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

An advisory council hand-picked by California Gov. Gavin Newsom recommended Friday that the governor slash by at least a third the cost of a $360 million project to remake the San Quentin State Prison, and use the saved money to improve living conditions at the facility. The Democratic governor last year announced plans to transform San Quentin, where the state performed executions, into a model for preparing people for life on the outside — a shift from the state’s decadeslong focus on punishment. The 21-member advisory council, headed by Newsom political ally and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, said at least $120 million of the project's $360 million budget should pay for housing improvements for inmates and officers, renovations to the family visitation center and the creation of spaces that replicate life outside prison, such as a town square, grocery store and coffee shop.