A prosecutor in California blasted the state’s $239 million taxpayer-funded project to build a prison rehabilitation center in the Bay Area, arguing that it’s another example of politicians putting criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens.

Construction is ongoing at the San Quentin State Prison, where construction crews are building a Norway-style rehabilitation center with luxury amenities such as a grocery store, library, café, farmer’s market and more. $360 million was initially allocated for the project, but the final cost to build the rehabilitation center is estimated to cost taxpayers around $239 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Building 38 at San Quentin State Prison was demolished to make room for the rehabilitation center. The state agency said the rehab center is part of the “California Model,” which is a “holistic initiative that leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons.”

A construction plan for the project shows that the new San Quentin Rehabilitation Center will feature an education and vocational center, along with other amenities like a media center, library, grocery store, café and a learning center. An initial plan for the rehabilitation center states that the on-site farmer’s market will ideally be run by local producers.

Rendering of the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (CDCR)

A rendering of the completed San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (CDCR)

“It appears that we’re prioritizing the criminals over the rest of us,” Hatami said. “And that’s a big problem I have is the priorities of this state seem to be, most of the time, tilted towards the criminal instead of looking at the rest of California and saying there’s so many other things that we should be funding that we can.”

Todd Javernick, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the San Francisco Chronicle, “The holistic initiative leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons.”

Construction is ongoing to complete the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. (CDCR)

Crews work to clear the area where the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center is being built. (CDCR)

The San Quentin State Prison previously housed notorious criminals such as Charles Manson and Scott Peterson. As part of the plan to create the rehabilitation center, the prison was downgraded from maximum-security to minimum security.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for comment.