From recruitment to community involvement, CDCR and CCHCS continued to fulfill their missions of public safety and rehabilitation while also delivering quality health care in 2022.
CDCR Secretary Allison retires, Macomber is new Secretary
Secretary Kathleen Allison, after three decades with the department, retired in December. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Jeffrey Macomber as her replacement. He was sworn in as Secretary on Dec. 28.
CDCR, CCHCS honors employees
The department honored those who went above and beyond during the 2022 Medal of Valor Ceremony in September.
Sgt. Villarreal was recognized with a Gold Medal by the State of California.
Recruiters and hiring events
CDCR and CCHCS stepped up recruitment efforts across the state, helping fill custody and support vacancies.
Fairs provided opportunities to interact with the public while answering questions about jobs in the department. Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison recruiters attended the September Tulare and Kings counties job fairs.
Staff could also be found at the California State Fair as well as community events such as National Night Out, county fairs, street carnivals and college career days.
Learn more about job opportunities at CDCR.
Honor Guards, staff pay tribute through patriotism
CDCR Honor Guards and other staff marched in parades, paid their respects to fallen staff, and remembered those lost during Memorial Day and Sept. 11 tributes. Staff also honored the service members past and present during Veterans Day.
Staff get into holiday spirit
From charitable donations to gift distribution, staff got into the holiday spirit. Some even chose to put on the iconic red suit to visit schools or participate in holiday community activities.
These stories are examples of the department’s commitment to being community involved.
See how staff got involved:
- SAC, SCC, CTF, CIW, PVSP help those in need
- Volunteers help schools, charities for holidays
- Prison‑refurbished bikes brighten holidays
- Salinas Valley prison sergeant helps others
- Solano’s Santa sergeant raises morale
- Santa is lifetime in making for Scott Cupp
- Through Santa, Inside CDCR editor honors friend’s memory
- Being Santa is tradition for DJ Cunning
Exploring the department’s rich history
Inside CDCR took on new story ideas in 2022, including helping longtime San Quentin Museum volunteer Jeff Craemer tell the stories of those buried in prison cemeteries.
(Read the first of the series, Tales from the Cemetery.)
The most-read history story in 2022 was a 1990s report by the late Dick Nelson re-published in 2020.
Read the story: By the numbers: History of the inmate numbering system.
Unfortunately, Nelson passed away in 2021.
Another popular story focuses on San Quentin Deputy Warden Amos Lunt.
Podcasts and academy graduations
The Correctional Training Center stories have continued to prove popular with staff. Academy graduations consistently rank among the highest viewed stories on Inside CDCR.
In fact, the top story for 2022 is a graduation.
The department also launched the CDCR Unlocked podcast.
One of the more popular episodes deals with the academy and recruitment.
See more community involvement stories.