Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Featured Prison- San Quentin


San Quentin is California's oldest prison dating back to July 1852. It lies just north of San Francisco and is surrounded by the San Francisco Bay. San Quentin is the only prison in California that houses death row inmate and puts them to death. Currently there are 669 inmates on death row. A few famous inmates are still being housed at San Quentin.

Mikhail Markhasev, convicted of killing Ennis Cosby, son of Bill Cosby
Vincent Brothers, convicted and sentenced to death in the shooting and stabbing of five family members
Jarvis Jay Masters, convicted and sentenced to death for participating in the murder of prison guard Hal Burchfield
Charles Ng, serial killer who tortured and murdered 11 people
Scott Peterson, convicted murderer of his wife Lacy and their unborn son, Conner

Some previous famous inmates:
Robert Alton Harris, first person executed in San Quentin's gas chamber
George Jackson, member of Black Panther Party, sentenced to death in 1971
Jang In-hwan, assassinated former American diplomat Durham Stevens
Charles Manson, leader of Manson family, transferred 
Sirhan Sirhan, assassin of Robert F. Kennedy, transferred
Stanley 'Tookie" Williams, leader of Crips gang, executed in 2005





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