros. Luis has been on the show before, a little over a year ago, and shared his amazing story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time in his youth, which ended up landing him in the California State Prison…then getting out a new man ready to change his ways and not take life for granted again. He went on to truly become a very successful real estate investor, operating in several different markets. This is the short version of his story, of course. On today’s show, Luis is here to share some techniques that he and his team are using to continue to dominate markets. I'm not joking…he shares exactly how to do what his team is doing, and it’s something that you can start doing today, even if you don't have much of a budget to get started. If you want it bad enough, today’s show just might change your life. If you're already as active real estate investor, you can take the lesson learned today and roll it out to your team to start doing more deals. Let’s get started! Please help me welcome Luis Ontiveros to the show. To learn more about our Investor Fuel Real Estate Mastermind, please visit InvestorFuel.com."

This is episode #416, and my guest today is Luis Ontiveros. Luis has been on the show before, a little over a year ago, and shared his amazing story of being in the wrong place at the wrong time in his youth, which ended up landing him in the California State Prison…then getting out a new man ready to change his ways and not take life for granted again. He went on to truly become a very successful real estate investor, operating in several different markets. This is the short version of his story, of course. On today’s show, Luis is here to share some techniques that he and his team are using to continue to dominate markets. I'm not joking…he shares exactly how to do what his team is doing, and it’s something that you can start doing today, even if you don't have much of a budget to get started. If you want it bad enough, today’s show just might change your life. If you're already as active real estate investor, you can take the lesson learned today and roll it out to your team to start doing more deals. Let’s get started! Please help me welcome Luis Ontiveros to the show. To learn more about our Investor Fuel Real Estate Mastermind, please visit InvestorFuel.com.

Join World Renowned Tattoo Artist and Former Gang Member Freddy Negrete as we talk about his childhood, road to destruction, and the dramatic change that occurred in his life.Legendary tattoo artist Freddy Negrete is best known for his pioneering black-and-gray tattoo style, honed while serving time in the California State Prison system during a youth mired in abuse, gang life, and drug addiction. His “prison-style” designs eventually found their way out onto the streets of East LA and, in 1980, he created a piece that earned him a Tattoo Artist of the Year award. Freddy has been featured in the History Channel’s Marked series, in the documentary Tattoo Nation, on Spike TV’s Inkmaster as a guest judge, and in numerous print and online media. He has worked as a technical consultant and tattoo artist on over 30 Hollywood films including Batman, Blade, Con Air, Falling Down and Austin Powers. He currently works at The Shamrock Social Club on the Sunset Strip with his son, Isaiah and has been a volunteer counselor at the Beit T'Shuvah residential treatment center for almost 10 years. His memoir, Smile Now, Cry Later, cowritten with Steve Jones, was released in 2016. Social media links: Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FreddyNegreteSmileNowCryLater/ Instagram: freddy_negrete Web: freddynegrete.com

James Day   James Day and I talk about Charles Manson, crime, criminals and psychopaths, prison as a state of mind, history, alternate facts, his new film and why the truth can sometimes be really ugly.   Trailer   Synopsis   Narrated by musician and director Rob Zombie, the documentary focuses on the Manson family murders told from Manson’s perspective using never-before-seen case files, pictures and exclusive interviews with Manson himself from inside California State Prison. Charles Manson: The Final Words includes Manson’s eerie and disturbing conversations about modern society, justice, his decades behind bars, the Bernard Crowe shooting and the murders along with digitally restored audio recordings from the original investigations to reconstruct a path of events that led to the brutal slayings of movie star Sharon Tate and four of her friends on August 8, 1969 in addition to the murders of Gary Hinman and Donald “Shorty” Shea. The documentary also includes compelling new interviews with members of the Manson family which reveal never-before-heard details that help uncover the real story and motives behind the grisly murder spree. Viewers will hear from accused Manson family members Bobby Beausoleil, Barbara Hoyt and Catherine “Cappi” Gillies along with prosecutor Stephen Kay, defense attorney Gary Fleischman, music producer Phil Kaufman as well as other investigators and authors. Biography James Buddy Day is the writer and director of Manson: The