San Quentin now resembles a college campus

SAN QUENTIN, Calif. - From the outside, the facility formerly known as San Quentin State Prison in Marin County remains familiar to many as a fortress-like compound of old buildings. However, a major transformation has taken place at what is now known as a rehabilitation center.

San Quentin looks like a campus

Big picture view:

Designed to look like a college campus, a new $239-million learning center has opened on the grounds. Inside, 34 incarcerated men are currently taking classes to earn bachelor's degrees in liberal studies. California Gov. Gavin Newsom previously visited the facility in February.

"It's really exciting, a lot of nervousness, because it's the first BA program here," said Johnny Deneng, who is serving a sentence of 129 years to life in prison for fatally shooting two people and injuring others at a San Leandro bar in 2006.

"Who do you want living next door to you? Right? What does public safety look like to you?" Deneng asked. "Do you want somebody who's learning to be the best criminal in here, or someone who's more educated, with more marketable skills?"

Josh Henderson, principal of educational programs at San Quentin, provided a tour of the new space on Thursday to KTVU. 

Library, newsroom, classrooms

Local perspective:

The facility includes a library with open stacks, a newsroom, podcast and recording studios, and classrooms positioned both inside and outside with scenic views of the Bay.

"A lot of them, it was the first time they've seen water, right? Or the first time in 20 or 30 years they've seen the water," Henderson said. "So it was pretty emotional for a lot of residents, the first time they got to come here."

Warden Chance Andes noted that he once held a traditional mindset regarding correctional facilities focused strictly on lock and key. Now, the focus has shifted toward unrestricted learning, with the goal of helping inmates reassimilate into society and secure employment if released.

‘Hope provides safety’ 

What they're saying:

"Hope provides safety," Andes said. "The more hope we give the incarcerated population, the safer it is here, inside the walls, for our staff and the population, but also for public safety."

Jorge Lopez, who is serving 50 years to life for a murder in Sacramento, expressed gratitude for the educational access.

"I'm just truly blessed to be able to be in prison, incarcerated, in San Quentin and getting the privilege to be able to actually pursue a bachelor's degree," Lopez said.

The incarcerated men are completing their coursework through Cal State LA's Prison Graduation Initiative. 

Bidhan Roy, who leads the program, emphasized the long-term objective of the coursework.

"In terms of crimes or anything they've done in the past, that's irrelevant," Roy said. "Part of our responsibility is to set people up for life after prison and parole."

Roy added that the incarcerated students consistently perform well academically. 

"We have never had that," Roy said regarding student failure. "These are the best students we have."

This inaugural class is scheduled to graduate in May 2028.