San Quentin project’s $360 million price tag should be slashed, governor’s advisory group says

By TRÂN NGUYỄN
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — An advisory council says California Gov. Gavin Newsom should slash by at least a third the cost of his $360 million plan to build a campus with classrooms in the notorious San Quentin State Prison. In a report released Friday, the group says the saved money should go to other projects to improve overall living conditions for inmates and prison staff. Newsom formed the advisory council last May as part of his plan to transform San Quentin. Among the report’s three dozen recommendations are reducing the population at San Quentin and encouraging day-to-day, professional interactions between prison staff and inmates. Advocates say the recommendation to cut costs is a step in the right direction.