In 2010, Venture Capitalist, Chris Redlitz spoke to incarcerated men at the infamous San Quentin Prison. That visit inspired him to launch a technical program, for those incarcerated, that would disrupt the incarceration cycle and offer certifications in coding to enable those returning to society the opportunity to find employment.  The Last Mile technical program is now offered in 21 classrooms across 7 State prisons and has assisted 467 returning citizens in successful re-entry.  Molly and Kevin Kelly are two of those returned citizens who now work for The Last Mile as Returned Citizen Advocates and along that journey they also found love.

The Hustler Files Ep. 24 - The Last Mile, For Many,  Becomes The First Step

Rahsaan “New York” Thomas grew up in the notorious Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, where he faced gun violence, bullying, redlining, abusive policing policies, generational incarceration, and drug infestation.

He ended up with a 55 to life sentence.  But while at San Quentin,  he turned his life around and became a writer, curator, director, producer, social justice advocate, restorative justice circle keeper, youth counselor, and runner.
He is most known as “New York” on the Pulitzer Prize finalist and Dupont Award-winning podcast Ear Hustle. 

In February 2023, he earned parole and continues work to help others develop their talent and continues to co-host Ear Hustle, make films, and serve on boards.

Listen as Everyday Injustice talks with New York about his life journey.

Everyday Injustice Podcast Episode 239: New York Tells Story of Going From Lifer to Redemption

On October 10 and 11, San Quentin held its first ever Film Festival.  150 people from the outside, including Everyday Injustice, got to go inside San Quentin and hang out with around 100 or so incarcerated people, many of them intimately involved in the production of various films.

Incarcerated Films competed with films submitted from the outside.  One of the big winners was The Strike, which was a documentary about the hunger strike held over a decade ago against solitary confinement at Pelican Bay.
A few days after the film, Everyday Injustice walked with the production team.

Lucas Guilkey – Director/Producer of the The Strike
JoeBill Muñoz – Director/Producer of The Strike
Dolores Canales – Film protagonist, founder of CA Families Against Solitary Confinement, organizer on behalf of her son who was in solitary confinement during the hunger strikes
Jack Morris – Film protagonist, spent over 30 years in solitary confinement, participated in the hunger strikes

Article: https://davisvanguard.org/2024/10/the-strike-wins-first-san-quentin-film-festival-award-highlights-horrors-of-solitary-confinement-at-pelican-bay/

Listen as the production team walks us through the horrors of Pelican Bay’s SHUe during the hunger strike from 2014.

Everyday Injustice Podcast Episode 262: The Strike - Film Captures Horrors of Solitary Confinement

The title of this episode is aptly named for guest Aron Roy.  Like many justice-impacted individuals, Aron's journey means digging down deep to find the grit to transform and not return to their past life.  But Aron also has the courage to share what sent him to prison for almost a decade and the transformation that took place during those years.  Aron’s story is semi-unique in that he entered prison with a Bachelor’s Degree.  As Aron fully admits, he was a functioning addict, until he wasn’t.  His experience in the California prison system is eye-opening to hear about, but even more so was his realization that his future job prospects would be, at best, minimal.  Aron’s ‘ah-ha’ moment was profound, and a guiding light on his road to reentry.

The Hustler Files Ep. 94 - It Requires Courage to Transform

Podcasts from all of the local show on WHMP Radio in Northampton, MA. including Talk the Talk with Bill Newman and Buz Eisenberg, The Hustler Files, The Western Mass Business Show, and Panorama.

Davis Vanguard Podcast will be covering criminal justice reform, mass incarceration, wrongful convictions, and more.

New tracks tagged #Quentin,