San Quentin prison now resembles a college campus

And taking classes from behind bars, that is the new reality at what was known as San Quentin State Prison. But as KTVU's Henry Lee explains, inmates are now taking education to heart in the hopes of bettering themselves in the form of a college degree. From the outside, what used to be called San Quentin State Prison in Marin County is familiar to many. Old buildings, a fortress-like compound. But there's been a transformation at what's now known as a rehabilitation center. It looks like a college campus. This is the new learning center where 34 inmates are now taking classes to get bachelor's degrees in liberal studies. KTVU first reported on this $239 million facility back in February when Governor Newsom paid the center a visit. It's really exciting, a lot of nervousness because it's the first BA program here. One of the students is Johnny Danang, who's serving 129 years to life in prison for fatally shooting two people and injuring others at a San Leandro bar back in 2006. Who is it that you want next door to you, right? What does public safety look like to you? Do you want someone who's been, you know, learning how to be the best criminal in here or someone who's more educated with more marketable skills? A building. A lot going on in A building. We got a tour of the Learning Center by Josh Henderson, principal of educational programs at San Quentin. The facility includes a library with open stacks for staff and inmates, podcasts and recording studios, and a newsroom. There's also plenty of classrooms, both inside and outside, with scenic views of the bay. A lot of them, it was the first time they'd seen the water, right? Or the first time in 20 or 30 years they've seen the water. So it was pretty emotional for a lot of residents the first time they got to come here. Warden Chance Andes once had a different mindset when it came to corrections facilities, all lock and key, but now it's more about unrestricted learning, The goal, to help inmates re-assimilate into society and get jobs if they're released. Hope provides safety. The more hope we give the incarcerated population, the safer it is here inside the walls for our staff and the population, but also for public safety. Inmate Jorge Lopez is serving 50 to life for a murder in Sacramento. I'm just truly blessed to be able to be in prison, incarcerated in San Quentin, and getting the privilege to be able to actually pursue a bachelor's degree. In terms of crimes or anything they've done in the past, that's irrelevant. You know, part of our responsibility is to set people up for life after prison and parole. Inmates are taking classes through Cal State L.A.'s Prison Graduation Initiative, led by Ben Roary, who says these students, even while behind bars, usually don't fail academically. We have never had that. We have never had that. These are the best students we've, like, really, I've ever seen in my life. I've been, you know, Cal State L.A. for over 20 years, 25 years, and these are the best students we have. This first class of 34 residents, as they're called, will graduate in May 2028. At San Quentin, Henry Lee, KTVU, Fox 2 News.