Mount Tamalpais College

MTC News

The Nature of Transformation in Prison Settings: Community Dialogue

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Transformation in prisons and the essence of real change were the focal points of Mount Tamalpais College’s Community Dialogue held on June 13. This event featured key leaders from San Quentin – MTC President Jody Lewen, Former wardens Ronald Broomfield and Robert Ayers, and former Public Information Officer Samuel Robinson – and me, an MTC alumnus.  It was both educational and inspiring, emphasizing the complex nature of real change within San Quentin.

During my 14-year incarceration at San Quentin, I observed substantial changes and had meaningful conversations about growth. The old education building was replaced by a medical center, and “medium A custody inmates” were relocated to other prisons and states. Influential figures like Robert Ayers and Ronald Broomfield created spaces that encouraged individuality and growth. Meanwhile, Sam Robinson and Jody Lewen worked diligently to prevent unnecessary transfers, exemplifying the essence of transformation.

Real change in prison is intricate, similar to geography more than science. It involves numerous dynamic elements, with behavior and trust being the most challenging aspects to address for creating a positive environment. Inclusivity is vital, and I helped establish a platform for incarcerated individuals to express their opinions through the San Quentin News Media Center. Transformation, I believe, relies on trust and transparency among all parties.

During my incarceration, a sense of camaraderie was prevalent, largely due to the safe environment fostered by Mount Tamalpais College (MTC). This environment allowed individuals to be themselves without the pressure from those resistant to change, making education the driving force behind growth and transformation.

We all understand that change in a prison setting involves everyone, including correctional officers, striving for positive growth collectively rather than individually. Effective leaders in prison should stand firm on morals and challenge the status quo. Ronald Broomfield, for instance, aimed to create an honor building to set good examples for others. Transformation requires community and stakeholder support to drive meaningful change.

A common misconception is that the Department of Corrections alone is responsible for rehabilitation. As someone who has spent close to 30 years in prison, I am also responsible for setting better examples. In reality, it is the inclusive and effective individuals within the system who drive personal growth and change, not just programs or groups. 

Many worry that change might lead to higher crime rates upon release, posing a threat to community safety. However, this concern often neglects the potential for positive transformation through comprehensive support and rehabilitation. Successful prison reform requires community involvement and societal transparency, which helps bridge the gaps between incarcerated and non-incarcerated individuals. Facilitating more community dialogues with real stakeholders can drive positive change. Real progress can only be achieved when the broader community engages in the process and comprehends its complexities and nuances.

The dialogue and insights shared at the event underscore the importance of holistic approaches to prison transformation. Personal stories and discussions about environmental and behavioral impacts highlighted the profound effect of genuine transformation, fostering growth and positive change when applied correctly. 

You can watch and share the full conversation here.

Staff Spotlight: Meet Zaw Htet

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An Interview with Zaw Htet, MTC’s Math & Science Program Director

Zaw Htet, Math & Science Program Director at Mount Tamalpais College, is one of many dedicated teachers who provide innovation and hope where it is not always found. We interviewed  Zaw to gather important insights into the teaching journey, unique challenges, and groundbreaking approaches to prison education.

A Journey of Dedication

With a background in engineering physics and biophysics and a passion for teaching, Zaw initially taught intermediate algebra classes, led a “Frontiers in Science and Technology” workshop, and volunteered in many organizations that provide education opportunities for minorities such as Upward Bound, Refugee Transitions, Be A Scientist, and Bridges to Baccalaureate Programs.

Zaw, who has been working at MTC since November 2022 says, “I love teaching or education in general. I strongly believe that access to affordable quality higher education is fundamental to empowering individuals, reducing inequality, and fostering societal progress.” Zaw’s role at MTC includes teaching math and science, managing and supporting faculty, and developing curricula tailored to the unique environment of a correctional facility.