Voice Of Madness narrated by Rob Zombie. Manson: The Voice Of Madness is an official selection of the Red Rock Film Festival, Cuff Docs, and the winner of Best Dramatic Documentary at the Atlanta International Film Festival. As a writer/director James’ other feature credits include the character driven documentaries Goalie: Life And Death In The Crease (2015) and The Salvation Of Todd Bentley (2014). James is the Showrunner of true crime series The Shocking Truth (2017-2018) featuring the shocking true stories behind some of the most famous movies of all times. The Shocking Truth can be seen on REELZ throughout the US, and other platforms throughout the world. James’ extensive production experience includes travelling throughout the world as a writer/director/producer for the series Expedition Earth (Nat Geo Wild), as well as travelling throughout North America as the Showrunner and director of the food adventure series Best In Chow for CMT Canada and Cooking Channel (USA). He was served as Showrunner and director for Wild Obsession (Animal Planet), World Of Hurt With Rowdy Roddy Piper, The Big Pitch (CBC), Cultureville (CBC), Culture Secrets (CBC), and the The Screaming Room (SCREAM TV) among many other projects. James holds a Bachelor of Nursing and Health Studies (BN) from Mount Royal University, and a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma of Counselling Psychology from the Graduate Centre for Applied Psychology at Athabasca University. ---------- For more information about my podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit my site here. Image Copyright: Pyramid Productions. Used with permission. With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Charles Milles Manson (né Maddox, November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and cult leader. In the late 1960s, he formed what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune in California. Manson's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971 he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, all of which were carried out at his instruction by members of the group. Manson was also convicted of first-degree murder for two other deaths. At the time the Family began to form, Manson was an unemployed ex-convict who had spent half of his life in correctional institutions for a variety of offenses. Before the murders, he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly through a chance association with Dennis Wilson, drummer and founding member of the Beach Boys. Manson believed in what he called "Helter Skelter", a term he took from the Beatles' song of the same name to describe an impending apocalyptic race war. He believed the murders would help precipitate that war. From the beginning of his notoriety, a pop culture arose around him in which he ultimately became an emblem of insanity, violence and the macabre. After Manson was charged with the crimes of which he was later convicted, recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially, starting with Lie: The Love and Terror Cult (1970). Various musicians have covered some of his songs. Manson was originally sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life with the possibility of parole after California invalidated the state's death penalty statute in 1972. He served out his life sentence at California State Prison in Corcoran and died at age 83 on November 19, 2017.

Charles Milles Manson (né Maddox, November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and cult leader. In the late 1960s, he formed what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune in California. Manson's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971 he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, all of which were carried out at his instruction by members of the group. Manson was also convicted of first-degree murder for two other deaths. At the time the Family began to form, Manson was an unemployed ex-convict who had spent half of his life in correctional institutions for a variety of offenses. Before the murders, he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly through a chance association with Dennis Wilson, drummer and founding member of the Beach Boys. Manson believed in what he called "Helter Skelter", a term he took from the Beatles' song of the same name to describe an impending apocalyptic race war. He believed the murders would help precipitate that war. From the beginning of his notoriety, a pop culture arose around him in which he ultimately became an emblem of insanity, violence and the macabre. After Manson was charged with the crimes of which he was later convicted, recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially, starting with Lie: The Love and Terror Cult (1970). Various musicians have covered some of his songs. Manson was originally sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life with the possibility of parole after California invalidated the state's death penalty statute in 1972. He served out his life sentence at California State Prison in Corcoran and died at age 83 on November 19, 2017.

