New San Quentin Death Row Delayed
MARIN CO. (KCBS) – California corrections officials are postponing a decision on which company should build the new death row at San Quentin, hoping to overcome local opposition to the project, and convince Governor Jerry Brown to move forward with the plan.
KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:
McCarthy Construction of Roseville submitted the low bid for the first phase, about $126 million, but the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has decided to extend the deadline until February 9th so that Brown can be fully briefed on why San Quentin needs a new death row.
Some, including Marin County Assemblyman Jared Huffman believes the prison does not.
"Necessity is the mother of invention. We're in an incredible crisis here in California, and perhaps that's an opportunity to rethink how we do some things, like housing condemned inmates," said Huffman.
Huffman has already met with administration officials, to make the case for canceling the project, which could house more than 1,100 condemned men in what Huffman calls a "Cadillac death row."
"There are other states who integrate some portion, or in the case of Missouri - all, of their condemned inmate population into other facilities," said Huffman. "You don't have to have a stand-alone death row housing unit."
The new execution chamber is already finished.
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