Overcoming Obstacles

Teaching in prison presents myriad challenges that extend beyond the classroom. The challenges of Zaw’s role are not unique to teaching Math and Science; they are those faced by anyone learning or operating a college in a prison setting. Security concerns, limited resources, and the diverse educational backgrounds of those people incarcerated are just a few of the hurdles Zaw faces daily. 

Another challenge is communicating with students promptly. “I find the logistical barriers imposed by the prison most challenging,” Zaw shared. “ For example, due to the lack of reliable educational technology, instructors are not able to communicate with students in real time. Every communication takes longer and involves more logistics in prison education.”

Transformative Teaching Approaches

Despite these obstacles, Zaw has introduced several innovative approaches that have significantly enhanced the learning experience for students at MTC. Having led a “Frontiers in Science and Technology” workshop, Zaw’s methods emphasize practical application and hands-on learning, which resonate well with the students. “I would like to add exposure to cutting-edge science and technology breakthroughs from world-class scientists and researchers from Berkeley, UCSF, and Stanford,” Zaw stated.  Students were able to observe antimatter particles using the cloud chamber in the workshop.

Zaw asserts that classroom teachings “do not change drastically” when teaching at San Quentin vs. in other education institutions. However, Zaw focuses on creating a supportive and motivating classroom environment. “The most important practice I have used to engage the class effectively,” Zaw said, “is to recognize and treat students as active participants in their learning journey rather than passive recipients of information. I have focused and intentionally incorporated trauma-informed teaching practices.”

Looking Ahead 

Looking ahead, Zaw is optimistic about the future of prison education. Zaw advocates for increased support and resources, emphasizing that education is a crucial component of rehabilitation and reintegration. However, with all those tools, there is one component that must be integrated, and that is trust. “Trust,” Zaw said, “is really important in the classroom and building trust is the key to fostering a respectable learning environment for the students. …having an honest conversation builds trust in the classroom.”

“Creating a dynamic and inclusive learning space where students feel respected and empowered leads to deeper engagement and meaningful learning experiences,” Zaw says. “This varies from classroom to classroom and I am still learning from each class I have taught.”

A Celebration of Teaching & Learning in San Quentin

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Education, Exclusion & Participatory Citizenship

On a sunny March 30th, Mount Tamalpais College hosted our annual Faculty Appreciation Event inside San Quentin’s Chapel, which this year was called a “Celebration of Teaching & Learning.” Although the event usually celebrates faculty, this year was a little different.  

The College’s Dean of Academic Administration, Nandita Dinesh said to a packed Chapel before the event began, “Holding the event inside San Quentin was initiated by  faculty who suggested that, ‘For it to feel like it was truly an appreciation event, there need to be students as well.’” 

This year the event was designed around students’ presentations on the theme of teaching and learning, followed by their teacher’s responses, allowing a brief look into the “extraordinary conversations” held in those classroom spaces. 

Alumnus Michael K. Moore opened the event and touted being a 2022 graduate of Mount Tamalpais College, the first class to graduate since the college received independent accreditation. He prepared a speech called “Madness of Prison” which spoke to the misconception that we are free, having control of thoughts, feelings, and the the mind. Michael said, “Nobody can give you freedom but yourself.”

A  seven-year veteran faculty member at Mount Tamalpais College, Ian Sethre, expressed his appreciation that Michael had asked him to collaborate on their speeches together.  Ian then expounded on a recommendation by Dean Dinesh to reflect on teaching and learning. Ian thought about what he values about teaching and learning at MTC and responded, “I’m particularly interested in the intersecting issues of education, citizenship, and felony disenfranchisement.”

Amongst the other presenters were Theresa Roader who responded to Dennis Jefferson, Will Bondurant responded to Peter Bommerito, and Omair Akhtar who wrapped up the event by responding to Darryl Farris.  

The Celebration of Teaching & Learning event concluded with Akhtar speaking to the audience in response to Darryl’s speech, saying, “What communities, networks, mentors, and friends can you call on to help you navigate the world? -What is our role in that journey? (Gotta avoid white savior, we’re not main characters) -When students graduate from MTC, what do we owe them, in terms of connecting them to the people and resources to succeed and navigate new worlds, wherever they find themselves?”

