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** Here’s your first “One Time” — a new monthly newsletter covering all things ARC!
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** In your May 2025 note, you will find:
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** Escaping Alcatraz — a feature story on California’s Progress During Uncertain Times, by ARC Communications and Advocacy Strategist, Josh Pynoos
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** “You Get to Heal” — an interview with an ARC Therapist on the Power of Free Therapy for our members (in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month) by ARC Communications Intern, Clarissa Gutierrez
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** Happy Mother’s Day — a comedic video about celebrating Mother’s Day on the inside.
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** How Well Do You Know ARC?! — our very first ARC crossword puzzle!
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President Trump recently remarked that he’d like to reopen Alcatraz Prison as a “symbol of law, order, and justice,” reviving a literal museum ([link removed]) of America’s carceral past. While it’s wise not to seize on this administration’s every off-handed remark, and to recognize the many logistical impossibilities here, it is the symbolism we cannot ignore: a return to the failed belief that warehousing people achieves public safety.
California has already tried that model, and it failed. Building more prisons and passing punitive laws didn’t make us safer; it only fueled mass incarceration. That’s why California is charting a new course - one that starts less than twenty miles from Alcatraz.
San Quentin, California’s most notorious prison, and, until recently, the home of death row, is undergoing a historic transformation. California’s oldest and most iconic prison is now called the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center ([link removed]) (SQRC), the centerpiece of “The California Model,” a bold shift from punishment to rehabilitation that could change the future of accountability…
Read the full story! ([link removed])
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At ARC, free therapy is more than a resource — it’s a lifeline for members rebuilding their lives after incarceration. Clarissa, ARC’s Communications Intern and a member herself, sat down with Shay, one of ARC’s full-time therapists, to talk about the power of healing, the role of ARC’s clinical team, and why therapy matters now more than ever.
Why did you become a therapist?
“I grew up helping out at different clinics — it was just part of my life. I was always the person people went to for things. And I thought, maybe I could actually do something with that. Maybe I could turn it into something bigger, something that helps more people beyond just my immediate circle.”
How does therapy work at ARC?
“We don’t bill insurance. We don’t require a diagnosis. It’s just us and our people here. That means we can meet people where they are, without all the barriers that normally stop folks from getting help.”
Why is therapy so important for ARC members?
“People have a lot of trauma — from childhood, from the streets, from prison. And a lot of folks come through who have never had the opportunity to speak about certain things they’ve experienced. That kind of unprocessed trauma just stays in you, and it shows up in your life whether you realize it or not.”
How is the program growing?
“We have more people in therapy now at ARC than we ever have. That’s huge.
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What does long-term impact look like?
“The goal is to get to a point where people are not held back in the lives they want to live and the people they want to be by whatever they might be struggling with in terms of their mental health. It’s about helping them find freedom — not just out here, but inside themselves.”
Read the full interview! ([link removed])
** Happy Mother’s Day!
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ARC member and up-and-coming actor, Alexander Gibson, collaborated with Communications Intern, Clarissa Gutierrez, on this hilarious look at the unique (and loving) relationships between mothers and their incarcerated sons.
We are so proud of the enormous creative talent of our members and look forward to uplifting their work!
** More ARC News
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** ARC Policy Wins!
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SB 245, SB 562, SB 672 & AB 247 all made it out of committee and will be moving onto a floor vote!
CLICK the image for more about these bills and stay tuned for upcoming calls to action!
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** New Building Member Event
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ARC recently brought our members together to celebrate our new Hope and Redemption Center. Community is essential to safe, successful reentry!
CLICK image for more photos!
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Our First All-Female Firefighter Class at LACTC
ARC celebrated the launch of its first all-female firefighter training class at the Los Angeles County Training Center, in partnership with JCOD, Amity, Operation Flame, and the LA County Fire Department. Congrats to these hard-working cadets!
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CLICK for more news and updates! ([link removed])
** How Well Do YOU Know ARC?!
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** We Want to Hear From You!
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Thank you for reading our very first ‘One Time’! While we continue working to provide the content and updates we think you’ll enjoy most, we’d love your feedback!
What’s working? What’s not working? What would you like to see more of or learn more about? Just reply to this email and share your thoughts.
We look forward to making this the best possible newsletter and a true value-add for you, dear subscriber, not just another fundraiser email.
That said…
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