Welcome to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Visitors
San Quentin State Prison (SQ)
Aerial view of San Quentin State Prison. CLICK to download a copy. Hit browser <back> arrow to return to this page.

Warden Ayers
Robert L. Ayers, Jr., Warden

Physical Address:
San Quentin, CA  94964
(415) 454-1460


San Quentin State Prison - Mission Statement

San Quentin is California's oldest and best known correctional institution.  The prison today includes a reception center for new commitments, a parole violator unit, general population units, and a minimum security work crew unit.  The state's only gas chamber and death row for all male condemned inmates are located at San Quentin.


Institution Statistics

San Quentin State Prison was opened in July 1852, and covers  432 acres.  As of Fiscal Year 2006/2007, the following statistics apply:

Number of custody staff:
1,033

Number of support services staff:
685

Total number of staff:
1,718

 
 

Annual operating budget:
$210 million

 
 





Designed Bedspace & Count
Facility Level
Design Capacity
Count

I
215
251

II
1,077
1,564

RC
1,436
2,788

Condemned
554
622

Total
3,317
5,222




Special Historical Notes

San Quentin was established in July 1852 at Point Quentin in Marin county as an answer to the rampant lawlessness in California at the time.  During its construction, inmates slept on the prison ship, the Waban, at night and labored to build the new prison during the day.  San Quentin housed both male and female inmates until 1933 when the women's prison at Tehachapi was built.



Inmate Programs
  • PIA:  Furniture manufacturing, mattress manufacturing
  • Vocational:  Dry cleaning, electrical, graphic arts and printing, landscaping, machine shop, plumbing, sheet metal
  • Academic: Adult Basic Education, High School/GED, Pre-Release, English as a Second Language, Literacy Program
  • Other:  Community Service Crews, Youth Diversion, Religious, Arts in Corrections, Victim Awareness, Drug Treatment/Diversion, Joint Venture, Computers for Schools, Eyeglass recycling, Bicycle repair

Visiting Hours and Directions

Non-Legal Visiting Schedule


Thursday
Visiting Staff Hours:  7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Five (5) Condemned Contact
7:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 12:00 p.m.

Three (3) Grade B
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Eight (8) Reception Center
8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Three (3) Grade B
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Eight (8) Reception Center
11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.




Friday
(Condemned and Reception Center)
Visiting Staff Hours:  10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Five (5) Condemned Contact
10:30 a.m.

Three (3) Grade B
10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m.

Eight (8) Reception Center
10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m.


General Population: H-Unit and North Block will be visiting
in the Main Visiting Room (no Ranch visiting).

Processing starts at 1:30 p.m. and stops at 2:30 p.m. for count. 
General population visiting hours are from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.



Saturday and Sunday
Visiting Staff Hours:  7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Three (3) A/C non-contact
 
8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
12:30 p.m.

Eleven (11) Reception Center,
non-contact
8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
12:30 p.m.

Five (5) Ad-Seg/Grade B,
non-contact
8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
12:30 p.m.

Five (5) Condemned (East Block)
 
 
7:30, a.m., 7:45 a.m., 8:00 a.m.,
9:45 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.,
12:15 p.m., 12:30 p.m.

Five (5) Condemned
(North Segregation)
8:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m.,
 10:45 a.m.

General population visiting hours
7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Ranch visiting hours
7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.




Attorney Visiting Schedule


Monday thru Wednesday

Five (5) non-contact
 
8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
12:30 p.m.

Eight (8) contact
 
8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
12:30 p.m.

One (1) Psych conference room
8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.




Thursday

Three (3) non-contact
 
8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
12:30 p.m.

One (1) Psych conference room
8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Six (6) Condemned contact
7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.




Friday

Three (3) non-contact
10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

One (1) Psych conference room
10:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Six (6) Condemned contact
10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.




For information on how to get to San Quentin State Prison, visit this link  to customize your driving directions.