Beyond the metal gates, courtyard, and chapel, the view stopped me in my tracks. On a wide expanse of worn asphalt and patchy grass, hundreds of men moved in a symphony of activity. Some jogged laps around a track, while others walked across, books in hand, headed for classes. There were pairs playing tennis and groups gathered around basketball hoops, immersed in games of pick-up. In the distance, Mount Tamalpais stood unobstructed, overlooking the lively scene unfolding below.
It was 9AM in San Quentin’s prison yard.
In my role as a loan originations manager with REDF Impact Investing Fund (RIIF), I recently visited San Quentin Rehabilitation Center to preview the work of Oakland-based nonprofit The Last Mile (TLM). TLM’s mission is to provide opportunities for personal and professional growth for individuals through in-prison education and technology training. The organization operates inside prisons across the nation, delivering in-classroom curricula and course material to prepare students for employment in higher wage job roles including web development, software engineering, and audio and video production.
Accompanied by Kevin McCracken, the organization’s executive director and a man with experience in the justice system himself, we spent half a day in TLM’s classroom, where its educational programming is facilitated. A testament to his reputation at San Quentin — earned through a decade of volunteer work at the facility — Kevin was greeted brightly by several students who are incarcerated and correctional officers as he led us across the yard and into a classroom.
If not for the uniform attire of those inside — collared shirts and pants marked with “prisoner” in large print — I might have mistaken the space for a college computer lab. It was filled with rows of students seated in front of desktop computers, with keyboards and headphones at their sides. Personal mementos dotted the desks, with a violin tucked under one student’s chair. The white walls were mostly bare, though a poster quoting Steve Jobs, “Think Different,” hung on the one adjacent to me. Most notable, though, was the room’s energy — a buzz of quiet enthusiasm as students read, typed, clicked, and chatted amongst each other while sharing their projects with me.
The students showed off the websites and projects they had built — from computer coding projects like a resume building tool and a computer whack-a-mole game to video production projects and audio mixes — highlighting relevant details. Their eagerness was palpable, a clear indicator of their efforts and pride in their work. Equally as powerful was their raw honesty and vulnerability. They spoke openly about their experiences in prison and their ambitions for life upon release. With 4 months left to serve, following 26.5 years of incarceration, Raul, for example, expressed his interest in becoming an addiction counselor and using his new coding skills to build himself a website.
As if not impressive enough, on top of being The Last Mile’s students — spending hours each day in the TLM classroom — many are also working towards bachelor’s (and in some cases, master’s) degrees through their enrollment at Mount Tamalpais College, an independently accredited college designed to provide a high-quality education to incarcerated students. This unrelenting pursuit to learn shone through as the greatest commonality between everyone I met. Students also shared common sentiment about TLM: that its programs and support have been transformational, building their skills and confidence, giving them an environment where they can be surrounded by like-minded individuals. In short, they view TLM as an outlet for continuous growth despite their pasts and circumstances.
Since the visit, I’ve been reflecting on the dedication of both the students and facilitators at TLM. By receiving dedicated support from a program or community, an individual can feel equipped to commit to their own growth and possibility. That ripple effect is one we mirror through our programs at REDF. It also serves as a contribution to the mountain of evidence that the one-dimensional narratives about individuals who are incarcerated that pervade our society are far from complete. At San Quentin, many are working hard every day to learn and better themselves.
As we say at REDF, everyone deserves to be seen for the strengths they hold rather than the barriers they face. The Last Mile is doing its part to put this sentiment into action through its valuable work providing people who are incarcerated with employable skills and support. But this is only the first step. Whether it be by employment social enterprises — like those REDF supports — or other companies, The Last Mile’s work (and REDF’s mission) is contingent on fair chance employers being ready to hire them. It is up to employers to do their part to ensure that these individuals have the opportunity to join our working economy, contribute, and better our world after serving their time. These students deserve nothing less, and — given the hustle and talent that I saw firsthand — it is clear that we’ll all be better for it.
I’m grateful to The Last Mile for coordinating this visit and, of course, to TLM’s students for welcoming us into their classroom, allowing us to preview their work, and telling us their stories. For employers and others interested, visit The Last Mile’s Student Stories page to better understand the outcomes that TLM’s programs have created for its former participants, in their own words. To hear more powerful narratives on changing perspectives and challenging the justice system’s status quo, I highly recommend TLM’s podcast, “The Last Mile Radio.” And check out the full list of REDF-supported organizations that are working to reduce employment barriers for individuals with justice system involvement.
