Community Involvement, Inside CDCR Video, Rehabilitation

Skateboards, prison artists give youth options

April 12, 2024

Thanks to the efforts of incarcerated artists and Fresno Skateboard Salvage, over 50 skateboards were distributed to youth in Fresno County.

The organization’s founder, Rodney Rodriguez, distributed the boards and safety equipment to the Pinedale Boys and Girls Club in Fresno. The skateboards are part of a larger project between CDCR and Fresno Skateboard Salvage.

“Working with CDCR is the perfect scenario. Guys who made a bad decision in life help a kid make a better decision in life. It’s amazing,” said Rodriguez.

Learn more about Fresno Skateboard Salvage on their website.

A team of incarcerated artists, community members and prison employees teamed up to create beautiful hand-painted art on skateboards. Once those one-of-a-kind art pieces are auctioned off, the proceeds are used to buy skateboards for children who would otherwise not be able to afford them. Fresno Skateboard Salvage partnered with California State Prison-Corcoran, Avenal State Prison, and Valley State Prison for this project.

Learn more about the process in this earlier story.

“There are not too many resources that the kids in this area have. Having an organization like Fresno Skateboard Salvage coming in and offering our kids something like a free skateboard and a little mini lesson is something that these kids are going to remember for the rest of their lives,” said Stevie Santos, Unit Director of the Pinedale Boys and Girls Club.

Learn more about the artists creating skateboards in prison.

“I like to give the opportunity to skate to kids because it made such a difference in my own life,” said Rodriguez.

Video by David Novick, Television Specialist
Story by Quinn Sheppard, Associate Governmental Program Analyst
Office of Public and Employee Communications

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