Sen. Denham and Sen. Nation: San Quentin Is Another Bay Bridge Debacle
Political Desk
August 25, 2005
Sacramento - State Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced) and Assemblyman Joe Nation (D-San Rafael) today announced they are amending AB 1672 which challenges the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) through an independent analysis, to examine the costs to expand death row at San Quentin State Prison, as well as possible alternatives, such as other facilities for death row prisoners.
"To spend more money on an outdated 150 year old prison is ludicrous. We cannot allow out of control spending to be wasted on this project when it is way over budget and will soon be beyond capacity," Denham said. "It's time for the Governor and Legislature to look for other alternatives to this mess. The time has come to deal with the sins of the past."
The Department of Finance (DOF) yesterday released a letter informing legislative leaders that DCR had cost overruns to the tune of $45 million on the proposed $220 million expansion; bringing the grand total to $265 million, a 20 percent cost overrun. Corrections' reaction to this overrun is downsizing the scope of the project from 1,024 cells to 768 cells, a 25 percent reduction in inmate housing infrastructure. The project will still, however, incur a $13 million cost overrun even with the proposed 25 percent reduction in cells. The new facility will now cost at least $233 million. The downsizing is a tacit acknowledgement by DCR that they expect cost overruns to exceed this 20 percent window and clearly want to avoid returning to the Legislature for additional scrutiny by its members.
"Here we are experiencing a 31 percent cost overrun before one shovel has been placed in the ground ," said Assemblyman Joe Nation (D-San Rafael). "San Quentin is quickly becoming another Bay Bridge boondoggle." "It is time CDC take ownership of this impending financial disaster and at the very least, look at costs and alternative sites instead of continuing to ignore the growing number problems surrounding the prison and the construction of the proposed death row."
Problems and Possible Solutions:
In March 2004 the state auditor released a report which chastised Corrections for failing to conduct a thorough study of the costs associated with the planned expansion of Death Row. Specifically, the report pointed to the limited analysis and comparison of other suitable locations besides San Quentin. The failure to examine other potential sites has called into question whether or not San Quentin is the most financially viable location for a new Death Row complex.
In April of this year Senator Denham introduced legislation (Senate Bill 901) for the state to come up with a plan to close San Quentin by 2010, sell off the land and use the money to build a new, safer and more fiscally responsible facility elsewhere in the state.
Also in April, DCR released their draft Environmental Impact Report which cited their inability to examine alternative locations for the new Death Row expansion because state law requires that all Death Row prisoners be housed at San Quentin. The response to their concern was AB 1715 (Nation) which would have allowed DCR options for housing Death Row inmates. The bill would have allowed flexibility to Corrections and allowed the Legislature an opportunity to thoroughly compare the costs, health care services, and other factors before continuing to invest scarce state dollars into a plan that lacks the necessary information to make a fiscally responsible decision. Unfortunately DCR opposed this measure.
In July 2005, the DCR health care system was placed into receivership by a federal judge. San Quentin was cited for its treatment of prisoners, the lack of minimal health care for inmates, and an aging and crumbling infrastructure that poses a serious public safety concern and a dangerous environment to guards and other prison employees. The decision led to the removal of the facility's warden.
Compounding the problem is the prison's recent riot, which left 42 inmates injured. It has been called the prison's worst riot in nearly 25 years and showcased the entire facility's inadequacies. The question now remains: Will it take inmate or even correctional officer deaths in order to gain the attention of Sacramento leaders to deal with this ridiculous problem?
AB 1672 is currently awaiting a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
"To spend more money on an outdated 150 year old prison is ludicrous. We cannot allow out of control spending to be wasted on this project when it is way over budget and will soon be beyond capacity," Denham said. "It's time for the Governor and Legislature to look for other alternatives to this mess. The time has come to deal with the sins of the past."
The Department of Finance (DOF) yesterday released a letter informing legislative leaders that DCR had cost overruns to the tune of $45 million on the proposed $220 million expansion; bringing the grand total to $265 million, a 20 percent cost overrun. Corrections' reaction to this overrun is downsizing the scope of the project from 1,024 cells to 768 cells, a 25 percent reduction in inmate housing infrastructure. The project will still, however, incur a $13 million cost overrun even with the proposed 25 percent reduction in cells. The new facility will now cost at least $233 million. The downsizing is a tacit acknowledgement by DCR that they expect cost overruns to exceed this 20 percent window and clearly want to avoid returning to the Legislature for additional scrutiny by its members.
"Here we are experiencing a 31 percent cost overrun before one shovel has been placed in the ground ," said Assemblyman Joe Nation (D-San Rafael). "San Quentin is quickly becoming another Bay Bridge boondoggle." "It is time CDC take ownership of this impending financial disaster and at the very least, look at costs and alternative sites instead of continuing to ignore the growing number problems surrounding the prison and the construction of the proposed death row."
Problems and Possible Solutions:
In March 2004 the state auditor released a report which chastised Corrections for failing to conduct a thorough study of the costs associated with the planned expansion of Death Row. Specifically, the report pointed to the limited analysis and comparison of other suitable locations besides San Quentin. The failure to examine other potential sites has called into question whether or not San Quentin is the most financially viable location for a new Death Row complex.
In April of this year Senator Denham introduced legislation (Senate Bill 901) for the state to come up with a plan to close San Quentin by 2010, sell off the land and use the money to build a new, safer and more fiscally responsible facility elsewhere in the state.
Also in April, DCR released their draft Environmental Impact Report which cited their inability to examine alternative locations for the new Death Row expansion because state law requires that all Death Row prisoners be housed at San Quentin. The response to their concern was AB 1715 (Nation) which would have allowed DCR options for housing Death Row inmates. The bill would have allowed flexibility to Corrections and allowed the Legislature an opportunity to thoroughly compare the costs, health care services, and other factors before continuing to invest scarce state dollars into a plan that lacks the necessary information to make a fiscally responsible decision. Unfortunately DCR opposed this measure.
In July 2005, the DCR health care system was placed into receivership by a federal judge. San Quentin was cited for its treatment of prisoners, the lack of minimal health care for inmates, and an aging and crumbling infrastructure that poses a serious public safety concern and a dangerous environment to guards and other prison employees. The decision led to the removal of the facility's warden.
Compounding the problem is the prison's recent riot, which left 42 inmates injured. It has been called the prison's worst riot in nearly 25 years and showcased the entire facility's inadequacies. The question now remains: Will it take inmate or even correctional officer deaths in order to gain the attention of Sacramento leaders to deal with this ridiculous problem?
AB 1672 is currently awaiting a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
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