History
Explore the stories of the people, places and programs that shaped today’s modern CDCR. Unlocking History uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as they were originally written.
Tiburcio Vasquez, an outlaw who plundered Central and Southern California for two decades, may owe his capture to a long...
From the days of the first prison ships, CDCR has adapted to incarcerate females sentenced to state prison. Originally housed...
San Quentin State Prison's early years were rife with escapes, attacks and scandal. In 1858, Governor John B. Weller, Lt....
Warden Clinton Duffy in 1942 raised eyebrows when he hired the first black correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison....
Long before California state prisons established Investigative Services Units or the Office of Correctional Safety, staff used the tools and...
When inmates were received at state prisons, physical characteristics were noted as well as the inmate's occupation. An 1887 report...
In 1874, the Joint Commission of the Senate and Assembly reported on the condition of the State Prison at San...
There was little difference in clothing worn by custody staff and inmates during the 1850s at San Quentin. Over the...
A late 1870s report by the State Board of Health included a section on the conditions at San Quentin State...
Chaplains have long served the state to provide spiritual and moral guidance to those in California prisons and jails. They’ve...