California to close San Quentin prison death row

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who three years ago placed a moratorium on executions, now is moving to dismantle the United States' largest death row by moving all condemned inmates to other prisons within two years.

The goal is to turn the section at San Quentin State Prison into a "positive, healing environment. Corrections officials began a voluntary two-year pilot program in January 2020 that as of Friday had moved 116 of the state's 673 condemned male inmates to one of seven other prisons that have maximum security facilities and are surrounded by lethal electrified fences.  

By the end of last year, more than $49,000 in restitution had been collected under the pilot program.Newsom's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 seeks $1.5 million to find new uses for the vacant condemned housing.  Female condemned inmates are housed at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla.

The men can be moved to California Correctional Institution; California Medical Facility; California State Prison, Corcoran; Centinela State Prison; Kern Valley State Prison; Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility; or Salinas Valley State Prison.