So proud to feature Dr. Jesse De La Cruz, a formerly incarcerated prisoner who emerged incredibly successfully--as a doctor of education and judicial expert. Check out his resume. Listen and watch his amazing two-part story on Earning Freedom, at MichaelSantos.com Dr. Jesse De La Cruz JSD Consultations P.O. Box 1993 Stockton, CA  95201  Cell: 209-423-4794 Email: jesse.delacruz588@gmail.com www.jsdconsultations.com Education: Ed.D: California State University, Stanislaus Turlock, CA                                                                                     2014 Concentration: Gangs Dissertation: Mexican American/Chicano gang members’ voice on social control in the context of school and community: A critical ethnographic case study in Stockton, California Masters of Social Work: California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA                                              2003                                                                      Concentration: Deviant behavior Thesis: An evaluation of a substance-abuse treatment program for criminal offenders Bachelors: Sociology, California State University, Turlock, CA                                                                 2001 ______________________________________________________________________________                                                                                                      Teaching Experience: Instructor                                                                                                                                 2010–2012 Heald College Taught Courses in: Police Procedures Theory and Practice; Corrections; Juvenile Delinquency; Victimology; Introduction into Criminology; Criminology; Organized Crime, Street Gangs & Terrorism. Teaching Assistant (TA)                                                                                       California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA                                                                           2011 2012 ___________________________________________________________________________                                                    Personal Experience: My involvement with gangs spans 50 years, beginning with my initiation into a street gang at age 13. In 1973, at age 21, I became a member of the Nuestra Familia prison gang while serving time at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI). I left the NF once I was released from prison in 1976. After my defection from the gang, I maintained a high degree of respect from my street gang homeboys simply because I never testified against any of my former Homeboys. In the course of my criminal career and going in and out of prison for twenty-eight years, I witnessed the proliferation of gangs. Mostly, I observed all the superficial, and few substantial changes between old and modern gangs. In 1996, I was released from prison for the last time and have turned my life completely around. However, as a result of my multiple gang involvement (street and prison), and my many years in different jails and prisons throughout the state of California, Texas and Washington, I have developed a unique and thorough insight into the gang phenomena that neither law enforcement nor academics can ever achieve because they have never been on the inside of a gang or served time in jail or prison.                                            ______________________________________________________________________________ Academic & Professional Experience: Since leaving prison for the last time on April 2, 1996, I have earned three University degrees and each of my degrees has been primarily the study and research of gangs. It is due to these distinct achievements, coupled with my personal experience, that I have been qualified on many occasions to testify as an expert witness.   In my very first case as a gang expert, I testified in Siskiyou County on a Death Penalty case involving an alleged White Supremacy gang. The gang allegations were dismissed after my testimony at preliminary hearing. In October, 2013, I testified in Stanislaus County on an alleged Norteño gang murder case involving one adult and two juveniles who were prosecuted as adults. All three defendants in that case were found not guilty of gang enhancements. My client was found innocent of all charges as a direct result of my testimony. I again testified in Stanislaus County in November, 2014 where a defendant had been charged with being a gang member under a gang injunction. The defendant was found not guilty as a direct result of my testimony. In December, 2014, I testified on a homicide case in Stanislaus County where gang allegations were filed. The jury was unable to reach a verdict due to my testimony. The case is currently set for trial later this year (2016). Recently, (January, 2015) I submitted a report on a robbery case in Marin County where the defendants had been charged with 186.22 and the gang allegation was dismissed as a result of my report. I also testified in Tulare County on December 2014 on an Asian Blood gang case. All three defendants were found guilty of the gang allegation filed against them. I have testified in: Los Angeles County (2) Contra Costa County (1) Santa Barbara County (1) Santa Clara County (4) San Joaquin County (1) San Mateo County (1) Sacramento County (1) Siskiyou County (1) Stanislaus County (4) Placer County (1) Tulare County (2) Hillsborough, Oregon (1) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (1)   I have also participated in aiding lawyers in preparation of testimony and given opinions on approximately 95 gang cases. Currently, I am working one death penalty case in Tulare County and a post conviction death case with the Habeas Corpus Resource Center in San Francisco CA. I have also worked with the Federal Public Defenders Office on a case out of Sacramento, CA on a post conviction case and two other post conviction cases in Oregon. I am also currently working on four R.I.C.O. cases and expected to testify late October or early November on one R.I.C.O. case in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.   