MEET H2.0’S HOMIES

ALFRED SANDOVAL, known for most of his life as Chato, has now taken the name of Sweet Freddy. He’s been incarcerated most of his life, from boys’ homes to Death Row.

He was five days from execution when his sentence was commuted to life without parole. He spent 32 years in the SHU, but despite all he’s been through, he keeps a smile on his face. With all his experience, he wants to help the coming generations do better than the last.

Sweet Freddy loves to laugh, even if it’s at himself – which is often. He’s a great-grandfather, and even though he looks old and out of shape and doesn’t look very nimble or quick on his feet or like he would enjoy exercise… he’s surprisingly decent at sports.

Sweet Freddy always sings happy birthday to people on their birthdays, so we try not to let him know when ours are. Once in a while, when he makes a good play on the handball court – a very rare occasion – he does a little dance. Well, he dances when he loses too so… yeah.

JOHN JACKSON, formerly known as Tex, is originally from San Antonio, Texas. Although he’s far from being a senior citizen, we call him Sweet Grandpa because he’s hip as any grandpa – his dancing skills included.

He spent 18 years incarcerated, earning himself four SHU terms before coming to Pelican Bay. John earned his GED, a certificate from Baylor University, and has led networking events in prison attended by some of the world’s top executives and investors.

You should know that he played the trumpet in junior high, where he specialized in making fart sounds. Sweet Grandpa proudly declares to everyone he meets that he knows all the lyrics to The Sound of Music, but no one questions him, because no one wants to hear it.

After paroling from Pelican Bay in 2019, Sweet Grandpa was hired to work for Hustle 2.0. He now spends his time writing – specializing in fart jokes – and extreme skiing (or what he calls skiing… it’s really just him cart-wheeling down the bunny slopes.)

He’s leveling up his leadership by participating in altMBA, an intensive online workshop created by bestselling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin.

JACOB AMA, formerly known as C-nut, is now called Sweet Sugarcane. He’s 54 years old, and his signature raised-eyebrow, crazy-eyed stare is still intact, and though still very disturbing, it no longer scares people.

Originally from Compton, he came to prison in 1987 with a sentence of 26 years to life for murder. He’s spent over 13 years in the SHU. CDCR (the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) validated Jacob as a member of the Park Village Compton Crip Street Gang in 1986.

Jacob says he would wish for superhuman strength, but have you seen the guns on this guy? He’s got 50-inch forearms, so think what his biceps must look like. When he’s at work as an education porter, he sings as he cleans, usually off-key, but who’s gonna tell him? Not us!

Sweet Sugarcane is a nice guy once you get to know him. As a kid, his family called him ‘coconut’ because he was always climbing and falling out of trees.

DARRYL BACA, formerly known as Night Owl, is now known as Sweet Owl. He was sentenced to 17 years to life in 1981. He’s spent 32 of his 39 years of incarceration in the SHU.

He’s used his time to earn his AA in Social and Behavioral Science. CDCR validated Darryl as a member of The Mexican Mafia.

Darryl is old enough to have met Charles Manson way back in 1885… or 1985. Sweet Owl is 59 years young, but has never once worn a suit and tie. Only prison jumpsuits and handcuffs.

Sweet Owl hoots every night for the love of his life, who he’s been with for more than 20 years. This just proves that he’s a big softie with a kind and caring heart. He also clings to a poem from his mother (RIP), who gave it to him back in 1995.

Darryl is now using his leadership and senior citizen status to mentor young men and promote change with his brave and outspoken writings in Hustle 2.0.

JESUS MURILLO, now known as Sweet Chewy Cookie Dough, has been incarcerated for 13 years, three of which were in SHU.

While in the SHU, Sweet Chewy Cookie Dough won an entrepreneurship competition with his idea of creating and selling cards, showcasing the art of incarcerated men. He amassed entrepreneurial skills from life before prison, helping his family to operate a home business that became a retail store.

