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Los Angeles Times
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Even tough-on-crime district attorneys know prison reform is smart
On a recent morning inside San Quentin prison, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman and more than a dozen other prosecutors crowded into a high-ceilinged meeting hall surrounded by killers, rapists and other serious offenders. Name the crime, one of these guys has probably done it. 'It's not every day that you're in a room of 100 people, most of whom have committed murder, extremely violent crimes, and been convicted of it,' Hochman later said. Many of these men, in their casual blue uniforms, were serving long sentences with little chance of getting out, like Marlon Arturo Melendez, an L.A. native who is now in for murder. Melendez sat in a 'sharing circle,' close enough to Hochman that their knees could touch, no bars between them. They chatted about the decrease in gang violence in the decades since Melendez was first incarcerated more than 20 years ago, and Melendez said he found Hochman 'interesting.' Inside San Quentin, this kind of interaction between inmates and guests isn't unusual. For decades, the prison by the Bay has been doing incarceration differently, cobbling together a system that focuses on accountability and rehabilitation. Like the other men in the room, Melendez takes responsibility for the harm he caused, and every day works to be a better man. When he introduces himself, he names his victims — an acknowledgment that what he did can't be undone but also an acknowledgment that he doesn't have to remain the same man who pulled the trigger. Whether or not Melendez or any of these men ever walk free, what was once California's most notorious lockup is now a place that offers them the chance to change and provides the most elusive of emotions for prisoners — hope. Creating that culture is a theory and practice of imprisonment that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to make the standard across the state. He's dubbed it the California Model, but as I've written about before, it's common practice in other countries (and even in a few places in the United States). It's based on a simple truth about incarceration: Most people who go into prison come out again. Public safety demands that they behave differently when they do. 'We are either paying to keep them here or we are paying if they come back out and harm somebody,' said Brooke Jenkins, the district attorney of San Francisco, who has visited San Quentin regularly for years. Jenkins was the organizer of this unusual day that brought district attorneys from around the state inside of San Quentin to gain a better understanding of how the California Model works, and why even tough-on-crime district attorneys should support transforming our prisons. As California does an about-face away from a decade of progressive criminal justice advances with new crackdowns such as those promised by the recently passed Proposition 36 (which is expected to increase the state inmate population), it is also continuing to move ahead with the controversial plan to remake prison culture, both for inmates and guards, by centering on rehabilitation over punishment. Despite a tough economic year that is requiring the state to slash spending, Newsom has kept intact more than $200 million from the prior budget to revamp San Quentin so that its outdated facilities can support more than just locking up folks in cells. Some of that construction, already happening on the grounds, is expected to be completed next year. It will make San Quentin the most visible example of the California Model. But changes in how inmates and guards interact and what rehabilitation opportunities are available are already underway at prisons across the state. It is an overdue and profound transformation that has the potential to not only improve public safety and save money in the long run, but to fundamentally reshape what incarceration means across the country. Jenkins' push to help more prosecutors understand and value this metamorphosis might be crucial to helping the public support it as well — especially for those D.A.s whose constituents are just fine with a system that locks up men to suffer for their (often atrocious) crimes. Or even those Californians, such as many in San Francisco and Los Angeles, who are just fed up with the perception that California is soft on criminals. 'It's not about moderate or progressive, but I think all of us that are moderates have to admit that there are reforms that still need to happen,' Jenkins told me as we walked through the prison yard. She took office after the successful recall of her progressive predecessor, Chesa Boudin, and a rightward shift in San Francisco on crime policy. Still, she is vocal about the need for second chances. For her, prison reform is about more than the California Model, but a broader lens that includes the perspectives of incarcerated people, and their insights on what they need to make rehabilitation work. 'It really grounds you in your obligation to make sure that the culture in the [district attorney's] office is fair,' she said. For Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and defense lawyer who resoundingly ousted progressive George Gascón last year, rehabilitation makes sense. He likes to paraphrase a Fyodor Dostoevsky quote, 'The degree of civilization in a society is revealed by entering its prisons.' 'In my perfect world, the education system, the family system, the community, would have done all this work on the front end such that these people wouldn't have been in position to commit crimes in the first place,' he said. But when that fails, it's up to the criminal justice system to help people fix themselves. Despite being perceived as a tough-on-crime D.A. (he prefers 'fair on crime') he's so committed to that goal of rehabilitation that he is determined to push for a new Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles County — an expensive (billions) and unpopular idea that he says is long overdue but critical to public safety. 