Behind Bars: A Look at California's Most Infamous Prisons
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Place Description
Despite its position as the most liberal state, California currently houses more than 100,000 prisoners, making it the state with the second-highest prison population in the United States. The two most infamous prisons in the state Alcatraz and San Quentin have an extensive history of brutality and dehumanization of their prisoners, resorting to unusual and cruel punishment of its inmates. These prisons seek to move on from their histories of punitive justice and aim to provide rehabilitation for their inmates. Despite Alcatraz’s history, Alcatraz focuses on mass incarceration and the brutality of solitary confinement in prisons. San Quentin Prison, recently renamed to the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center by Governor Newsom, has aimed to undo its oppressive past and work on reforming conventional methods of incarceration.
Publication Year
2024
Disciplines
Public History | United States History
Faculty Mentor
Aaron Richardson, MA, MLIS