When Juan and Diane first started Humans of San Quentin, their intention was to interview people incarcerated in San Quentin in person. When Covid hit, all that changed. With Juan inside his cell and Diane at home, the two compiled an introductory letter to send through snail mail to gain trust from people inside during lonely times. This endeavor immediately took off: their tiny mailbox at the San Quentin Post Office was soon bursting with letters of people telling their stories. With Covid still living amongst us, they feel extreme pride in being able to interview people in prison in person – attaining this live footage inside a prison is extremely rare.
Each video on this page features compelling, powerful narratives, told by individuals whose humanity comes alive through facial expressions, vocal inflections, and emotional manifestations, which are otherwise barred from the outside world. We hope you enjoy these films as much as we do!