Consultant & Mentor for Fathers & Families of San Joaquin: I currently work with and mentor gang members who are interested in leaving their gang. I provide the gang member guidance and resource information that will facilitate their transition from the gang lifestyle into mainstream society.                        On-Going             Founder of Criminals & Gang members Anonymous: A 12-Step program for gang members and criminals alike that addresses problems pertaining to gang & criminal involvement. Group membership is constantly evolving. As a result, new members bring with them a wealth of current information, which keeps me abreast of gang trends, both locally and on a state level.                                                                     1998-On-Going   Founder Of Jonah Foundation: A sober living facility that provided counseling and sustenance for ex-offenders. It was through the group counseling and rap sessions that I developed meaningful contacts with the participants, all who had just been released from prison or jail. These men were attempting to disassociate themselves from the gang/criminal lifestyle. To date, many of them continue to share with me valuable gang and other crimino-genic trends.                                                                                                                     2006-2008   Program Director of a Day Reporting Center: In 2008, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation awarded BI, Inc. a contract to operate a facility targeting high-risk offenders. The intent of this program was to alter the behavior of the offender by using evidence-based practices. I was the day-to-day operations manager in charge of insuring that the safety and security of my employees, and the clients, was assured. In the process of my daily interactions with clients who were just recently released from California State Prison and out of state prisons as well, I was fortunate to gather intelligence concerning not only state gang trends, but national gang trends too.                                                                                                                            2008-2010   __________________________________________________________________________ Publications: Detoured: My Journey from Darkness to Light. Barking Rooster Publications: Los Angeles, CA (My Memoir)   Journal of Prisoners on Prisons: Volume 21, Number 1 & 2, 2012   ___________________________________________________________________________ Presentations: Gang Involvement: A Look at Why Minors Join Gangs and How WE Can Reach Our Youth. The 41st National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE), Dallas, Texas                                                                                   2012 Seeing Ourselves Emancipating Our Dialogue: Research as Hope From Incarceration Today And Tomorrow. Presented at the 2nd Annual Alliance for Multilingual Multicultural Education Conference: San Antonio, Texas 2011 Facilitated Gang Awareness Workshops: Merced Unified School District: Merced, Stockton Unified School District: Stockton, CA Roseville School District: Roseville, CA Parks & Recreation Department: Stockton, CA Monterey County Juvenile Hall: Salinas, CA San Francisco County Juvenile Hall: San Francisco, CA Alameda Juvenile Hall: Oakland, CA San Joaquin Delta College: Stockton, CA CSU Stanislaus: Turlock, CA ______________________________________________________________________________ Some cases I have testified on and/or participated as a gang expert/consultant:   People vs. Arturo Manzanero Rancho San Pedro Sureño Gang Case Henry Salcido Attorney at Law Long Beach, CA 562-597-9925 Defendant found not guilty of Gang allegation   People vs. Hernandez et. al. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania RICO Case Michael Wiseman Attorney at Law 121 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107 215-450-0903 5 defendants found guilty 7 found not guilty   People vs. Angel Rivera Stanislaus County Norteño Gang Case Ben Jacob Attorney at Law 770 L Street #950 Sacramento, CA 95814 Defendant Found Not Guilty   People vs. Herrera, Pedro Santa Clara County Norteño Gang Case Lindsey Dazel: Attorney at Law 93 Devine Street Suite 203 San Jose, CA 95110 408-271-2969 Jury Hung 11 to 1 for acquittal   People vs. Alvarez San Mateo County Norteño Gang Case Maria Fonseca:  Attorney at Law 702 Marshall Street Suite 511 Redwood City CA 94063 650-367-7727 Gang Allegations Dismissed As a Result of my Testimony At Preliminary Hearing   People vs. Espinoza et. al Sacramento County Sureño Gang Case Keith Staten: Attorney at Law 1023 H. St. Suite A Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 443-5600 Defendants Found Guilty   People vs. Andrew Rodríguez Santa Clara County Norteño Gang Case Timothy Clancy: Attorney at Law 1290 B Street, suite 304 