Just an 11-minute drive away from Redwood, San Quentin is currently housing roughly 3,080 inmates. Have you ever wondered how someone ended up there, and why they committed the crime that put them there? Have you ever taken the chance to hear their stories? Humans of San Quentin, a nonprofit organization founded and run by Diane Kahn, strives to share these stories and inspire empathy and kindness toward those in the prison system.
“I was moved by the [inmates’] vulnerability and truth… and it felt like an injustice not to share what I was learning,” Kahn said.
Kahn’s passion for seeking the truth behind an inmate’s life was her inspiration for this program, intending to help share prisoners’ stories not just within our community, but across the globe.
Learning about the lives of people who are currently or formerly incarcerated is exactly what Humans of San Quentin strives for to help people build a judgment-free understanding of an inmate and their story. According to TK Healthcare, 98 percent of incarcerated people faced a lack of support, early trauma in life, poverty and other struggles before their arrest. San Quentin firmly believes that listening to their stories can teach people that a prisoner is not solely defined by their crimes – they are real humans with their own challenges and just as much potential as anyone else.
Teens can especially connect with the idea of being given a second chance. This is because their brains are still developing during adolescence, specifically in the prefrontal cortex, the decision-making part of the brain that regulates whether they take things slow or act on impulse.. This is ultimately why hearing a criminal’s story can be especially life-changing for younger generations, because they are still learning about what is good and what is bad, and hearing about the time the criminal faced for their crime indirectly guides you not to make the same mistakes as them or downplay the consequences of your actions. By hearing the inmates’ stories, you can grow a sense of who that person is beyond their crime and learn about who they truly are separate from their mistake. One way of doing this is by looking at the work that inmates put out, whether that be a story, recipe or poem
One of Kahn’s most memorable stories from someone inside San Quentin was told by Duane Whaley. Whaley grew up poor and felt invisible for most of his upbringing. After years of neglect, he committed a crime that would change his life forever. According to Kahn, Whaley’s childhood partially prompted him to turn to a life of crime before he reached his 20s.
“ [Whaley] remembers when he pulled the trigger and watched the bullet leave, that he realized he would probably be seen for the first time in his life,” Kahn said.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the average age of someone who enters prison lies between ages 31 and 40, but many first interact with the justice system beginning in their twenties or even late teens, similar to Whaley. Programs like Humans of San Quentin share inmates’ stories that reveal what life in prison is like, as well as the route they took to get there and their hopes for the future.
Humans of San Quentin’s team of staff and local interns mails packets detailing the organization’s opportunities to prisons all around the United States, in hopes that inmates write back with their stories.
“It’s simply about building trust with [that] person, that’s always been our model,” Kahn said.
Junior Margot Rieders has volunteered three hours per week at Humans of San Quentin for over a year and plans to continue in the future.
“You learn so much [as an intern]. It’s not just managing social media or sending letters; you hear life stories that can actually change your perspective. It’s different from any other experience I’ve ever had,” Rieders said.
Organizations like Humans of San Quentin can be life-changing for students as they are taught how the power of storytelling has the potential to change anybody’s life, and everyone has the choice to see “humanity” in the stories of those who spend time behind bars. It offers students different opportunities to help someone in prison who wants to turn their life around, and break the stigma and silence around their story. San Quentin is just a short drive away from Redwood, and behind steel bars is someone’s story just waiting to be heard. Taking the time to care and appreciate that person’s vulnerability is eye-opening for many of the volunteers and team of officials at the organization.
“I really like reading the submissions from inmates because…when you hear them share their stories, it makes them seem less dangerous [and] it is just crazy how someone could turn their life around so much,” Rieders said.
The love for Humans of San Quentin’s work goes both ways.
“[Some incarcerated writers] talk about how they’re so grateful that we are a program, so it makes [me] feel like I’m making someone’s life better,” Rieders stated.
When readers connect with humans whose lives differ from their own, they learn that all stories matter — especially the ones that teach you from their mistakes.