'Los Angeles County is absolutely failing because our prisons and jails are woefully inadequate,' he said. He's quick to add that rehabilitation isn't for everyone. Some just aren't ready for it. Some don't care. The inmates of San Quentin agree with him. They are often fiercely vocal about who gets transferred to the prison, knowing that its success relies on having incarcerated people who want to change — one rogue inmate at San Quentin could ruin it for all of them. 'It has to be a choice. You have to understand that for yourself,' Oscar Acosta told me. Now 32, he's a 'CDC baby,' as he puts it — referring to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — and has been behind bars since he was 18. He credits San Quentin with helping him accept responsibility for his crimes and see a path forward. When the California Model works, as the district attorneys saw, it's obvious what its value is. Men who once were nothing but dangerous have the option to live different lives, with different values. Even if they remain incarcerated. 'After having been considered the worst of the worst, today I am a new man,' Melendez told me. 'I hope (the district attorneys) were able to see real change in those who sat with them and be persuaded that rehabilitation over punishment is more fruitful and that justice seasoned with restoration is better for all.' Melendez and the other incarcerated men at San Quentin aspire for us to see them as more than their worst actions. And they take heart that even prosecutors like Jenkins and Hochman, who put them behind bars, sometimes with triple-digit sentences, do see that the past does not always determine the future, and that investing in their change is an investment in safer communities.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Blue state ‘prioritizing the criminals' with $239M taxpayer-funded prison project, prosecutor says
A prosecutor in California blasted the state's $239 million taxpayer-funded project to build a prison rehabilitation center in the Bay Area, arguing that it's another example of politicians putting criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens. Construction is ongoing at the San Quentin State Prison, where construction crews are building a Norway-style rehabilitation center with luxury amenities such as a grocery store, library, café, farmer's market and more. $360 million was initially allocated for the project, but the final cost to build the rehabilitation center is estimated to cost taxpayers around $239 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Building 38 at San Quentin State Prison was demolished to make room for the rehabilitation center. The state agency said the rehab center is part of the "California Model," which is a "holistic initiative that leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons." A construction plan for the project shows that the new San Quentin Rehabilitation Center will feature an education and vocational center, along with other amenities like a media center, library, grocery store, café and a learning center. An initial plan for the rehabilitation center states that the on-site farmer's market will ideally be run by local producers. Lawmakers In Deep Blue State Demand Audit Over Skyrocketing Healthcare Costs: 'Alarming Nature' The plan states that the concept for the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center "embodies a humane campus atmosphere" that promotes "growth and self-empowerment, while guaranteeing safety and security." Read On The Fox News App California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the project in May 2023 and said the new rehabilitation center will "make all of us safer." "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 said. Construction on the rehabilitation center is estimated to be completed by early 2026. Jonathan Hatami, a prosecutor in Los Angeles County, told Fox News Digital that he supports the effort to transition inmates into civilian life, but he said the project is too costly for taxpayers and that the money isn't being spent well. "The first problem I have, though, with this situation is the cost. In California, we can't fund our homeless programs. We can't fund Medi-Cal or Medicaid. We can't fund officers," Hatami said. "And so we can't fund so many programs that are important to people here in California." The Los Angeles prosecutor said this project sends a message to California residents. Kamala Harris Stays In The Game As The Former Vp Mulls Next Step: Washington Or Sacramento? "It appears that we're prioritizing the criminals over the rest of us," Hatami said. "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." Todd Javernick, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the San Francisco Chronicle, "The holistic initiative leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons." The San Quentin State Prison previously housed notorious criminals such as Charles Manson and Scott Peterson. As part of the plan to create the rehabilitation center, the prison was downgraded from maximum-security to minimum security. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for article source: Blue state 'prioritizing the criminals' with $239M taxpayer-funded prison project, prosecutor says
Fox News
14-04-2025
- Fox News
Blue state ‘prioritizing the criminals' with $239M taxpayer-funded prison project, prosecutor says
