Hello to my Humans of San Quentin friends. My name is Marcus, and I am an inmate who is currently incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, TDCJ. I stumbled across your nonprofit organization just recently. I read all of the blogs, overviews, reports, testimonies, and profiles on the Edovo app on my Securus tablet. I was completely blown away. I could not believe what I had become a witness of, and what I was privileged to witness.
If you will, please allow me just a few minutes to explain myself. I would like to tell you how the discovery of San Quentin News and the affiliate organizations inspired me and changed my life.
First off, I would like to say hello to Diane Kahn. I also want to thank Diane for her compassionate and sincere advocacy. She is truly a blessing to the incarcerated. The staff at Humans of San Quentin are very well deserving for all their hard work and sacrifice also.
I can’t believe that there is a prison like San Quentin that operates on a state level. I am completely unaware of any prison that empowers its inmates with so much information and responsibility. There are so many tools and programs that are at their disposal, as well as volunteers and organizations who willingly invest their personal time and finances.
When I watch San Quentin News, I am completely blown away by the episodes that display numerous programs and activities allotted to the general population. I just watched an episode about T Tone, who spoke about his former baseball career and short lived dream before his life sentence of incarceration. I was amazed watching these men actually play baseball in prison. I have never seen that before inside of a penitentiary.
It still boggles my mind to see the level of freedom and community benefit bestowed to incarcerated persons. And then I witnessed the Golden State Warriors come to San Quentin to play their annual basketball game against the inmate population. Not to mention, the San Francisco 49ers were also among other special guests to visit the prison, which attests to the prestigious lineup of visitors who have visited the exclusive prison. Also, such as Gov. Gavin Newsom, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who premiered on The Pulse.
I also watched several events take place on the yard via San Quentin News, and I watched several interviews from formerly incarcerated men on Beyond the Bars with Diane Kahn. I would like to be a special guest one day when I am released also. I love that podcast interview.
This organization is such a powerful movement. I am so excited to be able to witness this kind of movement within the walls. It is truly a blessing. The Pulse, Beyond the Bars, Uncuffed, Ear Hustle, SQN Magazine, Humans of San Quentin, San Quentin News, and Criminal News are absolutely remarkable to have incorporated from within a prison and are just profound organizations and clubs that help to engender the inmate population.
This nonprofit has inspired me to advocate for resources to help patronize the incarcerated communities, women and men alike, in order to provide education, humane essentials, opportunities for skill development, vocational training, cognitive intervention, and also mental health treatment and awareness. I also believe that opportunities toward accessible privileges and activities encourage self esteem and instinctively compel responsibility.
Also, providing a platform that allows an incarcerated individual to contribute to society while also showing their humane side to society is a very integral part of their rehabilitation and helps facilitate reconciliation. I personally want to be a part of the movement. I am in Texas currently, but I see myself in the future networking with people in other communities, advocating for the same objective.
Texas is a very conservative state. Some of the laws pertaining to criminal justice are very draconian, downright outdated, and unsuitable for the incarcerated population. There is a need for the many prison advocacy groups here in Texas. I myself would like to partner with Humans of San Quentin and the San Quentin Prison as a proponent to help in any way I can.
The prison itself and the organization is a model that should serve as a framework for the state prison model. This prison system is a pioneer and a catalyst within the prison system that effectuates change.
I hope to be released from prison in 2026, after sixteen years of incarceration. I truly believe that God has already opened those doors for me to be released. So I have been planning and preparing myself to return back to society.
Upon my return, I would like to build a genuine friendship and network with this organization and hopefully make a few friends along the way. Please keep me updated with the latest news and activities. Keep in touch. I would like to be added to your mailing list and hopefully, after my release, I can sit down and have an interview with Diane about my reintegration journey.
Also, I would like to create a profile for Humans of San Quentin. Just let me know how the process works, please, and I will gladly comply. I would like to submit my poetry and a few photos along with my profile. Maybe one day, I will be able to come back to prison as a public speaker and advocate. Hopefully, I could speak at San Quentin.
Well, I hope I did not bore you or take up too much of your time. I would just like to say thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully, your Texas brother,
