About CDCR

Secretary Matthew Cate

Matthew Cate has served as Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since May 16, 2008.  He also serves as Chairman of both the Corrections Standards Authority and the Prison Industry Authority. In addition, in 2010, Mr. Cate was elected Regional President of the Association of State Correctional Administrators. 

Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Mr. Cate served for four years as the California Inspector General.  As Inspector General, Mr. Cate was responsible for public oversight of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.  Since 2007, he has also served on the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board and, in that capacity, is responsible for reporting to the state legislature on the progress made by the Department in fulfilling its obligation to provide effective rehabilitative programs to California’s inmates and parolees.

Prior to becoming California’s Inspector General, Mr. Cate served as a state and local prosecutor. From 1996 to 2004, he held the position of Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice. In that capacity, he supervised a team of trial and appellate prosecutors, managed a criminal trial caseload of political corruption matters, and provided counsel to county grand juries.  In 2003, while working on federal fraud and corruption matters, Mr. Cate was cross-designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. From 1994 to 1996, Mr. Cate was a Deputy District Attorney for Sacramento County, last serving in a special assignment prosecuting juvenile rape and murder cases. Prior to joining the public sector, Mr. Cate worked as a business litigation attorney with the law firm Downey, Brand, Seymour & Rohwer.  He has also held several positions as an instructor of legal and law enforcement-related topics, including standards training for peace officers.

Mr. Cate earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Oregon School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Linfield College, where he was a National Scholar Athlete. He is a member of the California State Bar.