CDCR History

CDCR California prison history explores the stories of the people, places and programs that shaped the current state penal system. Within the CDCR History category, there are two sub-categories. The Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as originally written.

Ah Sing, 15804, at San Quentin in late 1890s.

A request from longtime San Quentin Museum volunteer Jeff Craemer had us digging into the stories of two men from...

Classroom in Folsom State Prison in the 1920s.

Burton Wilcox began his career with Folsom State Prison as a guard in the 1930s, before becoming a teacher. For...

The chapel and school room at San Quentin in 1910 along with a photo of WH Lloyd, chaplain at the prison.

In 1905, WH Lloyd was tapped to replace an ailing minister at a church in Folsom and act as chaplain...

Two 1910 mugshots of Ah Sun, 24410, and his grave marker at San Quentin. Ah Sun died in the prison hospital in 1915.

A photo of a grave marker in a local newsletter led San Quentin (SQ) Museum volunteer Jeff Craemer to ask...

Early female prison staff supervised women at San Quentin, like in this early courtyard image.

With 15 women incarcerated at San Quentin in the mid-1880s, the state decided to create a matron position to oversee...

Roosevelt 'Ted' Clopton, correctional officer and parole agent from 1960-1973, then an administration of justice instructor at Sacramento City College. He was also a veteran of World War II and Korea.

For military veteran Roosevelt “Ted” Clopton, being a lifelong student guided his choices from joining the Army to becoming a...

San Quentin stables with Rivera Smith, captain of the guard, overlaying the 1910 image.

Rivera Smith was the longest serving staff member at San Quentin (SQ) when he passed away in 1950, serving nearly...

Torn document with missing information led to the story of Grace Bernice Day, who was sent to San Quentin after splashing acid in the face of her husband. In the background is an early photo of San Quentin, courtesy of the Anne T. Kent California Room of the Marin Public Library.

While researching stories for the Unlocking History series, we often find damaged documents, missing photos, or incomplete information. One example...

Counterfeiters Emile Bruder and Clement Duchesne were sent to San Quentin in 1903 to serve a five-year federal prison sentence.

A recent question came across the Inside CDCR desk regarding a counterfeiter who was incarcerated at San Quentin in 1903....

Cemetery Tales, with Folsom prison cemetery and Folsom Dam in the background overlaid with a mugshot of Harry Stewart, 15561.

In our final Cemetery Tales of the season, we look more closely at Harry Stewart, early 1900s embezzler, thief, and...

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CDCR History

Explore photos, stories of two men from 1890s

Look back at Folsom Prison teacher Burton Wilcox

Chaplain Lloyd educated public on rehabilitation

Go behind SQ grave marker of Ah Sun

Meet the first matrons of San Quentin

Roosevelt Clopton served state as officer, agent

SQ Captain Rivera Smith served nearly 4 decades

Echoes from the Past: Restoring history’s missing pages

Family seeks information on 1903 counterfeiter

Cemetery Tales: Harry Stewart, Fresno embezzler