New Face of IncarcerationDiscovering Your True SelfChange Your Mind, Change Your Life

Stay Alive, Stay Free

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Discovering Your True Self Are You Your Brother’s Keeper? Yes I am!

San Francisco Sheriff’s Department Community ProgramsVicki Hennessy, Sheriff

Presenter: Phelicia R. Jones, San Francisco Sheriff's Department Lead Rehabilitation Services Coordinator of Men ServiceCo-Presenters: Mr. Jeffrey Stewart - DTYS Participant & Alumni

Mr. Paul Bellazin - DTYS Participant & Alumni

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“On some positions, Cowardice asks the questions, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question “Is it politic?” And Vanity comes along and asks the question “Is it popular?” But conscience asks the questions “Is it right?” And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but must do it because Conscience tells him it is right”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 3

Statistics: According to the PEW Center

■ The sentencing and release laws passed in the 1980’s and 1990’s put so many more people behind bars, that in 2009 the incarcerated population in the U.S. reached 2.3 million for the first time.

■ One in one hundred adults was in prison or jail.■ The number of people on probation and parole

has skyrocketed to more than 5 million, now 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. is under criminal justice supervision on probation or parole.

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Black Males and Incarceration■ Blacks are 12% of the US population but Black Males represent

33% of prison population (2017 Bureau of Justice Statistics)■ In 2010 all Black Men were 6x as likely as White men to be

incarcerated (Pew Research Center Study)■ Black Men are sentenced to more time for committing the exact

same crime as a White person (Economic Policy)■ Prison Statistics: Blacks 2,306 per 100,000; Whites 450 per 100,00■ More Black Men are in prison today than enslaved in 1850 (Michele

Alexander Author of The New Jim Crow)■ 1 in 3 Black Men will go to prison in their lifetime (Black Voices)

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2018 Report of San Francisco County Jail

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*2nd Degree Robbery (13, 8.7%), 2nd Degree Burglary- Commercial (12, 8%), Kidnapping to Commit Another Crime (7, 4.7%), 1st Degree Burglary- Residential (6, 4%), 2nd Degree Burglary (4, 2.7%), Possession of a Firearm by a Felon (4, 2.7%), Assault with Force Likely Commit Great Bodily Harm (3, 2%), Assault on a Peace Officer With Force Likely to Commit Harm (2, 1.3%), Carjacking (2, 1.3%), Felony Enroute Warrant (2, 1.3%), Juvenile Warrant (1, >1%), Kidnap for Ransom (1, <1%), Assault with a Machine Gun or Assault Weapon (1, <1%), Torture (<1%), Child Endangerment (1, <1%), Lewd Act Upon a Child (1, <1%), Rape by use of Drugs (1, <1%), Kidnapping (1, <1%), Domestic Violence (1, <1%)

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Purpose

■ The purpose of the program is to eradicate the sense of hopelessness that reveals itself in low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and low self-worth.

■ Phelicia Jones, MCP, developed a special curriculum for a specialized population that tears down hopelessness and builds up HOPE.

■ Phelicia believes, “You can’t lead the people, if you don’t love the people, you can’t save the people, if you don’t serve the people” as said by Cornell West.

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Profile of DYTS Participants

■ Single parent household■ Latch Key kid■ Parents on drugs■ Dysfunctional family■ Fending for self ■ Poverty■ School drop-out■ Unemployed

■ A follower■ Foster care ■ Glorify drug dealing■ Rebellious■ No sense of belonging■ Rage■ Victim / perpetrator■ Leader

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Discovering Your True Self (DYTS)■ DYTS provides an environment for young men and

women to feel safe to talk about mistakes and false images and what they need to do to change them.

■ DYTS breaks down self-hatred and promotes self-love.

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DTYS Mission Statement

■ Allows young men between the ages of 18-30 to pledge to take a stronger stand on changing their lives.

■ They pledge to not set their standards low and to set goals and accomplish them.

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DTYS Mission StatementDYTS addresses real life issues such as: violence in the community, violence they have portrayed, drug addiction, dysfunctional upbringings, day to day struggles, and their future plans upon their return to society.

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DTYS Mission Statement

■ It challenges their motto that they are willing to die for: Money, Sex, Drugs, Guns, and Gangsta Rap.

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Money ■ Temporary Happiness■ Supports Addiction■ Material things■ Brings Trouble ■ Power & Change■ Stability ■ Opportunity

■ False Pride■ Position■ Provides Self Destruction■ Protection■ Untouchable■ 2 Live by motto■ Respect

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Sex ■ Bragging Rights■ Fun ■ Pleasure■ Exp. Stamina ■ Exercise■ Sense of Conquest■ I’m the man■ Satisfaction■ Helper

■ Lust ■ Postman■ Excitement■ I did my thang■ Addiction■ Sensation■ Certified plumber■ Ego

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Drugs ■ Weed■ Ecstasy■ Robo■ Alcohol■ Cocaine■ Heroin■ Meth ■ Mushrooms■ Cigarettes

■ Black & Milds■ Payote■ Crush Groven “Grimmy”■ Cheezy (weed & heroin)■ Mainline ■ Molly (pure ecstasy)■ Goofballin (meth &

heroin)

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Definition of Gangsta’ Rap

■ Gangsta Rappin’ is the simulation of false rappin’, living part reality, trying to obtain money - glorifying to be accepted in a world of your belief or what the established industry has designed as rap, and entertainment…

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The Program■ DYTS is currently a component of SF

Sheriff’s Department.

