WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: CDCR and Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today the completion of the innovative educational complex – the San Quentin Learning Center. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to showcase the 80,000-square-foot project nestled above the lower yard at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQRC). Gov. Newsom, who championed the effort, thanked CDCR leadership, SQRC Warden Chance Andes, the San Quentin Advisory Committee, and others who helped the project complete on time, and on budget. The complex nearly triples classroom space, provides new rehabilitative areas, and includes a one-stop reentry program. Full operations will begin in spring 2026.
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“Three years ago, I stood here and promised to turn this symbol of the old system into the crown jewel of a new one. Today, with the opening of this Learning Center, we are proving that rehabilitation and public safety go hand in hand — and that hope is a powerful tool for safer communities.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom
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BIGGER PICTURE: The Learning Center is San Quentin’s centerpiece project as the institution moves to transform into a rehabilitation center. The Learning Center is designed to improve the lives of and working conditions for employees and incarcerated people, supporting the creation of a more effective justice system that builds safer communities. The project, sustainable and aiming for LEED Silver certification, was guided by involvement from staff, security, operations, and residents, working together to develop a solution that meets the unique needs of each group.
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“This historic initiative is aimed at making communities safer by creating change, using data-backed, proven measures to break cycles of crime for the incarcerated population, while improving workplace conditions for institution staff.”
CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber
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SAN QUENTIN LEARNING CENTER DETAILS: The Learning Center is an inviting, adaptable, campus-like space that encourages rehabilitation. Central to the campus’s identity are principles of openness and integration with nature. Buildings are placed to optimize views and encourage positive interactions between staff and incarcerated people – a concept known as Dynamic Security. The project builds on important concepts for culture change, including Normalization. The more life in prison resembles life in the community, the easier it will be for people to transition and adjust to life in the community upon release.
- The Learning Center provides resources for all educational needs, expanding access to adult basic education, high school/GED preparation, vocational training, and college courses. In the new library, instead of books being kept behind a counter, incarcerated people will be able to browse through stacks themselves for a more normative library experience.
- CDCR has included dedicated space offering a full range of reentry services including consultations with community-based providers and connections to employment opportunities that match incarcerated persons’ educational goals and career training. The innovative way technology and resources will be used will better prepare the population for reentry into our communities
- The new campus expands the already one-of-a-kind media center, with spaces that replicate real-world A/V working situations. The new, multi-level space, with donated state-of-the-art equipment, provides additional space to enable the population to obtain employable skills through training in journalism, video production, and other media as they prepare for re-entry.
- The center’s on-site café is part of a unique joint venture program with a locally owned, community-focused coffee shop, operated by CALCTRA as a cooperative effort of private industry and the state of California benefiting businesses, victims, and the state while preparing incarcerated individuals for successful reintegration into the community.
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San Quentin Learning Center photos
San Quentin Learning Center b-roll
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