Hayward, CA 94541 510-409-5413 Defendant Found Not Guilty of Gang Allegation     People vs. Bustamante et. al Santa Clara County Norteño Gang Case Lindsey Dazel: Attorney at Law 93 Devine Street Suite 203 San Jose, CA 95110 408-271-2969 Defendants Found Not Guilty of Gang Allegation   People vs. Sebourne et.al Homicide Sureño Gang Case Stanislaus County Gregory Bentley: Attorney at Law 500 Broadway San Francisco CA 94133 415-986-5591 Hung Jury. Set for Re-Trial   People vs. Ernesto Munguia: Gang Injunction Norteño Gang Case Stanislaus County Mark Girdner: Attorney at Law 811 15th Street Modesto, CA 95354 (209) 524-7600 Defendant Found Not Guilty     People vs. Velasco LASC, South Central District (Compton) Don Kelly Attorney at Law 317 Rosecrans Blvd # 2 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 310-546-6700 Gang allegations: Not Guilty     People vs. Errik Roman: Attempted Homicide Sureño Gang Case Santa Barbara County K.C. Williamson: Attorney at Law Santa Barbara Public Defender Santa Barbara, CA Defendant Found Guilty   People vs. Rocky Riberal- Homicide Norteño Gang Case San Joaquin County Ralph Cingcon: Attorney at Law 5250 Claremont Ave Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 462-5600 Defendant Found Guilty   People vs. Niaz Mohammed Khoshnaw- Homicide Norteño Gang Case Hillsborough County Edie Rogoway: Attorney at Law 6312 SW Capitol Highway # 1102 Portland, OR 97239 (503) 334-0331 Defendant Found Guilty   People vs. Jah-Kari, Phyall- Homicide                                                                                                                                      Stanislaus County Norteño Gang Case Frank Carson: Attorney at Law 815 15th Street    Modesto, CA 95354 (209) 549-0984 Defendant Found Not Guilty   People vs. Elizondo, Christian Orlando- Possession of Drugs/Firearm                                                             Norteño Gang Case- Defendant Plead to Lesser Charge: San Joaquin County David Atkinson: Attorney at Law 343 East Main Street Suite 911 Stockton, CA 95202 Gang Enhancement Dismissed     People vs. Eady, Howard Lamont-Homicide                                                                                                             Sutter Street Crip Gang Case Douglass C. Jacobsen: Attorney at Law 1811 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 2 Stockton, CA  95207-8107 Gang Allegation Dismissed: Defendant pled guilty to 22 years.   People vs. Orozco, Josue- Homicide                                                                                                                  Sureño Gang Case San Mateo, County,                                                                                                                              Ray, Buenaventura: Attorney at Law 2171 Junipero Serra Blvd. Daly City, CA 94014 Ph. (650) 756-2000 Hung Jury: Defendant Pled to 43 Years   People vs. Gonzalez, Abel, Jr.-Drug Trafficking Sureño Gang Case                                                                                                           Ted, Bastian, Jr.: Attorney at Law 600 Fourth St. P.O. Box431 Yreka, CA  96097 Ph. (530) 842-2000 Defendant Pled to Seven Years. Gang Enhancement Dismissed.   People vs. Shifflett, William Jr. Drug Possession                                                                            Arron, Williams: Attorney at Law 1721 Court St Redding, CA 96001 Ph. (530) 241-6991 Defendant Pled: Gang Allegation Dismissed   People vs. Lieffer, Donald- Homicide                                                                     Alleged Northern Peckerwood Gang Case Charles Slote: Attorney at Law 305 N. El Dorado Suite, 301 Stockton, CA 95202 Ph. (209) 948-5711 Gang Enhancement Dismissed After My Testimony at Preliminary  

Dr. Jesse De La Cruz: Prison Gangster to Community Leader, part 2 So proud to feature part two of my interview with Dr. Jesse De La Cruz, a formerly incarcerated prisoner who emerged incredibly successfully--as a doctor of education and judicial expert. Check out his resume. Listen and watch his amazing two-part story on Earning Freedom, at MichaelSantos.com Dr. Jesse De La Cruz  JSD ConsultationsP.O. Box 1993 Stockton, CA  95201Cell: 209-423-4794Email: jesse.delacruz588@gmail.com www.jsdconsultations.com Education: Ed.D: California State University, Stanislaus Turlock, CA                                                                                     2014Concentration: GangsDissertation: Mexican American/Chicano gang members’ voice on social control in the context of school and community: A critical ethnographic case study in Stockton, California Masters of Social Work: California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA                                              2003Concentration: Deviant behaviorThesis: An evaluation of a substance-abuse treatment program for criminal offenders Bachelors: Sociology, California State University, Turlock, CA                                                                 2001 ______________________________________________________________________________                                                                                                      Teaching Experience: Instructor                                                                                                                                 2010–2012Heald CollegeTaught Courses in: Police Procedures Theory and Practice; Corrections; Juvenile Delinquency; Victimology; Introduction into