In this Wednesday, May 20, 2009 picture, several hundred inmates crowd the gymnasium at San Quentin prison in San Quentin, Calif. San Quentin, with 5,300 inmates, is blessed by its proximity to San Francisco and the wealth of civic-minded residents who offer the prison their services for free. But it is also one hot piece of property. The fortress-like complex, built in 1852, occupies some of the most prized waterfront land in the country, in rich and beautiful Marin County. Every few years, someone proposes shutting down the prison and selling off the land at market rate. Most recently, it was Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, staring down a $15.4 billion budget gap for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that has ballooned to $24 billion after the resounding defeat of five ballot measures in a May 19 special election. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)