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Art therapy helps CA prisoners improve themselves and their community

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Art therapy helps CA prisoners improve themselves and their community


CORCORAN, Calif. (KABC) — California is rethinking its prison system in an effort to reduce the recidivism rate which has averaged about 50% over the past 10 years.

At California State Prison Corcoran, Sean O’Brien is using art as therapy.

“Personally? It probably saved my life,” explains O’Brien who is now 34 and has been in prison since he was 16.

Along with other participating artists, O’Brien uses art as a way to explore emotions, reduce stress and improve self-esteem while in prison. Some say it’s using the time instead of just doing time.

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“You look around in here, there’s not very much color. We’re surrounded by bricks and concrete and steel. And this is the color that we’re able to bring in here through our art,” says O’Brien as he looks at a wall mural he painted.

And now that art is having a positive impact outside of the prison walls as well.

Rodney Rodriguez of Fresno Skateboard Salvage gathers old skateboards that are trash to many and delivers them to prison artists around the state, who will use the boards as a canvas, creating art for others.

“They’re not just contributing from their talent. Because of where it’s coming from, it’s affecting them emotionally and mentally – and you can see it,” says Rodriguez.

The finished pieces are beautifully unique and auctioned to raise money so Fresno Skateboard Salvage can purchase new skateboards and safety gear for underprivileged kids in Fresno.

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At the Boys and Girls club in Pinedale, dozens of kids were given new equipment and training, in part, because of the collaboration with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

“I think for them it’s maybe a way of treatment, it’s a way of self-care, a way of mental health for them to cope with the past, the present and the future,” says Lt. Robert Clifton, public information officer at the Corcoran prison.

Artist Omar Cruz explains what the art, and the program means to him:

“You know I’ve done a lot of bad things in the community so I just wanted to make amends and give back to the community. But when Rodney told me why he did it, it changed my whole perspective because I remember he told me a story about – if it wasn’t for someone giving him a skateboard and he started hanging out with skaters and he changed his whole life around.”

Using skateboards to help kids make better life choices is the mission of Fresno Skateboard Salvage, but the art produced by incarcerated men and women has a deeper purpose as well. Studies show a significantly higher success rate of re-entry into society for prisoners who participate in art therapy than for those who do not.

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Rodriguez can see why that’s possible.

“If you’re just the bunky (prison bunkmate) of the artist or the bunky’s bunky or a friend of the artist – the people in that community within this institution are being uplifted by colors on a beat-up old skateboard that will benefit a kid.”

Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.



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California

More SoCal rallies for and against military action in Iran expected on Sunday and Monday

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More SoCal rallies for and against military action in Iran expected on Sunday and Monday


LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Worshippers across Los Angeles were met with an increased law enforcement presence on Sunday as police and sheriff’s deputies stepped up patrols outside mosques, synagogues and cultural landmarks following the strikes on Iran.

Local officials said there are no credible threats to Southern California, but the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department heightened visibility as a precaution to ensure communities stay safe.

More demonstrations tied to the attack on Iran are expected Sunday and Monday. Several protests were held across Southern California on Saturday.

READ MORE | Rallies for and against military action in Iran draw demonstrators across Southern California

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While Iranian-Americans celebrated in Westwood, protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles to oppose the Trump administration’s attacks against Iran.

While some groups gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest the strikes, others assembled in Westwood to celebrate “the fall of the Ayotollah,” according to organizers.

Authorities said they will continue monitoring events as the region prepares for additional gatherings in the days ahead.

This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.

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San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan officially announce run for California governor

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San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan officially announce run for California governor




San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan officially announce run for California governor – CBS San Francisco

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San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has officially entered the 2026 California gubernatorial race.

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Six planets to align in “planetary parade” above California. Here’s how to see it.

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Six planets to align in “planetary parade” above California. Here’s how to see it.


A rare celestial event will be taking place in the sky above California on Saturday night, as six planets are expected to be visible in what is being called a “planetary parade.”

Look towards the western horizon 30-60 minutes after sunset. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn will all be lined up along an arc, visible to the naked eye creating a literal parade of planets.

The alignment only occurs every few years, with the next one not until 2028.

Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are frequently seen in the night sky, but the addition of Venus and Mercury make this planet lineup particularly noteworthy.

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In the San Francisco Bay Area, there will be some cloud coverage Saturday evening, but it should be in the high levels of the atmosphere so hopefully the horizon remains clear. In Los Angeles and San Diego, the forecast is expected to be clear.

Meanwhile, the planetary parade may not be visible in the northern part of the state, with cloudy conditions expected Saturday night in Sacramento, and possible showers and thunderstorms in Eureka and Redding.

People with telescopes and binoculars will also be able to see Uranus and Neptune as well.

For amateur astronomers, this also would be a fun time to test out your telescope skills by checking out Jupiter’s many moons or Saturn’s rings.

Please note that if your view is obscured by buildings, trees or hills, you won’t see the parade because it will appear very low on the horizon.

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The nontechnical term is Parade of Planets, but the technical term is planetary alignment. Basically, it’s just the name for what happens when the planets and sun line up in the sky, these happen during events called oppositions and conjunctions.

Opposition is the term for when a planet is directly opposite the Earth from the Sun. Meanwhile, conjunction is when they are aligned with each other and is when we get the best views of the planets. 



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