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Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as originally written.

Photo of prison across water with words "San Quentin" at the bottom.

Dec. 18, 1911: Officer describes prison life for new arrival

Former Correctional Officer William Conroy, who worked at San Quentin from 1903 to 1907, described life in prison for a...

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Actors in French Revolution costumes stand with the San Quentin Warden Hoyle.

1913: Sarah Bernhardt brings art to San Quentin

Famous artists, musicians and actors bringing their craft into state prisons can be traced back to the early 1900s. Today...

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Photos of stage, crowd of men in striped prison outfits and a newspaper clipping of the play in San Quentin.

1911 play ushers in ‘new era’ of rehabilitation

Art as rehabilitation dates to 1911, when the warden partnered with public organizations and local media to offer a play...

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Theodore Durrant booking photos and the church in San Francisco.

1897 film of convicted killer Durrant shapes prison policy

When Theodore Durrant was sentenced to death for murdering two women, a pioneering filmmaker requested permission to film inside the...

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Headline from a magazine reads 'How We Treat Our Prisoners at San Quentin.' At the top are photos of a new dining hall and new kitchen.

1914: San Quentin warden focuses on prison reforms

San Quentin Warden James Johnston published an article on San Quentin State Prison reforms on Oct. 31, 1914, in The...

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Ship called Mariposa from late 1800s.

Ships served California prison in early years

Early in CDCR's history, ships played a vital role in rehabilitation and transportation. Before automobiles or railroad expansion, let alone...

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Early California prisons were ships, seen across the bay.

Ships served as first prisons for fledgling state

At one time, the California prison system relied on ships for transport, supplies and the housing of the incarcerated population.

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Four photos of a man with mustache and thinning hair.

1870s stagecoach bandit Black Bart reforms, learns job skills

Many bandits of the Old West ended up hanging at the end of a rope but there were exceptions, such...

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Bus is transporting youth offenders to Preston.

State creates new agency for young offenders

Institutions for young offenders sparked the need for more oversight, resulting in the creation of the California Youth Authority, which...

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Drawing of Whittier State Reform School in Los Angeles.

Whittier, Preston reform schools open doors

With the closure of the two previous reform schools in San Francisco and Marysville, the state established two new schools...

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