Biography
Joe Garcia (he/him) is a journalist, writer, and reporter. He writes from a perspective of accountability, transparency and incredible optimism. His journalism career blossomed unexpectedly inside San Quentin, where he shared his talents to help inspire, educate and nurture other incarcerated writers. Aside from news reporting, Garcia’s distinct narrative voice propelled him to numerous freelance opportunities in “outside” publications like the Sacramento Bee, Alta Journal, MIT Tech Review, Washington Post—as well as viral attention for his New Yorker essay, “Listening To Taylor Swift In Prison.”
Before earning parole, he became part of UC Berkeley’s 2024 Local News Fellowship cohort, which entails a full-time reporter position for CalMatters. With eyes and ears relentlessly focused on truth, Garcia also used his high-spirited voice to advocate for his incarcerated community as the president of San Quentin’s Inmate Advisory Council—a role that ignited political firestorms and ultimately caused his placement in administrative segregation before facing exile to High Desert State Prison. Re-emerging into Los Angeles with vast personal and professional potential, Garcia remains profoundly appreciative of his ever-expanding support network—and also extremely introspective about his own tragic actions which inevitably led full circle to the beauty and magic he experiences today.
