Allan McIntosh
Home After 24 Years
In 1998, Allan McIntosh was sentenced to 25 years-to-life, under California’s Three Strikes Law for possession of a firearm by a felon. He was 23 years old at the time of the offense. From a young age, he struggled with exposure to guns and substances, a cross-country move uprooting his education, and disconnection from his community. Through it all, Allan found solace in basketball.
While incarcerated, Allan took advantage of programming opportunities—from vocational training to mentorship. Most notably, Allan found an outlet in basketball, which helped him develop a deeper sense of community and self-worth. As a member of the San Quentin Warriors team, Allan was featured in the documentary Q Ball, chronicling how the team fostered personal growth, accountability and community.
Support for Allan’s release was monumental: 41 people wrote letters of support, attesting to his character, and offering resources ranging from housing to mentorship to employment. Allan’s wife Daviena—a childhood friend with whom Allan reconnected during incarceration—was also a fierce advocate for his release.
After serving 24 years, Allan was resentenced on June 20, 2022, at the recommendation of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. Weeks shy of his 47th birthday, Allan was released to a crowd of supporters. He is now enjoying quality time with his family and has already returned to work in property management and maintenance. Allan plans to continue his work mentoring younger people at risk of falling into the system. And, of course, he is joining a local basketball league.
Allan has built so much since then. Today, he lives with his wife Daviena, and they are overjoyed by the recent news of a third grandchild on the way. Allan works long hours as a property manager, in hopes that he will one day see his grandchildren play in the backyard of a home he’s had his eye on. Allan takes deep pride in his work, knowing that he is securing stable, long-term homes for people in his community – something he waited for 24 years for himself.
“I still go into San Quentin and play basketball. The main thing I tell people: don’t wait til you get out to start your life. When you get out, you’ll already have a plan, a goal, and you’re set. I didn’t just start when I got out. Live well and right – right now.”