On Saturday, April 30, 2011, Dr. Elaine Leeder, Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology at Sonoma State University, brought 25 of her students to dialogue with members of the San Quentin TRUST Fellows, a group of prisoners whose goal is to turn their liabilities into assets and to teach other inmates how to do the same. Both men and students told their stories, asked and responded to in-depth questions, resulting in the understanding that together we are trying to make our communities safer and richer in opportunities for all. Following are reflections from the students on what they took away from the experience and in what direction it will take them.
A Reflection by Heather
On April 30th my sociology professor, Elaine Leader, graciously took twenty of her 214 students to a field trip at the San Quentin State Prison located in unincorporated Marin County. Upon arriving at the prison, I had the conceived notion that all prisoners were serial killers and would continue to murder people upon their parole. However the inmates that I talked to, the members of the T.R.U.S.T. remolded my view completely.
First, I was shocked how remorseful the inmates were about their crimes, which most had committed before age eighteen. Most of them were convicted as adults, even though they were teenagers, because of the pre-mediation or sophistication of the crime. Second, I began to understand how the social construction around them leads them to become criminals. For instance, one inmate, Charlie, stated that he did not have consequences growing up. Since his father was out of his life, his mother had to work during the day and did not have the ability to monitor Charlie. So if Charlie did not go to school or did not complete his homework, there were no repercussions because his mother was not around to instill them. Third, most of the inmates did not have a father figure in their lives, or if there was one, he was physically abusing the mother of the family. This was the case with David who said he had no incentive to do well in school or succeed in life. His mother loved him, but was not an authoritative parent, so David started to hang around the wrong crowd (gang).
Some had histories of aggressive behavior problems that had hostile, inept or neglectful parents and other grew up with a loving mother and had no past delinquencies. I learned the to main risk factors for these youth (to progress to criminals) are poor parenting and affiliation with anti-social/troubled peers; the second, usually the result of the first. After my visit I felt so empathetic towards the inmates because I understood the circumstances of their upbringing which lead them to San Quentin. They were not aware of the consequences, did not think how the violent act would impact their future, and the only role models in their lives were criminals. How could they not go down that path? Initially the inmates were socialized to become delinquents (through lack of parental control) and subsequently their brain had not fully matured when the acts of violence were committed. This is pivotal because in adolescent the prefrontal cortex has not finished developing; this part of the brain is responsible for planning, thinking ahead, weighing risks and impulsive control.
Furthermore, I was most interested in the events that lead up to the imprisonment of these people, whom I would consider my friends. Peeling the layers of the onion, I understood the various circumstances of their childhood which led to their imprisonment. I was able to apply sociology definitions such as blaming the victim, self fulfilling prophecy and strain theory. From visiting San Quentin and talking to the members of the T.R.U.S.T., my perception of prisoners has changed (inmates have rehabilitated themselves) I am motivated to help them reach parole (good luck David 2014!). Words from Elaine Leader, “Prisoners are People Too.” Thank you for the experience.
A Reflection by Heather
On April 30th my sociology professor, Elaine Leader, graciously took twenty of her 214 students to a field trip at the San Quentin State Prison located in unincorporated Marin County. Upon arriving at the prison, I had the conceived notion that all prisoners were serial killers and would continue to murder people upon their parole. However the inmates that I talked to, the members of the T.R.U.S.T. remolded my view completely.
First, I was shocked how remorseful the inmates were about their crimes, which most had committed before age eighteen. Most of them were convicted as adults, even though they were teenagers, because of the pre-mediation or sophistication of the crime. Second, I began to understand how the social construction around them leads them to become criminals. For instance, one inmate, Charlie, stated that he did not have consequences growing up. Since his father was out of his life, his mother had to work during the day and did not have the ability to monitor Charlie. So if Charlie did not go to school or did not complete his homework, there were no repercussions because his mother was not around to instill them. Third, most of the inmates did not have a father figure in their lives, or if there was one, he was physically abusing the mother of the family. This was the case with David who said he had no incentive to do well in school or succeed in life. His mother loved him, but was not an authoritative parent, so David started to hang around the wrong crowd (gang).
Some had histories of aggressive behavior problems that had hostile, inept or neglectful parents and other grew up with a loving mother and had no past delinquencies. I learned the to main risk factors for these youth (to progress to criminals) are poor parenting and affiliation with anti-social/troubled peers; the second, usually the result of the first. After my visit I felt so empathetic towards the inmates because I understood the circumstances of their upbringing which lead them to San Quentin. They were not aware of the consequences, did not think how the violent act would impact their future, and the only role models in their lives were criminals. How could they not go down that path? Initially the inmates were socialized to become delinquents (through lack of parental control) and subsequently their brain had not fully matured when the acts of violence were committed. This is pivotal because in adolescent the prefrontal cortex has not finished developing; this part of the brain is responsible for planning, thinking ahead, weighing risks and impulsive control.
Furthermore, I was most interested in the events that lead up to the imprisonment of these people, whom I would consider my friends. Peeling the layers of the onion, I understood the various circumstances of their childhood which led to their imprisonment. I was able to apply sociology definitions such as blaming the victim, self fulfilling prophecy and strain theory. From visiting San Quentin and talking to the members of the T.R.U.S.T., my perception of prisoners has changed (inmates have rehabilitated themselves) I am motivated to help them reach parole (good luck David 2014!). Words from Elaine Leader, “Prisoners are People Too.” Thank you for the experience.
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