Hey all

I was looking at a site with history on SQ and saw that it was first opened in 1852.

What are the conditions like in a prison that is so old?

Has it been upgraded much so that the inmates have decent living conditions or is it poor in comparison to other prisons nowadays?

Many thanks
Goober

The prison was indeed built in 1852 after the original prison ship that was anchored in the bay right next to it burned and sunk. Very few of the original 1800's structures exist anymore and the large concrete and steel cell blocks that house the majority of the population were constructed in the 1930's and 1940's, which pretty much brings them into a similar time frame with many other major prisons around the country.

However, the conditions do not appear to be good as this facility has been under constant court scrutiny through court intervention edicts that have forced them to change conditions. Even with that I hear conditions are still poor.

I believe this facility would have been replaced some time ago but because of the bleak fiscal situation in Calif. it has remained. They simply don't have the funding to construct a new facility. Eventually, somebody's light bulb will go on and they will realize they have actually thrown far too much good money after bad money for too long. They will realize they could have and should have simply bite the bullet and just constructed a new facility. I think you'll see it being phased out in a few more years as it seemingly is the most expensive facility to run in it's present condition and they will have no choice but to replace it.

As far as a comparison to other prisons, no incarceration anywhere against your will is pleasant. Some facilities are newer than others and therefore more modern in "appearance" only. But make no mistake about it, there are no "happy" prisoners anywhere. Even if the joint was built yesterday!

Yup! San Quentin is the oldest state prison here in California, San Francisco
developers want the prison torn down so they can put in a more attractive
setting, i.e. fancy housing tracts, another ferry, but our State is not willing
to just sell out to developers. San Quentin is a dirty disgusting prison. Although San quentin is very beautiful on the outside, reminds me of a small
colony, a post office, barber shop, etc...and housing for some of the Correctioanl Officer's families, imagine seeing children behind east gate riding
there bikes around in there, quite a site. As for the inside, it is made of steel
and cemet, it is so loud in there in the day time you can't hear yourself
think, however when it lights out at 10 pm and all the races have said there
good nights to their own you could hear a pin drop, it is dead silent. According
to my husband who served a short sentence there, West Block consists of
5 tiers of cells. He has seen and of course heard of some horrible acts that
neither of us on the outside would want to reflect back on. Once in his cell
on West Block, the windows on the block are long and skinny, up from the
gun walk, he said that the walls were grimpy and gross, although he was able
to see some sunshine and a ferry on the bay. Imagine what a treat that was
for him to actually see something from within his cell, where reception inmates
are in their cells 23 out of 24 hours per day. The Gym where my husband was
moved to after his Morriessy hearing, he described it as 500-600 men, all
crammed in there like a can of sardines. Not much area to walk in. Bunk beds'
wall to wall, inches from another rack. could you imagine that? many problems
with the different races. Somebody always starting some kind of chit with
someone else. Quite a few stabbings, injuries, but luckily while my hubby was
there no riots broke out in the Gym or other areas of the prison. Although when he was on West Block, they secured the prison to it's highest level of
security when they did a trial run for a upcoming execution that was suppose
to be carried out, but the man got a stay pending the outcome of more DNa
testing. Eric said that was a very uncomfortable feeling. Knowing that someone an inmate was soon to be put to death at the hands of our state. And as far as the state not having the funds to built another prison, bull, they
have completed most of a new prison in Delano California, so if the state says
they don't have the money to built one more, b.s. they did this one when Davis was still in office. And another thing, have you ever wondered if our
state is so broke, and the CCPOA and the Prisons are all screaming for more
more more money, how CDC can transfer inmates all over the freaking state,
yet there isn't any more money? Hmmm, that's a good, a damn good question.
Suzi

LOL! You just answered your own question! Since the public turned down new prison bond spending in both 1990 and again in 1996, Gov. Davis foolishly squandered $595 million dollars in adding on Delano II to an already brand new Delano I prison! They didn't need a second brand new prison there because they had just built a brand new one!

It's not "bull" that there wasn't money for SQ and other facilities. There "was" money. We simply had an idiot Governor who squandered it where it wasn't as badly needed!

Those funds should have gone towards reconstructing a new San Quentin which was far more in need of those funds! This fiscal blunder and many others like it is precisely why the people of Calif. removed and replaced Gov. Davis. So the answer to your "damn good" question is simple. There's no San Quentin money or needed money for any other deserving facility because the managers of this state blew it in areas that didn't need it half as bad as other areas!

Excuse me I did answer my own ?, didn't I? Well forgive me for that one, it must be
all the Chemo medications that they shot through my body weekly. LLLOOOLLL Now it
is a enjoyable situation to watch the CCPOA scream and through a fit over their wages
that Davis promised them. They shoud have worked harder to keep Davis as Governor.
Now look at the mess there in!! LOL. suzi

The developers wanted to build a prison to replace SQ as part of the deal to tear down the old......CDC should have done this LONG ago but didn't. The warden has a nice house to live in with a view of the city......the heck with the inmates. The only nice thing about SQ is the mess hall....the art in there is outstanding....an inmate did it. If they tear down the place they should save the walls....