Jesus grew up on a farm, where he raised animals. (His nickname should be El Ranchero.) He also played softball for eight whole years, even once earning an award for MVP. In his free time, Jesus likes writing poetry because it helps him to escape.

As a young boy who always wanted more presents, Sweet Chewy Cookie Dough started the tradition of leaving cookies and milk for Santa every Christmas… until last year, when his cellie made him stop. Now, instead of attempting to win Santa’s favor, he shamelessly cupcakes with his wife every chance he gets.

CHRIS SUCCAW left behind his former name of EC Looney and has taken on the new moniker of Sweet Butter Pecan. He’s done 16 years of a 57-to-life sentence. After five years in the SHU, Chris decided to make a change. He is now a college student and an executive member in numerous programs.

His family calls him Mookie, and for one soup, you can too. Sweet Butter Pecan used to use his mother’s old handbag as an imaginary garage for his Hot Wheels. Furthermore, his mother dressed him in an Indian skirt to go to school one day… No wonder he ended up in prison.

Despite his mean mug, Sweet Butter Pecan couldn’t help but shed a tear or six while watching The Shack – just think what would happen if he watched The Notebook.

Because of his journey of transformation, Sweet Butter Pecan was transferred from a maximum-security prison to a lower level prison. He misses his fellow H2.0 Homies, but is working on kicking off a Hustle 2.0 program at his new facility.

ABEL TORRES, previously known as Malo, now known as Fuzzy Koala Bear, was born and raised in Compton. At 11, he joined a gang. At 17, he was arrested for murder. He’s been in Pelican Bay since 2001, spending more than 10 years in the SHU.

He now has a passion for learning. He has earned an AA and is currently working on his BA.

Abel, the nerd, has a comic book collection of 150+ comics – mostly of Wonder Woman. He also plays Dungeons and Dragons whenever he can, and often loses touch with reality – he thinks he’s a green dwarf right now.

Fuzzy Koala Bear organized the first-ever Cancer Walk at Pelican Bay in memory of his son who died of cancer. He helped raise more $1,200.

RALPH TRUJILLO, formerly known as Sonny, now goes by Sweet Monkeypants. He’s no spring chicken, but he is the freshest member of our Writing Team.

Sweet Monkeypants has been incarcerated since 1995 and has served a total of 24 years in the SHU. He has been confirmed by CDCR to be a member of the Northern Faction. When he got out of the Pelican Bay SHU in 2018 and came back to the mainline, he was a little shy about all the bearhugs going on in Hustle 2.0, but now Sweet Monkeypants is huggin’ everyone in sight.

Hustle 2.0 stole his sweet name from his wife. She said that in one of their first visits, Sweet Monkeypants was leaning like a cholo up against a fence wearing clothes that were two sizes too big for him. He wears socks up to his knees and boxers down to his ankles. Our guess is that he’s waiting for a flood. At least they’re two sizes too big instead of two sizes too small (no one needs to see that). Sweet Monkeypants is really into fashion and dressing as sharp as possible. He still creases his boxers and socks and rocks a mustache so long he must lift it up above his lips to eat.

ARTURO CASTELLANOS was as skinny as a board growing up, so his dad called him Tablas, and the name stuck. He’s now known as Sweet Tamale.

Today he feels like a spring flower in bloom after spending 32 years in the SHU. He came to prison in 1980 with a 25 to life sentence for murder. CDCR validated Arturo as a member of The Mexican Mafia.

The best day of Arturo’s life was the end of the 60-day hunger strike, which he celebrated by eating not one but two Top Ramen noodles (after so long, even a butt-naked soup tastes gourmet).

Along with eating Ramen, his simple pleasures include laughing at random things and watching Baywatch (Why? Do you have to ask?) and The Big Bang Theory (“Bazinga!” exclaims Arturo… yeah. He’s that guy.). Sweet Tamale admires his dad, despite the bowl cut the man gave him when cutting his hair (this is why he opts for a bald cut now).

The best gift he ever got was a visit from his mom while he was in the SHU, but he was so hungry during the visit that she began morphing into a burrito, his favorite food.