Criminology; Criminology; Organized Crime, Street Gangs & Terrorism. Teaching Assistant (TA)California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA                                                                           2011 2012 ___________________________________________________________________________ Personal Experience: My involvement with gangs spans 50 years, beginning with my initiation into a street gang at age 13. In 1973, at age 21, I became a member of the Nuestra Familia prison gang while serving time at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI). I left the NF once I was released from prison in 1976. After my defection from the gang, I maintained a high degree of respect from my street gang homeboys simply because I never testified against any of my former Homeboys. In the course of my criminal career and going in and out of prison for twenty-eight years, I witnessed the proliferation of gangs. Mostly, I observed all the superficial, and few substantial changes between old and modern gangs. In 1996, I was released from prison for the last time and have turned my life completely around. However, as a result of my multiple gang involvement (street and prison), and my many years in different jails and prisons throughout the state of California, Texas and Washington, I have developed a unique and thorough insight into the gang phenomena that neither law enforcement nor academics can ever achieve because they have never been on the inside of a gang or served time in jail or prison.                                             ______________________________________________________________________________ Academic & Professional Experience: Since leaving prison for the last time on April 2, 1996, I have earned three University degrees and each of my degrees has been primarily the study and research of gangs. It is due to these distinct achievements, coupled with my personal experience, that I have been qualified on many occasions to testify as an expert witness.   In my very first case as a gang expert, I testified in Siskiyou County on a Death Penalty case involving an alleged White Supremacy gang. The gang allegations were dismissed after my testimony at preliminary hearing. In October, 2013, I testified in Stanislaus County on an alleged Norteño gang murder case involving one adult and two juveniles who were prosecuted as adults. All three defendants in that case were found not guilty of gang enhancements. My client was found innocent of all charges as a direct result of my testimony. I again testified in Stanislaus County in November, 2014 where a defendant had been charged with being a gang member under a gang injunction. The defendant was found not guilty as a direct result of my testimony. In December, 2014, I testified on a homicide case in Stanislaus County where gang allegations were filed. The jury was unable to reach a verdict due to my testimony. The case is currently set for trial later this year (2016). Recently, (January, 2015) I submitted a report on a robbery case in Marin County where the defendants had been charged with 186.22 and the gang allegation was dismissed as a result of my report. I also testified in Tulare County on December 2014 on an Asian Blood gang case. All three defendants were found guilty of the gang allegation filed against them. I have testified in: Los Angeles County (2) Contra Costa County (1) Santa Barbara County (1) Santa Clara County (4) San Joaquin County (1) San Mateo County (1) Sacramento County (1) Siskiyou County (1) Stanislaus County (4) Placer County (1) Tulare County (2) Hillsborough, Oregon (1) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (1)   I have also participated in aiding lawyers in preparation of testimony and given opinions on approximately 95 gang cases. Currently, I am working one death penalty case in Tulare County and a post conviction death case with the Habeas Corpus Resource Center in San Francisco CA. I have also worked with the Federal Public Defenders Office on a case out of Sacramento, CA on a post conviction case and two other post conviction cases in Oregon. I am also currently working on four R.I.C.O. cases and expected to testify late October or early November on one R.I.C.O. case in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.   Consultant & Mentor for Fathers & Families of San Joaquin: I currently work with and mentor gang members who are interested in leaving their gang. I provide the gang member guidance and resource information that will facilitate their transition from the gang lifestyle into mainstream society.                        On-Going   Founder of Criminals & Gang members Anonymous: A 12-Step program for gang members and criminals alike that addresses problems pertaining to gang & criminal involvement. Group membership is constantly evolving. As a result, new members bring with them a wealth of current information, which keeps me abreast of gang trends, both locally and on a state level.                                                                     1998-On-Going   Founder Of Jonah Foundation: A sober living facility that provided counseling and sustenance for ex-offenders. It was through the group counseling and rap sessions that I developed meaningful contacts with the participants, all who had just been released from prison or jail. These men were attempting to disassociate themselves from the gang/criminal lifestyle. To date, many of them continue to share with me valuable gang and other crimino-genic trends.                                                                                                                     