Changed at San Quentin...for Better or Worse

About the Book

Life is hard at San Quentin, for correctional officers and inmates alike. But throughout my thirty-year tenure at the prison, during which I worked with such notorious criminals as Charles Manson, Sirhan Sirhan, and George Jackson of Black Panther fame, I saw lives changed every day—some for the better, some worse. My own life is one I like to think was changed for the better as a result of having been there.

            But it’s all about choices. If I learned anything during my years at San Quentin, it’s that choices and actions have consequences. Regardless of the difficult conditions inherent in prison life, for those who chose to take advantage of the help that was offered, their lives almost always took a turn for the better. But for those who chose to continue in justifying and excusing the behavior that landed them in such dire circumstances, rehabilitation was minimal at best.

            The changes I saw while I worked at San Quentin were not limited to people; conditions and attitudes regarding prisons in general changed as well. The entire penal system underwent enormous changes during that time period—again, some for the better, some worse.

            Changed at San Quentin…for Better or Worse chronicles my thirty years as a correctional officer in that notorious prison, as well as outlining many of the legal and societal changes that took place during that time period that positively—and, at times, adversely—affected life behind bars in this California penal institution. My ultimate challenge and purpose for writing this book is to point out that, although I believe crime must be punished and the innocent protected from those who would harm them, there is still hope for those who are incarcerated for even the most despicable of crimes if they will make the right choices.

—Joe Hare

About the Author

Born in Newark, New Jersey, to Irish immigrant parents, first-generation American Joseph “Joe” Hare and his three brothers and one sister grew up in a close-knit family where both parents worked to make ends meet.

            Then, as America was drawn into World War II, Joe was diagnosed with a blood clot on his brain. When his medical condition worsened, he was introduced to a renowned brain specialist named Professor Purse, who not only operated successfully on Joe but also influenced him greatly throughout his life.

            A few years later, in Berkeley, California, Joe married Eileen Patricia McCormick (Pat). He and Pat now have two lovely daughters, Carol and Sharon, a granddaughter named Michele, and a son-in-law named Bill, who is married to Carol and, in Joe’s words, “is the son we never had.”

            Joe worked as a carpenter until September 1949 when God redirected his life and he soon found himself embarking on a new profession, something he would never have chosen for himself but that he has never regretted—working as a correctional officer at the California State Prison at San Quentin. While employed at the prison he went to night school and received his degree in psychology. As a result he ended up working as a counselor in the Adjustment Center of the prison, a section of the facility that housed some of its most dangerous inmates.

            Since his retirement from San Quentin, Joe has worked as a licensed general building contractor. He is much in demand at churches and other venues, where he speaks of his experiences as a correctional officer at the notorious prison of San Quentin. He and Pat continue to live in Concord, California.

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            Kathi Macias is an award winning writer who has authored seventeen books. Kathi has also ghostwritten and collaborated on several others, and has published numerous articles, short stories, and poems in various periodicals. She is a staff member for a worldwide manuscript critique service, a member of The Christian PEN, CAN, CWFI, AWSA, and ACFW, and she recently won the grand prize in an international writing contest.

            A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative writing and business writing in various venues, and served as an associate pastor for six years at a large Southern California church. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and she has appeared on several radio and TV programs.

A mother and grandmother, Kathi lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where she is currently at work on several writing and editing projects, and where she and Al spend their spare time riding their Harley.