Unlocking History
Using extensive research culled from historical records, Inside CDCR explores the rich history of the people, places and programs that helped shape the modern state correctional system.
Joseph Wess Moore was a 15-year-old farm boy who joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War. Decades...
Read More About Incarcerated Civil War veteran helps others earn parole
In 1913, Woodrow Wilson became the 28th President of the United States and the Ford Motor Company instituted the world’s...
Read More About San Quentin doctor pushes prison medicine into 20th century
Arts have long played a major role in rehabilitation efforts of California's incarcerated population and music is no exception. A...
Read More About Take a closer look at Preston’s Mother Lode Band
An anonymous letter from someone incarcerated at San Quentin led to performances from a band and world-famous escape artist Harry...
A deadly influenza pandemic swept across the globe a century ago, claiming more lives than all those lost in World...
Today's CDCR has numerous women working in all areas including wardens, correctional officers, parole agents and other leadership roles. While...
Read More About First female correctional officers faced resistance
Since Sarah Bernhardt and Harry Houdini performed in prison in the early 1900s, artists have been helping rehabilitate the incarcerated...
Read More About Artists have long helped rehabilitate incarcerated
The seeds of rehabilitation were planted early thanks to Walter Colton, a Navy chaplain appointed Monterey Alcalde in 1846.
Read More About Navy chaplain Walter Colton shaped early prison system
Former Youth and Adult Correctional Agency (YACA) Secretary Robert Presley passed away Sept. 22, 2018, at age 93. He was...
Read More About Former YACA Secretary Robert Presley passes at 93
The legend of Gold Rush era bandit Rattlesnake Dick, aka Richard Barter, is full of speculation and guesswork. If he...
Read More About Rattlesnake Dick highlighted need for classification