CDCR History
Explore the stories of the people, places and programs shaping today’s CDCR. The Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as they were originally written.
Revisit this 1987 story originally published in Correction News. -- When Daniel J. McCarthy first became a correctional officer in...
Read More About 1987: Department publication highlights need for females in corrections
A mid-1990s report penned by San Quentin Associate Warden Dick Nelson looks closer at the inmate identification numbering system and...
Read More About By the numbers: History of the inmate numbering system
During the 1980s and '90s, California expanded the prison system. The original 12 prisons were supplemented with new facilities ranging...
San Quentin State Prison's early years were rife with escapes, attacks and scandal. In 1858, Governor John B. Weller, Lt....
Read More About 1858: San Quentin’s first ‘Rules for Convicts’ issued
In 1874, the Joint Commission of the Senate and Assembly reported on the condition of the State Prison at San...
Read More About School, library, rehabilitation highlighted in 1874 San Quentin report
A late 1870s report by the State Board of Health included a section on the conditions at San Quentin State...
Read More About Medical inspection shows 1878 San Quentin conditions
Created by the Graphic Arts Vocational Program at Folsom State Prison, a 1961 brochure gave visitors a glimpse at the...
Read More About 1961: Brochure highlights Folsom prison’s rehabilitation efforts
A 1923 souvenir program guide for San Quentin's annual New Year's celebration hearkens back to a time before modern films,...
Read More About 1923: Booklet offers glimpse into San Quentin New Year’s celebration
From food stores to work routines, the 1857 Appendix to the Assembly Journals included detailed descriptions of the inner workings...
Read More About 1857: State records shed light on early San Quentin
A 1956 report of the state prison library program emphasized education, rehabilitation and personal growth. The report was written by...
Read More About 1956: Prison library program is rehabilitation cornerstone