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The Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as originally written.
During a 1965 conference of Federated Women’s Clubs, the superintendent of the California Institution for Women discussed the history of...
Read More About 1965: History of women in California prisons
Only three years after California introduced the wild turkey to the state, a swindler found himself behind bars. (Editor’s note:...
Delinia Lewis, an associate warden at California Institution for Women, sent the following note in honor of Black History Month....
After two years of interviews and data collection regarding vocational training and reentry, the department issued the findings of their...
Read More About 1971: Vocational training study looks at reentry
In this month’s fifth installment of Cemetery Tales, we examine the stories of an estranged husband and a robber who...
Read More About Cemetery Tales: Estranged husband and a robber
Our fourth Cemetery Tales looks at farmer-turned-double-murderer George Biggs and Judah Benjamin, a self-proclaimed king. Both men ended up in...
Read More About Cemetery Tales: The farmer and a self‑appointed king
In our third installment of this year’s Cemetery Tales, we take a closer look at two men who died a...
Read More About Cemetery Tales: Strange, Noyer buried a century ago
Two cooks, incarcerated at different times and institutions, are the subjects of the second installment of this month’s Cemetery Tales....
In February 1975, the department launched a newspaper to keep employees informed about happenings statewide. This publication replaced Correctional News...
A swindling dentist and a deadly feud between neighbors are the first featured stories in this month’s Cemetery Tales series....
Read More About Cemetery Tales: Swindling dentist; Deadly feud