■ DYTS works with inmates on the inside while they are incarcerated and continues to support their efforts of change on the outside once they are released.

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The Program■ We recently had the opportunity to

bring DYTS to the SF County Jail and the community, operating at SFSD Community Programs, 70 Oak Grove St., San Francisco, CA 94107.

■ Community piece of DYTS is Discovering Your True Self Speakers Bureau

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DYTS Curriculum■ DYTS curriculum includes, but is not limited to:

□ Uppers, Downers, and All Arounders□ Recovery Based Values□ Why do you think you have a Negative Attitude?□ Re-entry, Removing the Obstacles to Growth□ Attitudes□ Once Released the Things I Think About First□ Success After Jail/Prison□ Stepping into Your Greatness

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Uppers, Downers, and All Arounders■ Participants study the concepts of addiction and

psychological dependency on drugs and negative lifestyles, allowing them to take a deeper look into their cognitive thought process.

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Recovery Based Values■ Participants study various recovery strategies and life skills,

learning to relinquish old behavioral patterns.

■ They will develop new experiences, and learn a new approach to appreciate self.

■ They will work in the here and now, seeking freedom to allow “the healing to begin.”

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Why do you think you have a Negative Attitude?■ Participants look at the causes and dynamics of having a bad

attitude.

■ Participants address low self-esteem, low self-worth, and low self-confidence issues.

■ They also address their personal sense of self-hatred, authority issues, false image, anxiety and stress, conditions of environments, and perceptions of the world around them.

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Re-entry, Removing the Obstacles to Growth■ Participants will participate

in life skills training, preparing participants to transition to re-enter back into the community.

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Attitudes

■ Focus on the 5 D’s:

□ Dumb

□ Dangerous

□ Deviant

□ Deprived

□ Disturbed

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Once Released the Things I Think About First

■ Money, Sex, Drugs, Guns, and Gangsta Rap

■ Police■ Catch up■ Performing■ Family

■ Club■ Material things■ Reputation■ Partners■ Women■ Vendettas/Revenge■ Job

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Success After Jail / Prison

■ Ask for forgiveness of Self■ Accountability■ Ability to express feelings of humility,

truth, peace, justice, and love■ Value the little things in life, learning

how to be content in the moment■ Don’t fake the hurt/harm and pain

you experienced during incarceration

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Stepping into Your Greatness

■ Participants engage in ongoing efforts to give back to the community by creating initiatives such as anti-violence campaign, anti-drug campaign, and/or an educational “stay in school” campaign.

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What Image Do I Portray in the Neighborhood

■ Negativity■ Untouchable■ Hustler■ Former H.S. Football player■ Basketball player■ Womanizer■ Kind & Caring Person■ Rockstar■ Musician■ Father

■ Thief■ Dope Dealer■ Outlaw■ Robo Drinker■ Thug■ Block Monster■ Firearm Dealer■ Rapper■ Drug Addict■ Lazy Man

I ask participants to brainstorm. These are examples of what they said:

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What do “You” See?■ Human beings■ Reality & Fictitious Image■ Inner/ Hidden Pain■ People who need help■ Sadness■ Desperation/ Desperateness■ Social Mess■ Product of their environment ■ Great opportunity for

improvement and change

■ Defects in Society■ Counter Productive ■ Emotional, Disturbed,

Imbalanced people■ LIES...LIES...LIES■ Disrespect of People Freedom■ Your choice of life over family■ Wasted Life ■ Pretty Dark Death■ Followers

Once they see everything on the board of their projected images, I ask:

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DYTS Participant Thoughts “What we do is help one another identify images

we’ve been portraying for the majority of our lives, we process and provide information until we break the image down and reach the core of us, which is our true self. Once we’ve ‘Discovered Our True Self’

we’re able to construct our lives around positivity and productiveness that out previous false image

wouldn't allow.”

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“Living as our true selves we’re able to concentrate on reconstructing our communities, one brick at a

time. Here in ‘Discovering Your True Self’ we believe we are the individual bricks that will reconstruct out communities as we help others discover their true

self as Ms. Jones had done for us”

DYTS Participant Thoughts

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“Discovering Your True Self is truly the story of ‘The Rose That Grew from the Concrete’. That

‘Rose’ being ‘The Queen’ of our Discover Your True Self Kingdom… Ms. Phelicia Jones”

DYTS Participant Thoughts

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Through her own personal hardships and experiences Ms. Jones has obtained the knowledge and understanding which is necessary to relate to those who are in danger of making life threatening decisions and those seeking self-awareness that is needed to make more productive decisions.

Discover Your True Self is a group that was designed in 2002 for young men between the ages of 18-30 (with the exceptions of a few elders). During our groups we address real life issues such as; violence in the community, violence we’ve portrayed, drug addiction, dysfunctional upbringings, day to day struggles and our future plans upon our return into society.

One of our main focuses during our groups is “self-awareness”. What we do is help one another identify images we’ve been portraying for the majority of our lives, we process the provided information until we break the image down and reach the core of us, which is our true self. Once we’ve “Discovered Our True Self”, we’re able to construct our lives around positivity and productiveness that our previous false image wouldn’t allow.

Living as our true selves we’re able to concentrate on re-constructing our communities, one brick at a time. Here in “Discovering Your True Self” derevied from, where we progressed to and what we want for our future.

Mr Christopher Anthony BoscanaDYTS Participant

DYTS Participant Thoughts

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“Hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear, only love can do that. Hatred paralyzes life, love releases it. Hatred confuses life, love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life, love illuminates it.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Let’s Stop Haten” - Phelicia Jones

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