2006-2008   Program Director of a Day Reporting Center: In 2008, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation awarded BI, Inc. a contract to operate a facility targeting high-risk offenders. The intent of this program was to alter the behavior of the offender by using evidence-based practices. I was the day-to-day operations manager in charge of insuring that the safety and security of my employees, and the clients, was assured. In the process of my daily interactions with clients who were just recently released from California State Prison and out of state prisons as well, I was fortunate to gather intelligence concerning not only state gang trends, but national gang trends too.                                                                                                                            2008-2010   __________________________________________________________________________ Publications:Detoured: My Journey from Darkness to Light. Barking Rooster Publications: Los Angeles, CA (My Memoir)   Journal of Prisoners on Prisons: Volume 21, Number 1 & 2, 2012   ___________________________________________________________________________ Presentations:  Gang Involvement: A Look at Why Minors Join Gangs and How WE Can Reach Our Youth. The 41st National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE), Dallas, Texas                                                                                   2012 Seeing Ourselves Emancipating Our Dialogue: Research as Hope From Incarceration Today And Tomorrow. Presented at the 2nd Annual Alliance for Multilingual Multicultural Education Conference: San Antonio, Texas 2011 Facilitated Gang Awareness Workshops: Merced Unified School District: Merced, Stockton Unified School District: Stockton, CA Roseville School District: Roseville, CA Parks & Recreation Department: Stockton, CA Monterey County Juvenile Hall: Salinas, CA San Francisco County Juvenile Hall: San Francisco, CA Alameda Juvenile Hall: Oakland, CA San Joaquin Delta College: Stockton, CA CSU Stanislaus: Turlock, CA ______________________________________________________________________________ Some cases I have testified on and/or participated as a gang expert/consultant:    People vs. Arturo Manzanero Rancho San Pedro Sureño Gang Case Henry Salcido Attorney at Law Long Beach, CA 562-597-9925 Defendant found not guilty of Gang allegation   People vs. Hernandez et. al. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania RICO Case Michael Wiseman Attorney at Law 121 Locust Street Philadelphia PA 19107 215-450-0903 5 defendants found guilty  7 found not guilty   People vs. Angel Rivera Stanislaus County Norteño Gang Case Ben Jacob Attorney at Law 770 L Street #950 Sacramento, CA 95814 Defendant Found Not Guilty    People vs. Herrera, Pedro Santa Clara County Norteño Gang Case Lindsey Dazel: Attorney at Law 93 Devine Street Suite 203 San Jose, CA 95110 408-271-2969 Jury Hung 11 to 1 for acquittal    People vs. Alvarez San Mateo County Norteño Gang Case Maria Fonseca:  Attorney at Law 702 Marshall Street Suite 511 Redwood City CA 94063 650-367-7727 Gang Allegations Dismissed As a Result of my Testimony At Preliminary Hearing   People vs. Espinoza et. al Sacramento County Sureño Gang Case Keith Staten: Attorney at Law 1023 H. St. Suite A Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 443-5600 Defendants Found Guilty    People vs. Andrew Rodríguez Santa Clara County Norteño Gang Case Timothy Clancy: Attorney at Law 1290 B Street, suite 304 Hayward, CA 94541 510-409-5413 Defendant Found Not Guilty of Gang Allegation     People vs. Bustamante et. al Santa Clara County Norteño Gang Case Lindsey Dazel: Attorney at Law 93 Devine Street Suite 203 San Jose, CA 95110 408-271-2969 Defendants Found Not Guilty of Gang Allegation   People vs. Sebourne et.al Homicide Sureño Gang Case Stanislaus County Gregory Bentley: Attorney at Law 500 Broadway San Francisco CA 94133 415-986-5591 Hung Jury. Set for Re-Trial   People vs. Ernesto Munguia: Gang Injunction  Norteño Gang Case Stanislaus County Mark Girdner: Attorney at Law 811 15th Street Modesto, CA 95354 (209) 524-7600 Defendant Found Not Guilty     People vs. Velasco LASC, South Central District (Compton) Don Kelly Attorney at Law 317 Rosecrans Blvd # 2 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 310-546-6700 Gang allegations: Not Guilty     People vs. Errik Roman: Attempted Homicide Sureño Gang Case Santa Barbara County K.C. Williamson: Attorney at Law Santa Barbara Public Defender Santa Barbara, CA Defendant Found Guilty   People vs. Rocky Riberal- Homicide Norteño Gang Case San Joaquin County Ralph Cingcon: Attorney at Law5250 Claremont Ave Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 462-5600 Defendant Found Guilty   People vs. Niaz Mohammed Khoshnaw- Homicide Norteño Gang Case Hillsborough County Edie Rogoway: Attorney at Law 6312 SW Capitol Highway # 1102 Portland, OR 97239 (503) 334-0331 Defendant Found Guilty   People vs. Jah-Kari, Phyall- Homicide Stanislaus County Norteño Gang Case Frank Carson: Attorney at Law 815 15th Street Modesto, CA 95354 (209) 549-0984 Defendant Found Not Guilty   People vs. Elizondo, Christian Orlando- Possession of Drugs/Firearm              Norteño Gang Case- Defendant Plead to Lesser Charge: San Joaquin County David Atkinson: Attorney at Law 343 East Main Street Suite 911Stockton, CA 95202 Gang Enhancement Dismissed     People vs. Eady, Howard Lamont-Homicide                                                                                                  Sutter Street Crip Gang Case Douglass C. Jacobsen: Attorney at Law 1811 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 2 Stockton, CA  95207-8107 Gang Allegation Dismissed: Defendant pled guilty to 22 years.   