Operationalizing Transformation: Advancing the Goals of the San Quentin Transformation Initiative – a white paper by MTC President Jody Lewen

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MTC President Jody Lewen recently authored a white paper entitled, Operationalizing Transformation: Advancing the Goals of the San Quentin Transformation Initiative. Following upon the report that was recently released on behalf of the Advisory Council of the San Quentin Transformation Initiative, of which Dr. Lewen served as a member, the document lays out a methodical approach for achieving the goals of the San Quentin Transformation Initiative. 

The paper also offers an alternative approach to the state of California’s current plan to invest up to $360 million in the demolition of an existing building at San Quentin and the construction of a new one in its place – instead proposing robust renovation and construction projects that would transform infrastructure across the entire prison.

The ideas presented here are solely the views, opinions, and recommendations of the author, not necessarily of other members of the Governor’s Advisory Council, or any other parties. 

Read Operationalizing Transformation here. 

Empowering Incarcerated Students: A Recap of the Pathways from Prison to Campus Workshop

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In a recent workshop on designing pathways from prison to college, hosted by the Rising Scholars Network and featuring speakers from Mount Tamalpais  College.  The audience, which consisted of higher education professionals from California’s community colleges, gained valuable insights into supporting incarcerated students’ transition to higher education on the street.

Mount Tamalpais College, shared its innovative approaches to student support. Corey McNeil, Alumni Affairs Associate, emphasized the importance of community building and re-entry support through workshops, open mic events, and alumni engagement activities. Dr. Wendy Martinez and Dr. Kirsten Pickering provided expertise on student services and research on alumni outcomes.

Throughout the workshop, the focus remained on humanizing the reintegration process and providing ongoing support to students post-release. 

Participants discussed the significance of evaluating and improving programs and the value of partnerships with community-based organizations like Bonafide Life to address students’ diverse needs.

An interesting topic of discussion was the potential for collaboration with parole officers to provide workshops on reintegration, highlighting the importance of breaking down barriers between academic institutions and correctional agencies.

We hope that participants were inspired by Mount Tamalpais  College’s collaborative and innovative approach to supporting incarcerated students. We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with a dedicated community of individuals who recognize the transformative impact of education in empowering individuals seeking a second chance.

You can watch the full recording of the presentation here. 

MTC Hosts First-Ever Research Showcase

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After months of preparation and planning on the part of MTC students, staff, and faculty, in December 2023 the College hosted its first-ever Research Showcase, which brought the college community together for four days of activities that celebrated research on and around MTC’s campus.

This series of events was a celebration of research itself, of MTC’s new research capabilities, and most of all, of MTC’s student researchers, whose projects in 2023 spanned such topics as code-switching in prison, the production of spider web protein via DNA-altered goats, and data on incarcerated runners, to name only a few student poster session presentations. The Showcase also featured a keynote address by Professor Darrick Smith, of the University of San Francisco; a faculty panel including topics ranging from tardigrades to Okinawan identity to Nietzsche; and a day of research skills workshops.

The Showcase was a culminating moment in MTC’s broader mission to elevate the voices of the incarcerated, starting with the core courses that lead to the AA degree: writing courses develop critical thinking skills, the capacity to formulate original standpoints, and the ability to express oneself to a range of audiences; mathematics courses equip students with the skills to understand complex systems, problem-solving, and data analysis; courses in science, the social sciences, and the humanities open up entire bodies of knowledge, foster curiosity, develop analytical skills, and expand world views and understanding. Throughout the degree, MTC students learn to develop questions, substantiate claims, and rigorously analyze course content, to refine and strengthen their assertions.

For many years, one of the key missing pieces in supporting students’ development of rigorous independent thought, critical thinking, and persuasive expression was in the area of research: until 2021, MTC was unable to provide students access to computers, and physical library materials were similarly scarce. Students chiefly relied on volunteer research faculty to research on students’ behalf. In 2021 MTC was finally able to establish a computer lab at San Quentin; since that time, we have been continually adding resources that enable students to carry out their research. 

