precisely my father was a war prisoner
as an 18 year old young man living in
Hollinger in his second world war he was
kidnapped and transported deep into
Germany to do forced labor for the
Germans he had a tough time but he
survived as kids we could hear him
scream in his sleep
dealing with his traumas when the Berlin
Wall came down he wanted to go back back
to find his captors back to heal the
broken places back to make his peace and
he did and he managed to find some of
the captors some of the surviving
soldiers and he said in a circle and
they set in a living room and pain was
spoken and truths about that pain were
spoken needs were expressed forgiveness
was offered apologies was extended and
accepted my father came back a radically
changed human being from that trip I’ve
done about 20 years of time in here I
get to go home at night go but still I
find myself sitting in circles of men
seeking to reconcile themselves with
their past and in those 20 years we’ve
put together one program we call it a
stander offender accountability program
named grip guiding rage into power the
main goal the main focus of that program
is to leave prison before you get out
it’s totally possible and for some of
you on the outside there’s a couple of
clues – about the prison between your
ears right so almost 25% of our
graduates
are out have been released exactly zero
pretty astounding giving the 64 percent
Everett jurors ability recidivism rate
in California so with a small investment
we’re saving millions of dollars give us
a bit more we’re saving hundreds of
millions of dollars while improving
Public Safety while preventing
revitalization what are we waiting for
and it isn’t just our programs there’s a
lot of good programs here in San Quentin
I think for those of you present here
it’s fair to say that perhaps you’re
realizing this is one of the most
underreported unique social experiments
of our time it’s called San Quentin
State Prison this place parts of it have
been changed into a rehab University a
greenhouse communities have come in and
built a lighthouse that shines they
think they’re the watch towers what it’s
really a lighthouse tower right the
shines on our communities and men are
going back to these communities that
have something to give back to the
places they took from now how profound
is that how profound is that in a
society that is steeped in violence need
I remind you of the hundreds of school
shootings that have happened since Sandy
Hook did I talk about the racial strife
in current America the the growing
religious divisions too now so these men
have something to give back their change
agents so this is Ted Wright and
incredible innovations have been made
out of Ted to medicine education design
etc but our prisons are lagging behind
so far as an institution compared to
those we think it’s time to reframe what
prison is we think it can be
a hub of change obviously it can be a
resource to the community it can give
back to the community rather than
displace the dumps parolees on our
streets so this is a call for us to come
together and do something with the
excitement in this room and designed a
prison reform we don’t just need to talk
about letting more people out we need to
talk about how they come out 95% of all
prisoners eventually come out to be
somebody’s neighbor how do you want them
we feel we have developed the technology
to transform suffering and violence into
learning and healing just like that so
let’s put it to use in closing from one
of our students a quote and this quote
sort of it’s eight words that’s all it
is but it describes very much the
program we’re doing he said you know I
learned in grip that hurt people hurt
that I lashed out from the pain inside
that I didn’t know what to do with he
said and then I learned that healed
people heal people that to the extent I
meant my brokenness I have agency to
help others to do that that lesson is
really all I needed to learn and if any
one of you in this room or at home
listening to this has ever been hurt by
an act of violence this piece is for you
listen closely take it in I give you 14
Jackson
[Applause]
it is said that the measure of a man is how he stands up to personal adversity
how he stands up to personal adversity but I say in this case is how we face up
but I say in this case is how we face up to his own authenticity how he accepts
to his own authenticity how he accepts his own vulnerability and how he takes
his own vulnerability and how he takes personal responsibility with honesty for
personal responsibility with honesty for all of his past violent activities it is
all of his past violent activities it is the measure of a decent human being when
the measure of a decent human being when one can’t come clean to recognize when
one can’t come clean to recognize when they have wrongfully victimized the
they have wrongfully victimized the innocent with so without criminal intent
innocent with so without criminal intent and seek to make amends with them it
and seek to make amends with them it doesn’t matter if one just only lost
doesn’t matter if one just only lost their way or everyone thought that it
their way or everyone thought that it was justified for the sake of their
was justified for the sake of their pride to see another person pay it was
pride to see another person pay it was not okay we should have realized that
not okay we should have realized that there was always another way therefore
there was always another way therefore today I pray that I can help all the
today I pray that I can help all the lives who have been victimized by those
lives who have been victimized by those who had violent minds like mine to help
who had violent minds like mine to help you heal and survive I’ll start by
you heal and survive I’ll start by saying that I truly apologize I
saying that I truly apologize I apologize all the song that you felt
apologize all the song that you felt yesterday the dismay you may feel today
yesterday the dismay you may feel today and tomorrow I apologize for the
and tomorrow I apologize for the lingering hurt pain and drain that still
lingering hurt pain and drain that still remains I apologize for this honoring
remains I apologize for this honoring your name by shamefully making you to
