San Quentin Is Not America’s Most Dangerous Prison: The Truth Behind A New Era Of Rehabilitation June 9, 2025 San Quentin has become a national model for rehabilitation, transformation, and second chances through programs like The Last Mile. Here’s how it happened. It’s Time to Change the Narrative on San Quentin A recent viral video titled “Surviving San Quentin: America’s Most Dangerous Prison” has drawn millions of viewers with its grim tales of executions, infamous inmates, and prison riots. This depiction, however, ignores the reality of what San Quentin has become. While the prison’s past was shaped by punishment and overcrowding, its present tells a different story—one of innovation, second chances, and cultural evolution. In reality, the transformation at San Quentin has been underway for a decade. Spearheaded by programs like The Last Mile, and supported by California’s state leadership, the facility has become a hub for rehabilitation and workforce development. Its residents, staff, volunteers, and alumni speak of a new kind of prison—one built on education, purpose, and preparation for reentry. “It’s the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center now, which in and of itself is a huge deal. The entire prison is a program facility that is built for rehabilitation. It’s now full of staff, volunteers, and residents who understand the transformative power of educational and rehabilitative programs.” Kevin McCracken, Executive Director at The Last Mile The Amazing Evolution Of San Quentin San Quentin was founded in 1852. For much of its history, it served as a symbol of the American penal system’s harshest instincts. It housed death row, operated gas executions, and became synonymous with hopelessness. However, California’s shifting priorities around sentencing reform and rehabilitation have laid the groundwork for systemic change. In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom established the San Quentin Transformation Advisory Council, charging it with developing a model that prioritizes public safety through personal development, healing, and restoration. Their report confirmed that San Quentin already had one of the most robust cultures of rehabilitation in the CDCR system, and recommended making it a statewide model. San Quentin Warden Chance Andes, a recent key figure in this change, has stated that the request to transfer into the facility is now higher than ever. “That’s how desirable the programming is,” he said. “It’s a whole ecosystem built around education and healing, not warehousing.” “I’ve been volunteering there for 10 years, and it’s a completely different place from the first time I visited. You can walk that yard without fear. People apply to transfer there because they want to be in that environment, and you can feel that in every classroom.” –Kevin McCracken, Executive Director at The Last Mile The Last Mile—From a Classroom to a National Movement Founded in 2010 by Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, The Last Mile began as a small entrepreneurial workshop. It has since evolved into one of the most respected in-prison coding and media training programs in the country. Its flagship operation at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center teaches residents to become full-stack developers, AV producers, digital storytellers, and versatile, career-ready employees. Michael Harris, co-founder of Death Row Records and a former resident at San Quentin, explains the San Quentin Transformation: “The Last Mile is about creating opportunity. It’s about changing the perception that people on the inside are throwaways.” On his return to San Quentin after time in Pelican Bay, Harris told TLM Radio, “It blew my mind how much the environment had changed… and a lot of it had to do with what The Last Mile accomplished.” McCracken noted that TLM’s San Quentin classroom is the largest in the nation. “We’ve got 65 seats in that classroom. It’s massive—and it’s only going to get bigger when we move into a larger space.” Each cohort is selected through a rigorous process and is taught by professionals using a real-world curriculum. “What we’re doing is proven,” McCracken said. “If you get an education beyond high school—trade, associate’s, bachelor’s degree—your chance of going back to prison drops dramatically. It’s that simple.” Data backs this up. A RAND Corporation study found that individuals who participated in correctional education programs were 43% less likely to return to prison. Additionally, the Prison Policy Initiative highlights that formerly incarcerated people who secure steady employment are significantly more likely to avoid reoffending, reinforcing how access to education and job readiness programs creates safer communities. The Numbers Behind The Last Mile Impact Fewer than 5% of alumni from The Last Mile have returned to prison, compared to California’s average of 45%. Moreover, 75% of TLM graduates find employment within six months of release. These results are directly tied to a commitment to quality, community, and transformation. Across all 16 facilities nationwide, over 1,400 incarcerated