Independent research is a hallmark of creativity and free thought: the researcher can shape their inquiry, delve into their areas of interest and insight, and actively contribute to contemporary debates. When entire segments of society are not able to freely access and contribute to the production of knowledge, not only do would-be researchers suffer, but so too does the shape of knowledge itself. On so many levels, American society has a profound amount to learn from those it incarcerates; it is to the benefit of both those individuals and the society at large that incarcerated people have access to the finest opportunities to develop their critical thinking, research, and communication skills. MTC is honored and proud to facilitate these advances. 

Thank you to everyone who made the Research Showcase a success! 

Mount Tamalpais College hosts its first International Film Festival

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This past December, Mount Tamalpais College hosted our first International Film Festival inside San Quentin. The festival focused on screening movies made by, or featuring, people with disabilities and took place over five days. There were films from the United States, Malawi, Egypt, and India, to name a few, and over 100 students came to the film festival. 

The festival began on Thursday with a screening of Crip Camp, which tells the story of a groundbreaking summer camp for teens with disabilities. The camp proves to be so inspiring that a group of its alumni join the radical disability rights movement to advocate for historic legislation changes. This event was presented in partnership with California Humanities, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. After the screening, there was a panel discussion with the producers of Crip Camp and team members from Cal Humanities.

The fourth day of the festival featured a marathon of short films from Honduras, the United Kingdom, Australia, Colombia, Myanmar, Japan, and Latvia! The films were presented in partnership with Superfest which is the longest-running disability film festival in the world. Since it first debuted in a small Los Angeles showcase in 1970 it has become an eagerly anticipated international event—hosted by Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State. It was a huge honor to be able to have the Director of the Superfest Disability Film Festival, Emily Smith Beitiks, join us afterward for a discussion. 

Our International Film Festival concluded with a screening of Friendly Signs, a short documentary written, directed, and produced by MTC alumnus Rahsaan “New York” Thomas, while he was at San Quentin. The film follows MTC student Tommy Wickerd as he decides to try to make San Quentin a friendly space by teaching sign language to anyone who wants to learn (including the correction officers) and documents the struggles he faces while trying to get a class started in a prison. We are so proud of Tommy and Rahsaan’s work!

Thank you to Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP for sponsoring MTC’s first International Film Festival and making it a resounding success. Your support has played a crucial role in bringing diverse and compelling cinematic experiences to the San Quentin community and we are so grateful for your partnership!

Mental Wellness: Insights from Mount Tamalpais College Alumni Conversations

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Mount Tamalpais College recently hosted its second Alumni Conversations event on October 27th, delving deep into the complex realm of mental health before and after incarceration. Led by the insightful facilitation of Dr. Jenny Espionza-Marcus, MD, the event brought together Alumni Bonaru Richardson, Aly Tambora, and Eddie Herena, who openly shared their journeys and shed light on the challenges of mental health in the prison system and during the critical phase of reentry.

The conversation begins with the profound acknowledgment from Dr. Espionza-Marcus, emphasizing the importance of understanding mental health as a spectrum of general wellness. The panelists then opened up about their childhood experiences, providing a glimpse into the barriers they’ve created, and encountered and the environments that shaped their mental well-being.

Bonaru shared the tale of his upbringing marked by violence, poverty, and race. Running away when he was four years old, Bonaru witnessed his mother’s abuse, he internalized a lack of confidence in education, leading to a downward spiral. Aly, though initially from a rural area filled his childhood with joyful activities, but later faced the challenges of racial differences as he got older. Eddie, reflecting on his carefree early years, began questioning his mental well-being as he grew older, recognizing self-imposed barriers that hindered his progress.

