Demolition of the oldest and most notorious prison in California

 

SACRAMENTO – Governor Newsom’s project to reimagine and transform San Quentin State Prison — the oldest and most notorious prison in California and previous home to the largest “death row” in the United States —  has reached a significant milestone, and construction of the new education facility to improve public safety will soon begin.

The project, first announced in May 2023, transformed San Quentin from a maximum-security prison into the “San Quentin Rehabilitation Center,” a one-of-a-kind facility focused on improving public safety through rehabilitation and education.

The historic effort at San Quentin, never pursued at this scale in the United States, will serve as a nationwide evidence-backed model to advance a more effective justice system that builds safer communities.
 
With the demolition of the prison’s previous furniture factory, Building 38, complete, construction of the new educational and vocational center will begin this fall. This week, work also began to demolish an interior wall, known as the South Wall, to increase access to the new facility. Removing this internal wall, which has separated portions of the facility since 1856, will open up the new complex to the existing institution and create a campus-like feel. The removal of the internal barrier has no impact on the facility’s security.