Writing on the wall: San Quentin incarcerated get the last word on barrier’s demolition day

A 400-FOOT-LONG CHUNK of a 20-foot-high wall inside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center was demolished recently to make way for a new rehabilitation building proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The more than 100-year-old wall, known as the South Wall, is a relic of history made of bricks laid by captive labor. Over the years, the red bricks have been covered in thick coats of beige paint. Correctional staff and the incarcerated population were allowed to vandalize the wall with graffiti before it was demolished.