The discussion then steered toward the inadequacies of mental health support within prison walls. Aly highlighted the emotional struggles faced during incarceration, emphasizing the inability to express grief to the corrections staff, a sentiment echoed by many incarcerated individuals. “I remember losing loved ones, and I’m not going to go to correction’s staff and tell them how I’m feeling about losing one of my loved ones.” Aly instead, expressed that he would turn to “my friends inside” as they were the ones who truly understood what he was going through. Building a community is essential for mental well-being among alumni.

The conversation then rotated to the transformative power of education within the classroom setting. Eddie shared how college programs became a lifeline, fostering a supportive community that helped him break free from the cycle of prison culture. “I really didn’t know Eddie until I was in the classroom with him,” Aly shared, emphasizing how education provided a path to self-improvement, enabling individuals to focus on personal growth and escape the negative aspects of prison life with like-minded people. Bonaru echoed these sentiments, underscoring the power of community expressing that Kenyatta Leal, another Mount Tamalpais College alumni, helped him and many others get into educational programs that not only challenged them intellectually but also connected them with compatible individuals, fostering personal growth and mental well-being.

However, as the alumni pointed out, the challenges persisted during reentry. Finding employment and reestablishing family connections emerged as daunting tasks. The strain on family relationships, combined with the overwhelming demands of employment, posed significant mental health challenges. The discussion highlighted the need for comprehensive support systems, not only focusing on practical aspects but also addressing emotional and mental well-being.

This Alumni Conversation offered profound insights into the intricate confusion of mental health within and after incarceration. The stories shared by the alumni emphasized the importance of understanding mental health as a holistic journey, shaped by early experiences, environments, and the challenges of everyday living. The event served as a poignant reminder of the need for empathetic support systems, destigmatizing mental health, and fostering communities like MTC that uplift individuals on their journey toward mental wellness.

You can watch the full conversation here. 

Read our 2022-2023 Annual Report 

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We’re pleased to share our latest Annual Report, which looks back on a remarkable 2022-2023 academic year. 

In addition to serving as a snapshot of our 2022 finances and recognizing the college’s many supporters, the report highlights exciting new developments in our computer lab and information technology, features on student-led research and new support services, and a photo essay profiling dozens of MTC alumni who are living full and meaningful lives on the outside. 

We hope the report offers you a substantive glimpse into the brilliance, productivity, and generosity of the Mount Tamalpais College community, and allows you to imagine the vast potential landscape of what’s next for our college at San Quentin. 

Read the report here. 

Meet MTC’s Newest Clerk, Charles Crowe

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This August MTC welcomed the newest Program Clerk to our team, Charles Crowe. Crowe has been an MTC student for the last four years and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences. Before starting as a Program Clerk with MTC, Crowe worked as a Senior Editor and Staff Writer with San Quentin News where he wrote stories about the importance of the language used to humanize incarcerated people and grandparenting from prison. He is still involved with San Quentin News when he’s not busy assisting MTC.

Crowe calls himself a “lifetime learner” and has been teaching himself Spanish for the last 10 years by reading various grammar and vocabulary books and practice workbooks. It’s no surprise that the Spanish classes he’s taken with MTC have been his favorite. This fall semester, he is a Teaching Assistant for Spanish 101. Crowe is an advocate for the transformative power of education. He firmly believes in the profound impact it can have on an individual’s life, both in and out of prison. Crowe is driven by the belief that education can be a catalyst for positive change, not only for personal growth but also contributing to reducing recidivism rates. 

Crowe and the other MTC Program Clerk, Carl Raybon, support the day-to-day functioning of our college inside San Quentin to ensure everything runs smoothly. Some of their responsibilities include assisting with student registration and enrollment each semester, tracking student requests, and distributing student mailings. A large portion of their daily work is ensuring that faculty have all the materials they need for each class. Because we are limited to what we can bring in and out of the prison, a large portion of our Program Clerk’s role is to photocopy course readings and assemble course boxes, which is where our faculty keep all the materials needed for their class. Our college program would not be able to run as smoothly as it does without our Program Clerks. 

Welcome to the team, Crowe!