San Quentin Media Fest raises funds to help people incarcerated perfect their craft

By Amanda Hari

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    SAN QUENTIN, California (KPIX) — San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, formerly known as San Quentin State Prison, was known as America’s most dangerous prison. Now it’s working to help inmates learn skills that they can leverage once released, including filmmaking.

“We just out here showing people that just because we made a mistake, don’t mean that we are a mistake,” said Dante D. Jones.

Jones organized the San Quentin Media Fest, but his path to that position took some detours.

“I was locked up for 17 years,” explained Jones. “When I first came in, there was not even an inkling of an idea that something like the Media Center at San Quentin existed. I was there at San Quentin for about three years. It’s where I got my bones in the media world.”

The Media Center at San Quentin gave him more reason to want to get out.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to be really, but I found out editing and video, that’s my passion,” said Jones. “That’s what I do. That’s what I love to do.”

He made that dream come true. Now he’s working as a videography intern at KALW, Bay Area Public Media.

The San Quentin Media Fest is his way to give back. It’s a fundraiser for the San Quentin State Prison Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California, featuring original short films written and produced by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated filmmakers, curated by Jones.

“We’re taking control of our own narrative,” said Jones. “We’re taking control of our own story and allowing people to see who we are as people rather than formerly incarcerated or what they consider criminals. That’s the point of having this whole fundraiser because there’s guys in there that are in there doing what we were doing in there and trying to do what we’re doing now.”

The funds will help people still incarcerated perfect their craft, so they can get jobs after their release.

KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny was happy to lend their space.

“To see the work people are doing and have done inside the Media Center of San Quentin, it’s a real treat to see,” said Trefny.

KALW has been working with people at San Quentin since 2012, providing journalism and communication training. They also hire formerly incarcerated people, like Jones.

“Everybody deserves a chance for sure,” said Trefny. “I think that, from my experience, and I’ve been going into San Quentin for over a decade now, almost everybody who I meet there, the reason why they’re in prison is because of the worst moment of their lives. We’ve all had a lot of really bad moments in our lives and for some people, it ends up landing them behind bars.”

Jones says the people who are utilizing the rehabilitation services at San Quentin, like he did, are trying to make good and they deserve opportunities and support.

“Understand that people are in there, trying to change their lives, trying to get right with themselves and understand who they are and trying to be productive citizens once they reach the street,” explained Jones.

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