your name by shamefully making you to blame I apologize for my cognitive
blame I apologize for my cognitive dissonance in the cause of my own
dissonance in the cause of my own psychological imprisonment which aided
psychological imprisonment which aided my distorted sense of narcissistic
my distorted sense of narcissistic selfishness I apologize for making you
selfishness I apologize for making you feel unsafe and for not helping make the
feel unsafe and for not helping make the world a better place I apologize for all
world a better place I apologize for all of those who have perpetrated violence
of those who have perpetrated violence against you whether it was accidental or
against you whether it was accidental or intentional physical or emotional I hold
intentional physical or emotional I hold myself accountable because I too have
myself accountable because I too have committed violent acts against
committed violent acts against individuals like you as a participating
individuals like you as a participating vulture in a violent culture and the
vulture in a violent culture and the people who hurt you won’t say
people who hurt you won’t say then I will because that’s how I feel in
then I will because that’s how I feel in hopes that my empathetic appeal can help
hopes that my empathetic appeal can help you heal today I’m happy to say that I’m
you heal today I’m happy to say that I’m no longer in denial which I admit I was
no longer in denial which I admit I was for quite a while now I willing to go
for quite a while now I willing to go the extra mile to help those I heard in
the extra mile to help those I heard in horn restore their authentic smile to
horn restore their authentic smile to help lift your spirit from a state of
help lift your spirit from a state of despair to help calm your fears and
despair to help calm your fears and respect your tears to share my remorse
respect your tears to share my remorse that’s making me change my life course
that’s making me change my life course because I care yes I care about your
because I care yes I care about your well-being and welfare it’s only fair
well-being and welfare it’s only fair that I openly share this new man and me
that I openly share this new man and me who was seeking to reconnect with my
who was seeking to reconnect with my morality
morality and humanity because for me this is part
and humanity because for me this is part of the debt I owe to everybody in
of the debt I owe to everybody in society especially you and your family
society especially you and your family and my family so for all you survivors
and my family so for all you survivors out there I hope you can accept my
out there I hope you can accept my sincere apology as I strive to survive
sincere apology as I strive to survive my own victimology your wounds and
my own victimology your wounds and traumas would forever be a part of me
traumas would forever be a part of me and never again will I senselessly act
and never again will I senselessly act out violently lastly and most
out violently lastly and most importantly I dedicate this to you to
importantly I dedicate this to you to all of you powerful champion survivors
all of you powerful champion survivors as part of my restitute to include a
as part of my restitute to include a tribute for the resilient you and
tribute for the resilient you and therefore I salute I salute you for not
therefore I salute I salute you for not letting your grief destroy your belief
letting your grief destroy your belief and human decency and in your own and
and human decency and in your own and the peace I salute you for your enduring
the peace I salute you for your enduring bravery and for being determined to
bravery and for being determined to conquer your traumas courageously I
conquer your traumas courageously I salute you for having an open heart and
salute you for having an open heart and being willing to forgive I salute you
being willing to forgive I salute you for striving to overcome for not letting
for striving to overcome for not letting the attack hold you back because you
the attack hold you back because you decided to be strong to move on and live
decided to be strong to move on and live and to all the beautiful souls who have
and to all the beautiful souls who have passed on to a better place
passed on to a better place who has been embraced inside the essence
who has been embraced inside the essence of God’s loving grace I salute you in
of God’s loving grace I salute you in spirit I salute you through prayer to
spirit I salute you through prayer to ensure that God will let you hear it
ensure that God will let you hear it your names will remain in the hearts and
your names will remain in the hearts and minds of loved ones who have been left
minds of loved ones who have been left behind this is how and why
behind this is how and why you are survived and through all the
you are survived and through all the hurt and pain from being flamed I
hurt and pain from being flamed I promise you that your death would not be
promise you that your death would not be in vain that’s why I salute you to all
in vain that’s why I salute you to all the same please know that are now honor
the same please know that are now honor your names which are precious treasures
your names which are precious treasures in life and so it is my delight and
in life and so it is my delight and pleasure to show you my true measure as
pleasure to show you my true measure as a decent human being to come clean to
a decent human being to come clean to make amends and help bring us together
make amends and help bring us together to help make life more lovable peaceful
to help make life more lovable peaceful and more better because of this gesture
and more better because of this gesture I now view the word victims very
I now view the word victims very differently specifically what it means
differently specifically what it means to me is victors in conquering traumas
to me is victors in conquering traumas incredible master survivors you are all
incredible master survivors you are all more than worthy of being admired that’s
more than worthy of being admired that’s why I exhort you and salute you
why I exhort you and salute you [Applause]
[Applause] [Music]