California is advancing a $239 million taxpayer-funded initiative to transform San Quentin State Prison into a rehabilitation center, a move that has sparked controversy among some legal professionals.
The project, part of the state’s “California Model,” aims to create a humane campus atmosphere promoting growth and self-empowerment, featuring amenities such as a grocery store, library, café, farmer’s market, education and vocational centers, and a media center. Governor Gavin Newsom announced the project in May 2023, stating that it will “make all of us safer” by incentivizing true rehabilitation and ending cycles of violence and crime.
“California is transforming San Quentin – our state’s most notorious prison – into the nation’s most innovative rehabilitation facility focused on building a brighter and safer future. We are literally tearing down walls to reimagine our prison system, incentivize true rehabilitation, and end cycles of violence and crime,” Newsom went on to add.
However, some critics argue that the funds could be better allocated to other pressing needs. Los Angeles County prosecutor Jonathan Hatami expressed concerns about the project’s cost, noting that California struggles to adequately fund homeless programs, Medi-Cal, and law enforcement.
He stated, “It appears that we’re prioritizing the criminals over the rest of us…And that’s a big problem I have is the priorities of this state seem to be, most of the time, tilted towards the criminal instead of looking at the rest of California and saying there’s so many other things that we should be funding that we can.”
The rehabilitation center is expected to be completed by early 2026, with officials asserting that it will improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons by leveraging international, data-backed best practices.
