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The Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as they were originally written.
This is the story of the choices made by those wearing a badge and the stagecoach robbers fleeing the law....
Read More About Stagecoach bandits crossed paths with California prisons
Since the founding of the state prison system in the early 1850s, the incarcerated population have been allowed special concessions...
Read More About Prisons observed Thanksgiving with meals, sports
From food stores to work routines, the 1857 Appendix to the Assembly Journals included detailed descriptions of the inner workings...
Read More About 1857: 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
In 1911, a California aviator took to the skies for his own record-setting flight, including two flyovers of San Quentin...
Read More About San Quentin was foggy witness to historic 1911 flight
On October 10, 1890, a group of Lake County miners bent on revenge killed a woman and shot her husband....
Read More About 1890 Lake County Whitecap Murder case sends 4 to San Quentin
For the better part of the 1860s, headlines across the country focused on the manhunt for accused murderer William Wells....
Read More About Charitable man killed, three lawmen slain pursuing William Wells in 1860
After decades of working in law enforcement, Charles Aull returned to state service, first at San Quentin and then at...
Read More About Folsom Warden Aull was longtime lawman, part 2
Charles Aull went from a businessman to a lifelong career in law enforcement. This is a two-part story of one...
Read More About Charles Aull hunts down stage robbers, part 1
In 1911, arts as a rehabilitative tool was introduced for the first time at San Quentin State Prison. One widely...
Read More About Take a closer look at 3 SQ inmates and their stories