Reforming or Rebranding? The California Model of Incarceration

• In Event: Critical Perspectives on Justice Policy

Abstract

This paper examines the ongoing plans and proposals surrounding the reconstruction of San Quentin State Prison into the "San Quentin Rehabilitation Center". This new center was first proposed in 2023 by California Governor Gavin Newsom as a total transformation based upon Norwegian carceral models. A historical analysis of California’s first prison examines the evolving roles of the institution alongside the country’s historical context, and how its evolving narratives shape current reform proposals. Particular focus resides in assessing the potential harms the program will face as a result of the direct comparisons being made between San Quentin State Prison and other Norwegian institutions like Halden prison. Direct comparisons are made between Norway and the United States to showcase the dissimilitude between the ethnic makeup, racial history, public welfare investments, and incarceration and recidivism rates of the two states. These key distinctions between the ideals of nations are critical in considerations for the future of San Quentin because of the likelihood that future incarceration models within the United States will follow suit simply due to the fact that it elevates the public image of prisons. This reformation could cause more harm, and may simply be rebranding instead of changing.

Author

• Hayle Hope Prochnow, California State University, Long Beach