I saw a documentary on SQ on the History channel. They run that documentary often and it featured the wall mural your talking about. Yes it is incredible! It was drawn by an inmate during the second world war. It features skylight scenes of the bay area. The trolly car scene alone is an incredible three dimensional masterpeace. Depending on where your standing and moving, the trolley car in the mural actually appears to be moving with you as you move! This was done by free hand by an inmate over 60 years ago way before 3-D was even popular or even widely known. The documentary said that if SQ were to be torn down or converted to an historical
landmark like Alcatraz (which is far more likely) that mural will in fact be preserved.

PS: That's ok "Eric's Homegirl", chemo indeed has all sorts of odd effects but you're doing fine. I'm afraid the guards salary really isn't in all that much jeapordy as Gov. Davis did far more than give them a "promise" of the pay. He gave them a pretty solid contract that will hold up under the collective bargaining process of the Ralph C. Dills Act of California along with the same contracts of the other 22 collective bargaining units that DPA certified. It's pretty much a done deal, although "Arnold" will continue to try and wrestle it away from them, I doubt very seriously if the courts will allow him to do so. However, that organization will not see another lucrative raise for probably close to a decade to come so they better invest their money wisely for the future! That's actually a good idea for us all as Bush has destroyed this economy for the near future for everyone but the ultra rich.

"We simply had an idiot Governor who squandered it where it wasn't as badly needed". Hmmmmm.

LOL! You just answered your own question! Since the public turned down new prison bond spending in both 1990 and again in 1996, Gov. Davis foolishly squandered $595 million dollars in adding on Delano II to an already brand new Delano I prison! They didn't need a second brand new prison there because they had just built a brand new one!

It's not "bull" that there wasn't money for SQ and other facilities. There "was" money. We simply had an idiot Governor who squandered it where it wasn't as badly needed!

Those funds should have gone towards reconstructing a new San Quentin which was far more in need of those funds! This fiscal blunder and many others like it is precisely why the people of Calif. removed and replaced Gov. Davis. So the answer to your "damn good" question is simple. There's no San Quentin money or needed money for any other deserving facility because the managers of this state blew it in areas that didn't need it half as bad as other areas!

SQ will never be torn down. It is a historical landmark and has all the protections this designation affords. As for the warden’s house, it’s not all that great, the plumbing sucks and the layout of the rooms leads a lot to be desired. It does have a heck of a green house and basement, but general services got involved and the rent is so high on the old place that the Warden doesn’t even live there. A great party house, but a louse place to live, but then again that is another story.



As far as the new Delano, its about 1 mile down the street from Delano-I and is a stand alone facility that is desperately needed right now. CDC is stuck. There are way to many inmates incarcerated and no place to house them. I was informed that CDC has 163K inmates and is at an all time high in population. So much for the new parole model and the much heralded bridging program. It is so bad that CDC will be forced to house more inmates in 3x bunks, dayrooms and add more inmates to the existing gyms.



If the State was thinking they would close SQ make it a park and sell off the un-used land. Did you know that SQ sits on 363 acres and only about 1/3 of that is actual used for the prison, the other 200 or so acres is all open land, and of course the old boot hill. You could balance the budget from the sell of un-used SQ land and still have money left over for cigars for Arnie.

Over the past couple of years the state has spent millions in renovating, retrofiting and making San Quentin earthquake proof. There was money they just refuse to build another prison because San Quentin is historical.


Excuse me I did answer my own ?, didn't I? Well forgive me for that one, it must be
all the Chemo medications that they shot through my body weekly. LLLOOOLLL Now it
is a enjoyable situation to watch the CCPOA scream and through a fit over their wages
that Davis promised them. They shoud have worked harder to keep Davis as Governor.
Now look at the mess there in!! LOL. suzi

Yes, the Warden does have a nice house to live on top of a hill with a beautiful view. Jeannie Woodford (old Warden) never lived on grounds but I am sure the new Warden will. The art work within the mess hall is beautiful. In fact, some would be surprized as to how many very good artists there are at San Quentin. If you stop by the gift shop on the way out of the institution you can see some of this art work. If you buy a certain portion goes to the inmate for his canteen. I am not sure what portion goes to the inmate but it does assist him with getting items they may need.


The developers wanted to build a prison to replace SQ as part of the deal to tear down the old......CDC should have done this LONG ago but didn't. The warden has a nice house to live in with a view of the city......the heck with the inmates. The only nice thing about SQ is the mess hall....the art in there is outstanding....an inmate did it. If they tear down the place they should save the walls....

Used to be the Inmate Welfare Fund keeps 25% of the sale price unless that's changed......