by Brian Kaneda, CURB
Sacramento โ In a remarkable rebuke, both the California State Senate and Assembly have rejected Gov. Gavin Newsomโs $360.6 million capital outlay budget proposal for the expansion and reorganization of San Quentin State Prison.
Yesterdayโs decision comes after considerable advocacy from Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) and other criminal justice reform advocates who have led opposition to the proposal. Last week, the stateโs own non-partisan Legislative Analystโs Office delivered a withering analysis of Gov. Newsomโs San Quentin project, calling it โunnecessary and problematic.โ Lawmakers also bristled at the proposal, dubbing the prison spending plan โinsultingโ and โunrealistic.โ
โWe applaud the legislatureโs rejection of additional funds for the San Quentin project. Itโs a significant victory for the people of California and an affirmation that our state should reduce prison spending,โ said Amber-Rose Howard, Executive Director of CURB. โOur lawmakers have sent a clear message to Gov. Newsom that spending hundreds of millions of dollars to expand a prison is not in line with our stateโs values. We hope heโs listening.โ
Read CURBโs statement on โreimaginingโ San Quentin Prison here.
In March, CURB released a Prison Closure Roadmap which outlines a comprehensive strategy for the safe and timely closure of more prisons in California. Closing California prisons could save the state billions as it confronts an estimated $32 billion deficit.
The push to close prisons has gained momentum. Gov. Newsom pledged to close two prisons in the 2020-21 state budget, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced that a third state prison would close by 2025.
โTaxpayer resources would be better used towards policies and programs that prevent harm and address social issues head-on, rather than expanding prison infrastructure,โ Howard continued.
Newsomโs proposal, which was intended to โtransformโ San Quentin into a โcenter for innovation focused on education, rehabilitation, and breaking cycles of crime,โ has been widely criticized for its high cost and vague objectives. Critics, including people currently and formerly incarcerated at the prison, have expressed concerns about the viability and scalability of the project.
San Quentin has been locked down the past week, and currently incarcerated people accuse CDCR staff of escalating retaliation in response to the governorโs reform efforts. โThe culture of CDCR is defined by abuse and neglect, itโs endemic. Whatโs happening right now at San Quentin is more direct evidence as to why this is the wrong path for California,โ Howard said.
The Assembly approved $20 million from the General Fund for the San Quentin project, and the Senate approved some aspects of the plan as budget trailer language. Deliberations will continue until the final state budget is enacted this June.
CURB has urged Gov. Newsom to follow the Legislatureโs recommendations, reduce prison spending, and adopt a concrete plan to close more prisons that includes transformative investments in housing, reentry services and community-based care.
Brian Kaneda, deputy director of Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), can be reached at brian@curbprisonspending.org or 323-273-5000.
