Program allows students and inmates chance to learn from each other

By Felix Cortez

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    SOLEDAD, California (KSBW) — KSBW 8 went behind the prison walls at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad to get a first-hand look at a unique program that allows Palma High School students to interact face-to-face with prisoners.

In most cases, those prisoners are convicted killers serving life sentences. The partnership is a two-way street helping to shape youngsters while bringing positive change to inmates.

“This is about helping them see their vision and get to their future. Whatever it may be in life, and giving them the skills and to equip them to do so,” said Reggie Glover, an inmate at the Soledad Correctional Facility.

This isn’t a “scared straight” program. In fact, it’s far from that. There isn’t any yelling at youngsters.

This is more about laughter and listening. An exchange of personal stories between Palma students and their brothers in blue as they explore themselves and the decisions they’ve made.

“Some decisions that you make in life are lifelong, life-lasting,” said Palma President Chris Dalman. “What our young men learn here is that you’re not defined by maybe the worst moment and worst decision you made in your life and that you can improve yourself on the other side of that decision.”

The program is now in its 10th year and is a partnership with the Palma School Leadership Academy and the Phoenix Alliance.

It is a rare and eye-opening opportunity for these young men to go behind the prison walls at the CTF Soledad.

“They’ve given us a lot more than we’ve given them. They provide perspective,” said Palma senior Marley Quitevis. “They provide a perspective that’s seen a lot of things and seen the system. That’s seen the hard times in life, that seen trauma and gives a perspective of what not to do.”

Through interactive exercises and short teaching segments, inmates through their own personal experiences, worked with students on erasing negative perspectives, unproductive attitudes and playing the victim.

All while encouraging the value of making good choices, developing goals and most importantly taking responsibility for your actions.

Who better to learn that from than these inmates? Many of them are convicted killers serving life sentences.

“It’s like extreme ownership of your actions is kind of what they’re teaching, what they’re preaching,” said Palma senior Thomas Ducker. “And it’s huge because it’s so easy when things happen to you and when you fail, it’s so easy to make yourself the victim in your mind what happen, even if it’s your fault.”

The day KSBW 8 attended marked the culmination of an 8-week session in which inmates and students shared empathy and celebrated similarities as they went down different paths.

“We made bad choices and we impacted communities. But it doesn’t define who we are today,” said Glover. “The work we do today as the men we are is the work that we love impacting other people’s lives as well as impacting our lives. It’s a two-way street.”

KSBW 8 also talked with inmates about their experiences in the program and how it has changed them and their outlook on life.

“Me personally, being down so long, it’s a bright spot because nowadays these cars drive themselves when I came to jail, you needed a key,” said Glover. “So just hearing it from their perspective of how the world is, it’s a beautiful thing and it helps me.”

That’s the goal of this program: breaking down barriers behind these prison walls. Students helping inmates and prisoners helping Palma students.

“We’ve made terrible decisions in life,” said inmate Brandon Packer. “We have caused a lot of harm, damaged a lot of communities, ruined a lot of lives. And this is an opportunity for us to share our stories with young men that can hopefully help them understand the impact of their choices moving forward in life.”

Packer can relate to these teens. He was just 17 years old when he was convicted of attempted murder and given a 28-years-to-life sentence.

“One of the things that we do as leaders, we share our stories in hopes that somebody will pass it on,” said Packer. “This is an opportunity for us to make amends and we’re constantly looking for someone to pay it forward.”

They are paying it forward with their stories of past mistakes. This drives home to these students the value of making sound choices, building positive relationships and setting goals.

Most importantly, taking ownership of bad decisions. Something these inmates have had a lot of time to do.

“The fact that they can find a way to be objective and accountable to themselves and take ownership of their lives is so powerful,” said Ducker. “It’s changed my life for sure.”

Shaping the lives of teens while changing the lives of inmates. These inmates say it’s a two-way street.

This program has value for these inmates. Many of whom are now defined by their actions. by society.

“The main thing is it just helps you see the value that I do have in life,” said inmate Vincent Rivera. “A lot of us, we lose hope in ourselves, like we have no value. So when these kids come in, they relate to us as having value. So that helps me see that I have something to offer.”

For these inmates that can be the key as they look for a future beyond these prison walls. Many of them will soon be going before a parole board and someday could be our neighbors.

“The amount of people that go home and release every year is through the roof. So what type of neighbor do you want? And that’s what I want people to think about,” said Rivera. “What type of neighbor do you want? So if we invest and help people. We get better neighbors you have better neighbors.”

According to prison officials inmates who have participated in the program and were eventually paroled have not re-offended.

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