Humans of San Quentin

The last time Albert felt grass under his feet, it was a different century. Then one morning at Ironwood State Prison, a door opened. Under his feet, for the first time in nearly three decades, was grass. He wrote it down so you could be there too.

“You will never read a book that will make you laugh and think as much as this one.” A story of heroines, humanity, and the fight against evil from inside prison. Yusef, 54 Incarcerated:31 years Housed: Oshkosh Correctional Institution, Wisconsin

“I’m fit spiritually, emotionally, mentally, financially, and physically but is there a woman out there for me?” 27 years later, he asks the same question every human holds: to love and be loved. Jelani, 46 Incarcerated: 24 yrs Housed: Valley State Prison, Chowchilla, California

“My Godson is a puppy…his name is Neo…and I love that puppy like he is my son.” Sometimes the way someone loves says everything. Arnoldo, 48 Incarcerated: 19 years

For the first 12 years here I was a habitual rule breaker then something inside told me to forgive him. My dad had passed six years earlier and I never knew. A huge weight was lifted off my shoulder that I didn’t know I was carrying for years. Adrian, 41 Incarcerated: 20  years

Before prison there was a story at home. I sat down with Robin Breuner on Step Stories to talk about the impact of broken families and how those early experiences ripple into the incarceral system in ways we don’t often see or talk about.

“Life is too short to always say goodbye forever.” A note of gratitude from inside, where stories are still being written and lives are still being changed. Jasper, 43 Incarcerated: 13 years Housed: Valley State Prison, Chowchilla, California

My dad instilled in us from a young age the most important value for me and my brothers to develop: do the right thing. Helping others keeps me sober. Remembering my value has helped me turn my life around. Julia, 30  Incarcerated: 1 yr Housed: Bedford Hills Correctional Facility

I had a friend connect to your website and there I was Arkansas Nightmare of Injustice for all to see. One day I will stand before the world and tell a story of corruption betrayal greed murder hope and survival. Allen, 65 Incarcerated: 42 yrs Housed: East Arkansas Regional Unit

The internet is flooded with baby pictures right now. These ones will stop you cold. 🍼

Paris, a published prison author, shares The Microwave Manifesto, a cookbook built from commissary food, journal prompts, and life inside. My goal is to help people sustain themselves, body and soul during incarceration and help others understand life inside. Housed: Cleveland

“I am on fire right now and it shows with the right mindset. With discipline and belief you can accomplish anything.” Nearly three decades inside and he is still building purpose, programs and a future. Giovanny, 46

Jayson has written novels, essays on Norse paganism, a mental health book, and puzzle collections from inside a Texas prison. After 30 years, parole is finally on the horizon. His books are on Amazon now. Incarcerated: 28 years Housed: Ramsey 1, Rosharon, Texas

Alfredo spent 40 years chained, as he says, to the darkness. Then a chaplain came to his cell and asked if he was having a bad day. What came next he calls the beginning of his salvation. God's power ripped off Satan's chains and yanked the yoke off my neck. Incarcerated: 18 yrs

"For a man falsely accused, it takes a lot to stay or keep my mind from wandering into negative places." Jake is the basketball commissioner at Valley State Prison and this is his earliest hoop memory. #HumansOfSanQuentin Jake, 43 Incarcerated: 14 yrs Housed: Valley State Prison

At Marin Academy’s Conference on Democracy, stories became something more than words, they became connection. Diane and Joe Krauter led a session on incarceration that invited reflection, honesty, and understanding.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Shane paid for his paralegal course with prison job earnings, and fought his way toward the rest. His words are a reminder that determination can carry a person farther than most people imagine. Shane, 45 Incarcerated: 16 yrs

I miss you more than I miss my freedom. I love you more than I love the game. In this poem from prison, Gangster Suess writes to the mother of his children about guilt, regret, and the painful truth that getting locked up also saved his life. Yazid, 38 Housed: Las Vegas, Nevada

I miss you more than I miss my freedom. I love you more than I love the game. In this poem from prison, Gangster Suess writes to the mother of his children about guilt, regret, and the painful truth that getting locked up also saved his life. Yazid, 38 Housed: Las Vegas, Nevada

“It brought color to a colorless environment. It brought light into the dark.” Drew, incarcerated at Mule Creek State Prison, shares how painting helped him survive isolation and rediscover purpose. Drew, 43 Incarcerated: 10 years Housed: Mule Creek State Prison, Ione, California