Report on developmentally disabled man at San Quentin

San Quentin prison
by Stephen Worrell

PHA lent some support to the mother of a developmentally disabled man who got caught in the legal system. You can read reports on the issue here on this blog at When the disabled slip through the cracks (06/09/2011) and Update on developmentally disabled man caught in prison system (07/01/2011).

Her efforts to keep him from being incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison in Marin County ultimatley failed, and it was with great concern - for his safety and over the appropriateness of the placement - that she saw him transferred there in September.

PHA has just received an update, which fortunately offers some hope for Malcolm in his situation. We'll reprint it here in its entirety.

I just received a call from a woman in the Mental Health unit at San Quentin about Malcolm. She asked the question on all of our minds: What is this person doing here? She said that she has visited with Malcolm twice and he will be meeting with a therapist at least once a week. He is already on the radar of staff as someone who needs looking out for, and people are very aware that he is no threat to the institution and is someone who needs to be protected.

We spoke for 45 minutes about Malcolm's history before, during, and after his arrest. She said given his short time it is possible they will keep him there at San Quentin. She looked in his file and saw a release date of February 12, 2012, but stresses that might not include all the calculations so don't count on that just yet. She said Malcolm explained to her very clearly that he was never told not to threaten sheriffs and that he is adament that he did not do anything against the judge's instructions when he was placed on probation. She said you can tell that at his core he is still a child.

To talk to someone who has spent time with him is such a blessing. To know that he is touching hearts means my Malcolm is still my Malcolm as I know him and even prison guards and staff can see his sweetness. I am walking on air right now and just wanted to share.

Love, Debora

There are some 30,000 developmentally disabled people in the California prison system. PHA will continue to support efforts to examine the State's penal code for ways in which legislation can be affected such that individuals who do not function at an adult level are not judged as adults in the courts and are not punished with adults in the prisons.