San Quentin is an interesting place and if you go there and are going to be inside the walls for even one minute as a visitor they actually read you the riot act. Basically the riot act lets you know they do not negotiate. If there is a riot when you are in there you will most likely be coming out feet first. The people in SQ barely qualify as people, they are more like animals. Guards in the prison carry shotguns and shoot first when there are problems.
Locks and keys that leave the prison are not allowed to leave with prison markings on them. The lock I was given may have been one of the 4 in the gas chamber or may have just been one used on death row. You can see the S and a very little of the A next to it that wasn’t ground off before I was given it. The complete marking had been SAN Q. Keys were typically marked SQ or S.Q. The full name was never marked on a lock or key when in use at the prison.
I was also given a couple of cell door locks and a set of cuffs from there, still have the cuffs. You can still see the locks at my museum site. 
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BBE.
