In a unique alliance, prisoners at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center and California district attorneys are championing legislation to reform California’s prison system by introducing a pilot program for single-occupancy cells.

Ken Oliver, who spent nearly 24 years incarcerated — eight of those in solitary confinement — turned that trying time alone, in a cell the size of a closet, into an opportunity for self-improvement. 

“I literally turned my cell into a law library and studied the law for four years,” Oliver recalled. “Had I had a cellmate, I would not have been able to do that.”

AB 1140, sponsored by Assemblymember Damon Connolly, whose district includes San Quentin, mandates the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to implement a pilot program for single-occupancy cells by January 1, 2027. If approved, the program will designate four adult prison facilities where at least 10% of the incarcerated population will be housed in single-occupancy cells.

The bill emphasizes the importance of restorative sleep and reduced stress in promoting rehabilitation. Studies cited in the legislation highlight that overcrowded conditions can lead to increased stress and health issues among inmates.

“It causes less stress,” Oliver says of single-occupancy living for those incarcerated. “That actually soothes me a little bit, calms me down, allows me to go to things in a different perspective. When I’m forced to navigate that with another person, I’m actually restricting a piece of myself, or repressing a piece of myself because there’s another human being in close proximity that if I don’t do that, may cause violence, may cause death, which has happened in multiple cases inside the Department of Corrections.”

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins leads regular symposiums with inmates, whom she calls residents, at San Quentin. She worked alongside those serving time to craft the legislation. 

“It is probably the most unimaginable partnership between a district attorney and inmates in a prison,” she told CBS News Bay Area. “They have an overwhelming desire for us as prosecutors to understand the road that got them here. They also want to give back so that other people, other kids, youth, young people, don’t end up in the same place.”

Vincent O’Bannon, who collaborated with Jenkins on the legislation during his 15-year tenure at San Quentin, emphasized the potential benefits of single-occupancy cells. 

“Just being alone takes a great weight off of you,” he stated. “When you can go to a cell and know you don’t have to share it with anyone else, and you can just walk in and relax. It makes a difference.”

As Oliver reflects on his past and the potential impact of AB 1140, he remains hopeful. 

“Never fun to go back into the dungeon,” he said, referring to his time in confinement. 

Yet, he believes that the system that once confined him is now taking steps to enhance public safety and rehabilitation both inside and outside prison walls.

The state Assembly is expected to vote on the legislation next Tuesday. If approved, it will go to a vote in the Senate.