This is a speech Dean gave at a graduation ceremony in his facility.

11 August 2026

Hello, my name is Dean Carter. I just graduated with a GED certificate. I’d like to share a little about my journey from death row, to standing here in front of you now. I was sitting on San Quentin’s death row a few years ago and if you had told me then, in a few years I would be speaking in front if a group of people, talking about getting a GED certificate, I would thought you were crazy. Yet here I am. After spending 40 years in various Highpower, SHU and Death Row housing units it’s understandable that moving to CHCF here in Stockton was quite a change. CHCF is a completely different world from where I had spent decades. Those of you here from Death Row know what I mean. Getting used to walking without restraints, not having to go through a strip search every time you left your cell, not having to listen to men screaming and crying in the middle of the night, not having a CO with a rifle on the gunrail watching your every move and not being treated like an animal every day took some getting used to.

I was curious to see what Stockton would be like after spending all those years of just trying to survive on death row and the difference has been like night and day. The relative freedom took some getting used to, in fact some of us commented it was almost like getting out of prison. Being able to look at the night sky was something I didn’t think I’d ever get to experience again. Green grass and flowers were a real treat. Sometimes it almost felt like sensory overload, but in a good way. There were many of those little moments which might not mean much to most people, but many of us from the Row learned not to take them for granted. Soon after my arrival here, I went to Classification Committee and was assigned to education to try and obtain my GED certificate. I was amused about having to go back to school after all these years. It would be an understatement to say I wasn’t a good student when I was young since I stopped going to school in the 7th grade. When we, the condemned prisoners arrived at CHCF, GJ was the Warden and she had a meeting with all the arrivals from death row. A sort of orientation and meet and greet combined. Ms.J explained what was expected of us and what we could expect here at CHCF. She promised we would be treated equally and what Ms. J was saying sounded good and I was hoping it would turn out that way. However there have been a few times when prison staff found out I had a death sentence and would comment about my not having anything to lose. I never really understood that since in my mind I have more to lose then anyone.

I was assigned to Ms. M’s class, along with 4 others from death row. This was at the start of the transfer program for the condemned prisoners and it was obvious our arrival at Stockton made many here nervous. Ms. M, bless her heart, accepted us into her class and treated us the same as any of her other students. Three of us are here today getting our GED certificates. One person is still working on getting his. And I am very pleased to say one of us no longer has a death sentence. In fact he is out of prison and doing very well from what I understand. I informed Ms. M I’d already obtained my GED in ’72 when I was in the Army. Ms. M referred me to Ms. C and in spite of Ms. C’s best efforts we were not able to get the the military records for my GED and I realized I was going to have to be a schoolboy until I completed my GED. It was strange to be sitting in a classroom again after all these years, trying to learn the courses I needed to pass the GED. Algebra was difficult for me. It didn’t help I figured the only math I needed was what I needed to fill out my canteen form. Ms. M was patient, making the Algebra class interesting and I developed a tolerance for it. It was around that time there was a shuffling of students and teachers in the education department. The students from death row, who were in Ms. M’s class were transferred to Ms. P’s class, making Ms. P’s class almost entirely Death Row prisoners. I figured it was due to our being condemned prisoners and didn’t think much about it, just focusing on my GED exams.

I eventually obtained my GED certificate, thanks to Ms. M, Ms. P and the positive support and encouragement from Ms. C and I felt like I had accomplished something substantial. I’m now in Mr. P’s computer class and find it fascinating, especially considering computers were not very common when I was last out in the free world. A special thanks to Ms. P. I got through Algebra, but I still don’t like it. It’s easy to see the dedication and hard work of the staff in the education department. Not only the staff I have come in contact with like Ms. M, Ms. P, Ms. C and Mr. P. I’ve also seen in passing how the others in the education department like Mr. B, Ms. T and Coach C share these same qualities. People talk about getting the GED as if it is a goal. I think acquiring the GED certificate is something to be proud of, but it is not the goal. I think it’s a step in achieving bigger and better things. Now that we have our education completions like the GED certificate, Resource Program diploma or college degree, it is a gateway that opens up new opportunities which had not been open for us before. In my time here at Stockton, I’ve gotten involved in the Veterans Support Group and the Native American Spiritual group, plus a couple of other groups. I’ve started playing pickle ball since my knees won’t allow me to play basketball any longer. I’ve also been working with Ricci Phillips on the CHCF Voice which is the prison newspaper that’s posted on your tablets. Working on the newspaper has been rewarding in spite of Ricci and I having challenges getting the paper out every month. It’s still a work in progress.

Recently I attended a CHCF event and listened to two former convicts talk to the members of the Native American Spiritual Group. Both men had spent years doing time in various California prisons and both men had the same message. Basically they were repeating the old jailhouse adage of, “Do your time. Don’t let your time do you.” They talked about what a tough world it is out there and how you need to prepare yourself for it while you are in here. They encouraged taking advantage of the groups, but to especially make use of whatever educational and vocational opportunities that may be offered. You won’t have the stigma of being from death row, but you will have the stigma of being an ex-con when you get out in the free world again, so you have to prepare yourself to succeed out there, while you are in here. Now that you have your completions you’re able to pursue further education and training like that offered Modesto Junior College, The Underground Scholars Program and Project Rebound just to name a few. There are also other programs you can look into for vocational training and various apprenticeship programs. Many of these organizations will help you if you contact them. It doesn’t hurt to ask for help, so why wouldn’t you?

Dean Carter