individuals have completed TLM programming. The San Quentin site remains the most in-demand. Alumni have secured competitive jobs at companies such as Zoom, Checkr, Slack, and Dropbox. This economic mobility not only reshapes individual lives—it strengthens communities and saves taxpayer dollars. Policymakers are taking note. CDCR is actively studying TLM as a scalable model, and nonprofit partners around the country are examining how to replicate its structure. As McCracken pointed out, this is a public safety solution backed by data. “The more we institute policies that encourage people to get an education inside prison, the safer our communities are going to be—and the higher our tax base is going to be. That’s not a red or blue issue. That’s just facts.” Kevin McCracken, Executive Director at The Last Mile Transformational Stories from San Quentin While metrics matter, it’s the human experience that illustrates the San Quentin transformation most vividly. Rafael Quevas, a graduate of several in-prison programs including The Last Mile and Guiding Rage Into Power (GRIP), shared a journey that reflects the heart of rehabilitation. “When we were in Quentin, I was doing a lot of facilitating for the groups. Coaching the basketball team turned into an extraordinary opportunity. I used to think I’d die in prison. Getting out and giving back—this is a blessing,” he said. This kind of mental shift happens every day in the classrooms of San Quentin. As Tony, a current TLM student, shared on The Last Mile Radio: “Being in this classroom changed how I see myself. I used to only think about how to survive the day. Now I’m thinking about building a career and helping my daughter build a future.” Henok, another TLM participant, echoed the same sentiment. “We walk into that room, and for two hours, we’re not inmates—we’re coders, we’re producers, we’re problem solvers. It gives us an identity that’s not based on our past. That does something to your spirit.” Infrastructure, Policy, and the California Model The Advisory Council’s vision for the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center transformation is based on four pillars: personalized reentry planning, a normalized prison environment, a cultural shift in staff training, and expanded educational and vocational opportunities. This evolution is visible even in the former “death row”, a centerpiece of the recent viral video. McCracken noted that San Quentin’s condemned row is now single-cell housing for honor residents. “It’s being turned into an honor dorm,” he said. “There’s no condemned row anymore. It’s a different world.” “San Quentin’s transformation is the product of strategic hope. Programs like TLM create what I call a new cultural imagination, where justice isn’t about cages anymore, it’s more about developing individual capacity.” –Kevin McCracken, Executive Director at The Last Mile Programs at the facility include GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power), Mt. Tamalpais College, K9 Companions, meditation-based trauma recovery, and Prison to Employment Connection, alongside The Last Mile. According to Lt. Berry, Public Information Officer at San Quentin, “When people have something to do—something that matters—they show up differently. And we treat each other differently. It’s changed things, big time”. From Learning Code to Building Community The Last Mile builds community leaders as well as professionals. Alumni often become mentors, advocates, and entrepreneurs. Some return to speak to students inside. Others help change policy on the outside. Since paroling, Alumni Rafael Cuevas now helps formerly incarcerated individuals during their reentry phase, coordinates healing circles with survivors of violent crime, and facilitates the GRIP program inside California prisons. “I go back inside all the time,” he said. “I just want to make sure the door stays open for others.” McCracken believes this ripple effect is just beginning. “We’ve got a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change how we think about justice. And it’s already happening at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center”. San Quentin Has Become A Place For Transformation San Quentin’s story is no longer one of notoriety. It is one of innovation, healing, and justice done differently. The sensationalism of videos like “Surviving San Quentin” may capture millions of views, but they miss the truth. As Michael Harris said, “The shift that The Last Mile creates—from being discarded to being treated with dignity—is what defines the San Quentin transformation. It’s not a fantasy. It’s happening right now.” “San Quentin isn’t even the most dangerous prison in Northern California,” McCracken added. “The narrative in that video is not just outdated—it’s harmful. We’ve got a working model for public safety and human dignity sitting right on the Bay”. By Robert Roche, VP of Marketing at The Last Mile. Want articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to The Last Mile Marker, a newsletter offering in-depth insights, critical updates, and inspiring stories on criminal justice reform and second chances.