The latest News & Blogs written by staff, incarcerated colleagues & community members

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. This will be my 16th Thanksgiving in prison. Though I have many thoughts regarding my incarceration and world view of prison, I would like to use my Re:vision platform to [...]

Recently, President Trump called for Chicago police officers to use "stop and frisk" tactics as an antidote to the high crime rates in the city. Trump is a former resident of New York, where those [...]

By James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10 When the correctional officers yell "Escort!" all incarcerated people are supposed to turn and face the wall. Mostly, I do. Occasionally though, I turn ever so slightly to [...]

By James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10When Tim Thompson was 12 years old, he didn't run from the local gangs in his neighborhood; he ran to them. You might have done the same. His story [...]

By Adnan Khan #F-55145Next month, my friends from the San Quentin Newspaper will be doing a “mock election” on the yard. Guys on the main line as well as the men on condemned row will [...]

By James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10Currently there is a lot of debate about whether incarcerated people should be given the right to vote. It reminds me of a similar dispute about the value of [...]

By James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10A few weeks ago, a guy I know was in the visiting room with his mother when the unimaginable happened. His mother passed out. Per protocol, the guards made [...]

By Adnan Khan #F-55145People always ask me, “What’s the first thing you’re going to eat when you get out?!”  They ask with excited and impatient faces. They can’t wait to hear what I want to [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  When I wrote recently about the optimism flowing through San Quentin, I felt a little disturbed because I know there are still many people here who don't feel the [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  About twelve years ago, I was walking the track on a prison yard at California State Prison-Lancaster with a couple of other guys and we were debating one of [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  About five years ago, I arrived here at San Quentin after a two-day bus ride from central California and was immediately led to Receiving and Release, or R&R. Sitting [...]

By Adnan Khan #F-55145  The other day I was watching a social game show I’ve been following on and off for several years called Big Brother. This show is about several people who go into [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  Optimism is running through SQ like an electrical current. A week ago three people went to their parole board hearings and were found suitable for parole. About ten days [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  Yesterday, I was sitting in a small circle while we did a check-in. That is what we call it when we go around the circle, one person at a [...]

By Adnan Khan #F-55145  I live in a 4ft x 9ft cell with another man. I occupy the top bunk. Most of my day, however, is spent outside of the cell. I go to work [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  "He is seen, but does not see; he is the object of information, never a subject in communication." -Michel Foucault When I recently read Adnan's post "Sharing 'Free'ly," an [...]

By Adnan Khan #F-55145  It took me a while to talk about my story and explore my childhood pain on a deeper level. I sat in groups, slowly began to talk about my traumatic experiences, [...]

By Adnan Khan #F-55145  Recently on a tour coming in from the outside, we were asked by a visitor how often do we think about the person and people that we've harmed in our crime. [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  In a recent post about the population changes at San Quentin, I wrote the line, "rehabilitative programming works," and a friend who is familiar with my thoughts about self-help [...]

By Adnan Khan #F-55145  Humor has always been a big part of my life. At a very young age, though I would laugh like any child would, I understood the healing powers laughter occupied. Unfortunately [...]

About a week after my cellie (roommate) turned 69, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations gave him a job working in the kitchen. Kitchen jobs are among the most contentious jobs in prison. On [...]

James King CDCR # V-69030 2–W–10  Disclosure # 1: As an incarcerated writer, I find prison writing that focuses on the "talent" of incarcerated individuals in order to motivate people to support prison reform as [...]

CDCR # V-69030 2-W-10  I like to believe that all writing is autobiographical. No matter what the author is writing about, their biases, personality, and interests are evident on the page for all to see [...]