The fresh blood stains smearing the basketball court served as a reminder that the “Shotcaller” from San Diego had just been “removed,” and that now L.A. has the yard. This was just a part of an ongoing cycle of violence at Calipatria State Prison (CSP), aka “Killapatria,” one of the most violent prisons in California, in which at the time, 75% of the residents were under the age of 25, and serving life sentences. Most were trying to “earn their bones,” and make a name for themselves, in the most violent ways possible. At the time, CSP had the highest rate of staff assaults among all of the Golden State’s more than 30 adult prisons. Hyper-vigilance was required as a matter of survival.
It was at CSP that I first heard about a program that sounded like wishful thinking and a dream really—an Honor Yard, at California State Prison-Los Angeles County (LAC) nestled in the city of Lancaster. I then quickly found out that if it was discovered that you were trying to transfer to LAC, “prison politics” dictated that you would be stabbed or beaten for attempting to transfer there, owing to the loss of black market revenue generated, and the social stigma of availing one’s self of the opportunity to program in a positive manner. Despite the threat of harm, I was able to transfer to LAC, and I was accepted into the Progressive Programming Facility (PPF) program.
Acceptance required the following: you had to be discipline free for 5 years; agree to programming with men of all races, denominations, and cultures; denounce gangs and gang activities, prison politics, criminal thinking, addictive behaviors, and violence; support and participate in cognitive behavioral courses, self help groups, and interracial sports leagues; and have random drug testing. During the 10-day orientation phase, you had to write an essay explaining why you wanted to participate in the PPF, what your goals were for working within the PPF, and identify what you were bringing to the table that made you a positive productive member of the PPF community.
Violation of any of the rules, or your PPF Agreement, were grounds for immediate removal from the PPF. You quickly realized that you—just you—were responsible for your decisions and behavior, and that all actions had real consequences. In return for following the rules and participating, you could live in an environment where you didn’t have to constantly look over your shoulder to see who might be trying to attack you. No longer would another resident dictate to you who you could and couldn’t talk to or interact with. You were allowed to be your own man, and build and develop your own program. Since over 70% of the yard was sentenced to LWOP, the real benefit was that you could “retire” on the PPF yard, without the concern of being transferred to another prison, and be forced to deal once again with the chaos and violence.
With over 30 self-help and peer supported groups available, the PPF fostered an environment of men working on bettering themselves, and a localized collective that was constantly looking for ways to give back to the external free world community, in an attempt to make living amends for their criminal or violent past. All of this, on a yard that was about 70% LWOP or default IWOP, because of their extremely long sentences, resulting in death by incarceration. All of this, before any laws changed regarding re-sentencing, commutations at the time were just a dream. The truly unique component of the PPF was that it was conceived, initiated, and maintained by residents, not staff.
Over the years, various elements including staff attempted to disrupt or dissolve the PPF; however, the residents kept the program going year after year, from early 2000, until recently. The PPF went almost 20 years without a single staff assault or riot, even though some staff came to the yard with the intent to incite the residents to violence. We recognized what they were trying to do and did not bite into it. Over and over again, we were able to harness our willingness and ability to demonstrate true emotional intelligence and a desire to rehabilitate ourselves.
Then, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) changed the points system and custody levels, resulting in LWOPs being permitted to becoming classified as Level III, instead of the previous mandatory Level IV stasis all LWOPs had been restricted to. The administration was able to change the classification of the PPF to a Level III, and the residents were able to stay and not be transferred to other prisons. When the point system was changed yet again, allowing LWOPs to become classified as Level II, the administration then allowed ovetrides, which permitted residents to remain on the PPF yard long-term.
Because of the amount of programs, and the positive rehabilitative efforts of the residents, it attracted the attention of outside organizations, celebrities, and educational institutions. When first Governor Brown, and then Governor Newsom, began to issue commutations of sentences, the participants in the PPF were among some of the first to receive them. The PPF received a lot of positive attention, and at least three documentaries have been produced around the PPF, its truly rehabilitative programs, and its residents, such as: “Toe Tag Parole”; “Rescue Me” (about the Paws For Life K9 Rescue Program, which won an Emmy Award); and recently, the film “5 Block.”
To see the changes that men were capable of making in their lives to become positive and productive citizens was and is rewarding, and to then see the men that were found suitable and released from prison, then come back to help the residents left behind, was and is inspiring. In the Paws For Life K9 Rescue program, a resident could become a Certified Dog Trainer, and Obedience Train dogs rescued from animal shelters, as well as PTSD Service Dogs that were trained for Service Veterans and Los Angeles Firefighters.
PPF had a thriving and innovative Prison Art Program (P.A.P.), that produced various art forms and projects that were then used to raise funds for local charities, and community needs. An extremely talented music community also thrived within the PPF, that attracted numerous recording artists to engage with and support the PPF music program.
PPF soon had cooperative and supportive staff that were a pleasure to work with. The staff, for the most, part interacted with us in a very positive manner , and treated us like humans, long before the idea of the “California Model” came along. Over 200 men, in recent years, have had their sentences commuted or have been re-sentenced by the courts. They then went to the Board of Parole hearings and been found suitable for parole, returned to society, and not a one of them has come back to prison. Many of them now started their own businesses or are in partnership with non-profit organizations that are working to reform the legal and prison systems.
Those involved are filled with pride when these men that spent decades in prison come back through those gates to help the ones still inside. It is a testament to their dedication to making living amends and promoting true rehabilitation. (See part II, for how this incredibly successful program was then de-constructed and destroyed by CDCR.)
