San Quentin State Prison (SQ)

Warden:  Jeanne Woodford
Mailing Address: San Quentin, CA 94964
Phone Number:  (415) 454-1460

Institution Profile

San Quentin State Prison (SQ)

Date Opened: 1852   Designed Bedspace & Count
Number of Acres: 432  

Facility
Level:

Design
Capacity:


Count:

Number of Custody Staff: 915		  


I


250


250

Number of Support Services Staff: 633		  


II


1,077


1,857

Total Number of Staff: 1,548		    


100


154

Annual Operating Budget: $120 million		  


RC


1,436


3,300

Fiscal Year: 1999-2000		  

  
Condemned

  
554


560
         
   

Total:

3,417

6,121

INMATE PROGRAMS

PIA: Furniture manufacturing, mattress manufacturing.
VOCATIONAL: Dry cleaning, electrical, graphic arts & printing, landscaping, machine shop, plumbing, sheet metal.
  ACADEMIC:   OTHER:
Adult Basic Education Community Service Crews
High School/GED Youth Diversion
Pre-Release Religious
English as a Second Language Arts in Corrections
Literacy Program Victim Awareness
    Drug Treatment/Diversion
    Joint Venture
    Computers for Schools
    Other:
    Eyeglass recycling
    Bicycle repair

INSTITUTION MISSION SUMMARY

San Quentin is California's oldest and best known correctional institution. The prison today includes a reception center for new commitments, a parole violator unit, general population units, and a minimum security work crew unit. The state's only gas chamber and death row for all male condemned inmates are located at San Quentin.

SPECIAL HISTORICAL NOTES

San Quentin was established in July 1852 at Point Quentin in Marin county as an answer to the rampant lawlessness in California at that time. During its construction, inmates slept on the prison ship, the Waban, at night and labored to build the new prison during the day. San Quentin housed both male and female inmates until 1933 when the women's prison at Tehachapi was built.

Last Revised: December 2000