Listen to this compelling August 7, 2025 conversation between American prison artist Donald C-Note Hooker and physician Ricardo Alvarez regarding C-Note’s parole board journey.
August 7, 2025 at 1:20 pm PST
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Summary (15 min audio):
Donald “C-Note” Hooker, a prison artist, is seeking support for his release based on California’s Proposition 57, which allows parole hearings for non-violent offenders after serving their time. He claims to have completed his non-violent sentence 24 years ago but faces obstacles from the CDCR. In a conversation with Dr. Ricardo Alvarez, updates on the campaign were discussed, including a follow-up with Ms. Anita Wills, who couldn’t attend due to health issues. Emails were sent to five lawyers with a follow-up text planned. A challenge arose with uploading recordings from a phone to Google Drive for the P.E.A.C.E. website, with suggestions including using the Google Drive app on the phone and logging into the P.E.A.C.E. website via phone.
Key Points:
- Legal and Procedural Challenges: Mr. Hooker highlights significant procedural irregularities in his case, including the manipulation of work credits to justify sending him to a parole board for violent offenders despite serving his non-violent sentence 24 years prior. This points to a systemic issue within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The 2016 Proposition 57, intended to reform sentencing for non-violent offenders, appears to have been inconsistently applied in his case.
- Campaign for Release: Mr. Hooker is actively campaigning for his release (“Free C-Note by Black August, a grassroots campaign”), leveraging his status as a recognized artist and highlighting the injustice of his prolonged incarceration. His efforts involve contacting lawyers and seeking support from various individuals.
- Technological Hurdles: Much of the conversation focuses on the technical difficulties Dr. Alvarez faces in uploading audio recordings, crucial evidence for C-Note’s case, to a cloud storage service. The inability to easily transfer files from Dr. Alvarez’s phone to a computer or cloud service demonstrates a technological barrier that needs to be overcome for the campaign’s progress.
- Communication and Support Network: The call demonstrates Mr. Hooker’s reliance on a network of supporters, including Dr. Alvarez, who is providing assistance and guidance. However, challenges in communication and coordination are evident, such as Ms. Anita’s inability to participate due to illness.
- Resource Constraints: The conversation implicitly highlights the resource constraints Mr. Hooker faces, both in terms of technological access and legal representation. His reliance on free calls suggests limited resources.
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