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Ernest Morgan |
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Ernest Walter Michael Morgan Junior VIII
Nickname: EMO/Ern/Ernie
Age: 38
Paroling to: San Francisco Bay Area
Family: I have my mother, Hilda, my family, Ernest Senior, two younger brothers, Louis and Lance, my grandmother and too many aunts, uncles, and cousins to name.
Why did you join the T.R.U.S.T.?
I became a part of the T.R.U.S.T. because I wanted to make a difference on a “Grand Scale.” I wanted to take an opportunity to be an integral part of the re-building and re-vitalizing of communities throughout the Bay Area and hopefully on a National level.
What does being a T.R.U.S.T. Fellow mean to you?
Being a T.R.U.S.T. Fellow means talking the talk and walking the walk. I take pride in the work I do, not only for the group but within the prison and outside communities. As a T.R.U.S.T. Fellow, I uphold a newly created image of incarcerated men, showing the communities (inside and out) how productive any incarcerated man can be if they put their hearts and mind to it.
Since coming to prison, what have you accomplished?
Since my incarceration, I have completed my G.E.D. followed by received an Associate Arts Degree in Liberal Arts with Patten University (3.0GPA). I have become a certified Machinist and self-trained in computer repair and operation. I have completed a number of “Self-Help” programs (Beginners and Advanced) ranging from anger management to drug and alcohol intervention (Not a user and never have been) and “Victims Reconciliation Programs.” I have tutored other incarcerated men who cannot read and write and have facilitated a number of classes that assist men in their preparation to returning to society. I have created and assisted in creating numerous programs during my incarceration to include child mentoring programs as well as being a founding member of the San Quentin T.R.U.S.T. for the Development of Incarcerated Men.
What are some of your hobbies and interests?
Some of my hobbies include playing sports (softball, baseball, basketball, football, and volleyball). Prior to coming to jail I enjoyed working on model cars and planes and love playing with remote control cars. I enjoyed long rides on my bike and swimming (preferably in the waters of Hawaii). My interests now include working with at-risk youth, walking in the rain and involving myself in projects that help ease my mind.
What programs are you involved with other than the T.R.U.S.T.?
Because the T.R.U.S.T. and work take up so much of my time, the only other program I am currently involved in is S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. (San Quentin Utilization of Inmate Resources, Experiences and Studies). S.Q.U.I.R.E.S. is a program which takes place on Saturdays, where a group of men volunteer their time to mentor youth who are currently having problems with drugs, gangs, family, school etc.
What kind of work do you do with the “inside” and/or “outside” communities?
As the program coordinator for the San Quentin T.R.U.S.T., I have the task of making sure as many people as possible have a smile on their face and contentment in their hearts. With the Outside Community, I am one of the main links who maintains contact with our sponsors, volunteers and guests after they visit the T.R.U.S.T. and/or in between their visits to the prison. I take my job very seriously as it affords the T.R.U.S.T. the opportunity to spread their wings far beyond the confines of San Quentin’s walls. It is imperative that I utilize my position so that the group may maintain and nurture relationships with any and all outside organizations the T.R.U.S.T. is connected with or is seeking to be connected with. Working with my community (inside) is somewhat different. Inside, part of my job is to plan all programs for the T.R.U.S.T., instead, I try to stand back as much as I can so that the men in the group have the opportunity to format any programs they are currently assigned to giving them the freedom and opportunity to manage their own projects. If my assistance is necessary, then I will assist without hesitation. Other than that, I try to plan as many TRUST Fellowship activities as possible. We make it a point to play at least one group sport against ourselves each month. These activities have been football, softball, and basketball. On other nights, we may just sit in the Chapel area and watch some television together while we all put some food and goodies in the pot so that we can eat together and enjoy one another’s company. While still inside this community but outside the group, I try to come up with plots and ploys to get the population involved in our seminar sessions. In the name of the group, I plan yard presentations (concerts), cultural art presentations and lectures with “area specific” guest speakers from the outside community as well as whatever I can do to market the men of the T.R.U.S.T.
How do you live up to the T.R.U.S.T. value system? How do you promote the ideals of the T.R.U.S.T. outside the workshops?
When it comes to living up to the T.R.U.S.T. values, I, like the rest of the men, am only human. We are here for making wrong decisions in life, and like anyone else, we will continue to make minor mistakes (none to the magnitude of what may have landed us in prison). Speaking for myself, I try my hardest to live up to the T.R.U.S.T. values so that I can continue to grow and better myself and I would love to see the population follow the examples I set towards being an upstanding and productive citizen.
What do you want to do after you parole?
I want to go to Disneyland!!!! Okay, okay, okay… I would like to become deeply rooted in community activism. I want to be involved in rebuilding as many communities as possible. Of course, like most men, I wouldn’t mind running a Fortune 500 company (and would probably do a damn good job), but our work and my work is rebuilding communities, giving children someplace safe and productive to play instead of the streets with guns and drugs. I want to see ladies and men of all races, genres and age coming out of the confines of their homes and being able to walk the streets safely without having to fear criminal intent or having to witness any crime ranging from drug dealing, theft or murder. I just want to be busy doing something positive, anything, and it might as well be some work that I enjoy. That’s the American Dream, right?
What are your long-term goals?
Creating an effective program that can be implemented in any community that will help purge that community of any negative. I am currently teaching myself to play the piano/keyboard and at times this really seems like a long-term project. I would also like to purchase an old and battered ’69 Camaro RS and give it a ground up restoration.
Personal message to the outside community:
Incarcerated men are different from productive citizens in the outside community in one main way… we have fallen from grace. If the opportunity ever comes to the forefront, please take the opportunity to see and get to know the men that have taken the opportunity to turn their lives around in the hopes of becoming productive citizens in a community near you. Take the opportunity to tell them what you expect of them prior to and upon their release.
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