Photo: Felix Uribe Jr.

Inside California’s oldest prison, a $380 million plan to ‘reimagine’ incarceration is sparking a mix of hope and fear. Governor Gavin Newsom's initiative aims to transform San Quentin prison, emphasizing education, rehabilitation, and prisoner re-entry. 

To do that, San Quentin is building on some of its existing programming, including a media center where incarcerated people produce award-winning podcasts, films, and the San Quentin newspaper. But on the minds of many is who will be left behind by the reforms and whether a system so deeply rooted in punishment can actually transform its culture.

The dust was still settling from the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action when, less than a week later, around 300 students of color at Western Illinois University got an unexpected email from the university: a $1,000 scholarship they’d been promised just months early would no longer be available.

WIU ultimately reversed the decision. But the move has equity advocates worried. Colleges are going over race-conscious practices with a fine-toothed comb, anticipating future legal challenges. And many fear they’re sacrificing values at the altar of prudence.

Photo: Lee Klafczynski

Since generative-artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT surfaced last November, they’ve caused a frenzy in college classrooms. Professors report that students are using ChatGPT to write essays or complete math homework. Many instructors are leveraging anti-plagiarism software or tweaking assignments to try to prevent cheating.

To computer scientists, however, the rise of AI is no different than the advent of the pocket calculator or the Google search engine: It’s a tool that, if used correctly, can help people learn faster and think on a deeper level.