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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The Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as originally written.

William Clark, aka Sacramento Billl, died in 1915 at Folsom State Prison, where he is buried.

Cemetery Tales: William Clark, alias Sacramento Bill

The third installment of the 2026 Cemetery Tales takes a closer look at William Clark, alias Sacramento Bill. He was...

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San Quentin prison cemetery, circa 1930s-40s, and an image of Miguel Bravo from 1925 when he was received for grand larceny out of Los Angeles County to serve a sentence of one to 10 years.

Cemetery Tales: Miguel Bravo meets end at SQ

The second installment of Cemetery Tales looks at Miguel Bravo, a 23-year-old who ended up in San Quentin in 1925....

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Augustine Berryessa mugshot from 1897 at Folsom State Prison and the prison cemetery with the Folsom Dam shown in the background.

Cemetery Tales: Meet Augustine Berryessa

Augustine Berryessa, a petty crook whose life story ended at Folsom State Prison in 1905, is the subject of the...

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Requests for CDCR history of two people on the left and a 1915 photo of Harry Houdini.

CDCR history requests come from families, writers, professors

Requests for CDCR history can come from a variety of sources. They range from family members tracking down a rumor...

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The Correctional Training Facility at Soledad with photos from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Explore 80 years of CTF‑Soledad’s history

Explore the history of the state’s fifth prison, the Correctional Training Facility (CTF) at Soledad. Activated in 1946, CTF was...

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Three historic photos from a 1990 Folsom State Prison calendar. At the top of the image are the words: Snapshots of life at Folsom State Prison.

1990: Folsom Prison prints calendar of historic photos

In 1989, Folsom State Prison’s vocational graphic arts class designed and printed a 1990 calendar packed with historic photos and...

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California Institution for Men at Chino Administration Building as seen in 1952 (University of Southern California photo).

California Institution for Men marks 85 years of public safety

In 2026, California Institution for Men (CIM) is celebrating 85 years of public safety. The Chino institution, the fourth state...

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A retired correctional officer discusses Folsom Prison History at the museum after it reopened Saturday, July 25, 2026.

History on display: Folsom Prison Big House Museum re‑opens

The Big House Museum at Folsom State Prison re-opened its doors to the public Saturday, July 25. The museum will...

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RA Lang, early parole officer who supervised youth, and an image of the Preston School of Industry in Ione, California.

History snapshot: Early parole officer urged youth diversion

In this installment of Unlocking History, we look more closely at early California state Parole Officer R.A. Lang. He originally...

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San Quentin Captain of the Yard Office of Samuel Randolph.

Remembering Samuel Randolph, SQ Captain of the Yard

Like many in CDCR’s history, some staff go above and beyond the call of duty with one example being San...

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