What It Will Take to Transform California’s Most Notorious Prison into a Scandinavian Style Rehabilitation Center

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 3 April 2023

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

San Quentin is the oldest and most notorious prison in California. It’s home to the largest death row in the nation, housing infamous criminals including Charles Manson. But Governor Gavin Newsom has a new vision for the institution, renamed the “San Quentin Rehabilitation Center”. Under his plan the nearly 550 condemned inmates would move to other maximum security facilities in the state. With a proposed initial infusion of $20 million San Quentin would aim to increase its rehabilitation programming 10 fold and incorporate methods used in Scandinavian countries to normalize life, emphasize support over punishment and prepare inmates for their eventual return to society. Forum talks about the governor’s transformative vision and the challenges in making it happen. Guests: Anita Chabria, columnist, Los Angeles Times Tinisch Hollins, executive director, Californians for Safety and Justice; co-founder, SF Black Wall Street; Vice Chair, SF African-Americans Reparations Advisory Committee Thanh Tran, policy associate, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for Kikiwedi Podcasts comes from Rancho LaPuerta, boated the number one wellness resort and spa by readers of travel and leisure magazine. In August, three or four people sharing a cassida enjoy special vacation packages. Rancho LaPuerta.com
0:15.6	Support for Forum comes from Broadway SF, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story.
0:23.0	From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank,
0:29.6	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an
0:35.3	unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion.
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0:56.6	From KQED.
1:02.1	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm KQED Politics Editor Scott Schaefer, in for Alexis Madrigal.
1:16.3	San Quentin is the oldest and possibly the most infamous prison in California, home to death row inmates, like Richard Allen Davis, who killed Polly Class.
1:25.4	Well, now Governor Gavin Newsom wants to reimagine the prison,
1:28.5	transfer the hundreds of condemned inmates there to other maximum security facilities in the state,
1:34.0	and transform San Quentin into a model of rehabilitation and second chances for inmates who earn it.
1:40.0	What will that look like?
1:41.5	And how realistic is it?
1:43.2	That's coming up next after this news.
2:00.6	Good morning and welcome to Forum. I'm Scott Schaefer in today for Alexis Madrigal.
2:05.5	San Quentin Prison. It's an infamous institution, and it's where inmates condemned to death are sent to await executions, although there has not been one there for 17 years.
2:15.3	Since it's in the Bay Area, it's also known for a rich array of programs
2:19.7	run by nonprofit organizations and others, all aimed at preparing inmates who are not on
2:25.2	death row for life on the outside. Well, as you may have heard, Governor Newsom wants to transform
2:31.1	San Quentin to, in his words, reimagined what prison means with an emphasis
	...

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