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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Sam Levin in Los Angeles

Can California’s most notorious prison become a rehab center? Ex-residents weigh in

Gavin Newsom speaks at San Quentin on 17 March about the plan to transform the prison into a rehabilitation-centered facility.
Gavin Newsom speaks at San Quentin on 17 March about the plan to transform the prison into a rehabilitation-centered facility. Photograph: Juliana Yamada/AP

Thanh Tran walked out of California’s San Quentin state prison on 11 May 2022 after 10 years behind bars. One month later, he hopped on a plane and flew 5,000 miles away – to Oslo, Norway.

While in prison, Tran co-founded and co-hosted a podcast called Uncuffed, and in one of his first segments recorded as a free person, he toured the facilities of Norway, known for having significantly better conditions and less restrictive policies than seen in the US prison system. He immediately noticed the bright colors, guards playing games with residents, lack of prison uniforms and the huge spaces for rehabilitative programs.

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