Can California’s oldest prison become a Norway-style rehab center? Two former residents weigh in

Thanh Tran and James King, formerly incarcerated advocates, on life inside San Quentin and the governor's transformation plan

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.