A prosecutor in California blasted the state's $239 million taxpayer-funded project to build a prison rehabilitation center in the Bay Area, arguing that it's another example of politicians putting criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens. Construction is ongoing at the San Quentin State Prison, where construction crews are building a Norway-style rehabilitation center with luxury amenities such as a grocery store, library, café, farmer's market and more. $360 million was initially allocated for the project, but the final cost to build the rehabilitation center is estimated to cost taxpayers around $239 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Building 38 at San Quentin State Prison was demolished to make room for the rehabilitation center. The state agency said the rehab center is part of the "California Model," which is a "holistic initiative that leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons." A construction plan for the project shows that the new San Quentin Rehabilitation Center will feature an education and vocational center, along with other amenities like a media center, library, grocery store, café and a learning center. An initial plan for the rehabilitation center states that the on-site farmer's market will ideally be run by local producers. The plan states that the concept for the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center "embodies a humane campus atmosphere" that promotes "growth and self-empowerment, while guaranteeing safety and security." California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the project in May 2023 and said the new rehabilitation center will "make all of us safer." "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 said. Construction on the rehabilitation center is estimated to be completed by early 2026. Jonathan Hatami, a prosecutor in Los Angeles County, told Fox News Digital that he supports the effort to transition inmates into civilian life, but he said the project is too costly for taxpayers and that the money isn't being spent well. "The first problem I have, though, with this situation is the cost. In California, we can't fund our homeless programs. We can't fund Medi-Cal or Medicaid. We can't fund officers," Hatami said. "And so we can't fund so many programs that are important to people here in California." The Los Angeles prosecutor said this project sends a message to California residents. "It appears that we're prioritizing the criminals over the rest of us," Hatami said. "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." Todd Javernick, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the San Francisco Chronicle, "The holistic initiative leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons." The San Quentin State Prison previously housed notorious criminals such as Charles Manson and Scott Peterson. As part of the plan to create the rehabilitation center, the prison was downgraded from maximum-security to minimum security. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for comment.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
San Quentin getting another transformation to further focus on rehabilitation
Shortly after he took office in 2018, Governor Gavin Newsom set out to change the state's penal system, beginning at San Quentin. He vowed to change the dark legacy of California's oldest prison, and now, the work has begun in earnest. It looks the same from the outside; its forbidding facade towers overhead like a medieval castle. But a lot of people don't realize that San Quentin isn't what it used to be. It's no longer a maximum-security prison, more like medium-security, and at the beginning of next year, the entire function of the place is going to change. "The goal really is to have it be the last stop before people go home," said Kevin McCracken, executive director of a vocational training group called Last Mile. "And so, if you've got about two years before you go home, San Quentin's going to be the place to be." It's called the "California Model," and the work has already begun. New buildings are being constructed with cells that will look more like small apartments rather than cages. It's being patterned after the prison system in Norway, and San Quentin will soon be the place for people approaching release from other prisons to get ready for the transition. The facility will feature a cafe and food trucks, all operated by inmates. It will have a farmers' market with produce from outside vendors, as well as the facility's gardening program. And there will be lots of vocational training, like the computer coding classes by Last Mile that began years ago in San Quentin and is now offered in institutions across the country. "So, it's really going to expand the ability for people who are incarcerated in San Quentin to have more access to education as well as they're going to have a very strong re-entry program," said McCracken. "They're partnering with some of the current re-entry programs that are in the facility, and others from outside." One of those could be CROP, an Oakland-based re-entry program that actually offers housing for those just getting out. The program supports the former inmates as they take their first step back into the world. They opened the brand-new three-story apartment complex in 2023, and in the past two years, they have a record that would be hard to improve upon. "We have a recidivism rate of 0 percent," said CROP Executive Director Terah Lawyer. "With almost 200 people going through our program, that is a huge win for the State of California." In the past, inmates were just thrown back into the community and many of them simply failed. "Their prison sentence continues well after they are released from prison," said Lawyer. "And this is not increasing our safety in our communities. It is not setting people up for success to stimulate our local economy. And it is not saving taxpayer dollars." It costs taxpayers about $160,000 per year for each person incarcerated, and Last Mile's McCracken said the people who will complain that California is coddling its criminals don't understand how much they are paying to keep them behind bars. "There's a lot of people that are naysayers about this, but the facts are the facts," said McCracken. "And I think if we stick to the numbers, and we look at the decrease in recidivism, the decrease in additional crime that happens when you truly work with people and rehabilitate them, the answer's really clear. You know, I don't think anyone can really argue the numbers." The new facility will hold around 2,400 inmates, about a thousand less than now, and will cost about $240 million to construct. But here's the most important number: 2026. In January of the new year, San Quentin will officially stop being a prison and become a rehabilitation center. And a new legacy will have begun for what was once the state's most notorious prison.