People vs. Orozco, Josue- Homicide                                                                                                                   Sureño Gang Case San Mateo, County, Ray, Buenaventura: Attorney at Law 2171 Junipero Serra Blvd. Daly City, CA 94014 Ph. (650) 756-2000 Hung Jury: Defendant Pled to 43 Years   People vs. Gonzalez, Abel, Jr.-Drug Trafficking Sureño Gang Case Ted, Bastian, Jr.: Attorney at Law 600 Fourth St. P.O. Box431 Yreka, CA  96097 Ph. (530) 842-2000 Defendant Pled to Seven Years. Gang Enhancement Dismissed.   People vs. Shifflett, William Jr. Drug Possession Arron, Williams: Attorney at Law 1721 Court St Redding, CA 96001 Ph. (530) 241-6991 Defendant Pled: Gang Allegation Dismissed    People vs. Lieffer, Donald- Homicide                                                                      Alleged Northern Peckerwood Gang Case Charles Slote: Attorney at Law 305 N. El Dorado Suite, 301 Stockton, CA 95202 Ph. (209) 948-5711 Gang Enhancement Dismissed After My Testimony at Preliminary   

NWP welcomes Pastor Kevin Brown of UCC Belleview First Congregational Church.  We discuss the question of forgiveness with straight and maybe tough answers. Who is the hardest person to forgive?  Most of the time it is ourselves.  Pastor Brown talks to me about letting go of the past and moving forward from God's perspective. If you are serious about your past sin, this message is for you. Its not all "hearts and flowers" its simply called....grace.   Pastor Brown breaks it down and educates us on our responsibility that comes with this gift. Today, we are going to let it go and start living life again. Pastor Kevin grew up and an only child in Stuart, Fl and graduated from Martin County High School in 1974.  He received his B.S. in Speech Communication from Florida State University.  In 1977 he moved to Berkeley, CA to attend the Pacific School of Religion and graduated with the M. Div and the M.A. in Pastorial Psychology.  Kevin interned in a California State Prison, a drop-in center for street addicts, a juvenile hall and many hospitials in California. In 1992, Pastor Kevin earned his doctorate in Homiletics from the School of Theology at Claremont, Ca  Kevin and his wife Belinda have three grown children             http://www.fccbellevue.org *This show is sponsored in part by http://www.audibletrial.com/northwestprime FIRST BOOK IS FREE & YOU CAN KEEP IT. Check it out and see if audio books are right for you! http://facebook.com/northwestprime

NWP welcomes Pastor Kevin Brown of the UCC Bellevue First Congregational Church.  We discuss the question of forgiveness with straight and maybe tough answers. Who is the hardest person to forgive?  Most of the time it is ourselves. Pastor Brown talks about letting fo of the past and moving forward from God's perspective.  If you are serious about your sin, this message is for you.  We don't have to wait until Easter to resurrect our new life, we can start today.  It's not all "hearts and flowers" its simply called....grace.  Pastor Brown breaks it down and educates us on the responsibility that comes with this gift. Today, we are going to let it go and start living again. Pastor Kevin grew up an olnly child in Stuart, FL and graduated from Martin County High School in 1974. He received his B.S. in Speech Communication from Florida State University.  In 1977 he moved to Berkeley, Ca to attend the Pacific School of Religion and graduated with the M.Div and the M.A. in Pastorial Psychology.  Kevin interned in a California State Prison, a drop-in center for street addicts, a juvenille hall and many hospitals in California. In 1992 Pastor Kevin earned his doctorate in Homilectics from the School of Theology at Claremont, Ca Kevin and his wife Belinda have three grown children. You can find more information at www.fccbellevue.org NWP welcomes Pastor Kevin Brown www.facebook.com/northwestprime

Scott Dyleski is serving life without parole in a California State Prison, while the real killer goes free. So say his attorneys, Katherine Hallinan and Sara Zalkin, who just filed a new petition in the State Court of Appeal. At age 17, he was convicted of 1st degree murder of his neighbor Pamela Vitale, while her husband, attorney Daniel Horowitz, took suspicious advantage of her death to advance his career as a TV legal commentator. Scott's heartsick mom, Esther Fielding will share her frustrations and her hopes.

Scott Dyleski is serving life without parole in a California State Prison, while the real killer goes free. So say his attorneys, Katherine Hallinan and Sara Zalkin, who just filed a new petition in the State Court of Appeal. At age 17, he was convicted of 1st degree murder of his neighbor Pamela Vitale, while her husband, attorney Daniel Horowitz, took suspicious advantage of her death to advance his career as a TV legal commentator. Scott's heartsick mom, Esther Fielding will share her frustrations and her hopes.

My talk to the UCLA Buddhist Club on why and how I Volunteer as a Buddhist. The ups and downs of being a volunteer... Some stories and insights on being a Buddhist volunteer in a California State Prison.