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The Unlocking History series uses extensive research culled from historical records while CDCR Time Capsule republishes historical documents as originally written.
Originally published in February 1985, this piece looks at the history of the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC), republished here as...
Read More About CRC History: From resort to hospital to prison
Juneteenth, the holiday marking when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free, came nearly two months after the Civil...
Caring for pets is one way to teach people how to be responsible while also offering companionship, whether inside or...
In this installment of Unlocking History, Inside CDCR takes a closer look at teachers and vocational instructors who made a...
In the 1920s, a teenage girl, a mother's murder, and jazz music made headlines when they converged in San Francisco....
A tale of confidence men, swindlers, and a clairvoyant crime ring are part of the historical fabric of San Quentin....
Read More About San Quentin and the case of the clairvoyant crime ring
Celebratory events marking Easter have long played a rehabilitative role in California prisons to help reentry efforts.
Read More About California prisons have long celebrated Easter
On June 4, 1973, Trella Robertson was hired as the first female correctional officer at Deuel Vocational Institution (DVI) in...
Read More About 1973: DVI’s first female officer reports for duty
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center was California's first institution to incarcerate those who've been convicted of breaking laws.
In honor of Black History Month, Inside CDCR looks at the career of California's first black parole administrator and prison...