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The Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as they were originally written.
Inmates currently training as firefighters at Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) can trace the program’s roots to 1915 and the state’s...
Read More About Highway camps paved way for Sierra Conservation Center
Training incarcerated men in aircraft engine repair at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI) can trace the program’s history to World War...
Surrounded by pastures, nestled just outside the small northern California town of Galt, sits the Richard A. McGee Correctional Training...
Read More About Correctional Training Center was once a Catholic seminary
On a recent warm summer day, employees at Sierra Conservation Center gathered to crack open a time capsule that had...
Read More About SCC time capsule links past, present and future
Explore the history of Correctional Training Facility (CTF) at Soledad. Built in 1946 to ease overcrowding at San Quentin State...
California Institution for Men (CIM) was created in 1941, becoming the fourth state facility to house inmates. CIM was designed...
Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp was established in 1945 but the original camp began a decade earlier as part of...
Thousands of women fill the ranks of CDCR custody staff at every level, from officers to wardens and executive leadership. CDCR...
The first female correctional officers fulfilled their mission, overcoming challenges from politicians, prison leaders, and incarcerated.
Read More About First female Correctional Officers opened doors
San Quentin State Prison is well known today but during its early days, the prison was known by a different...
Read More About San Quentin wasn’t always known by current name