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.
A piece of art came to Inside CDCR's attention. Originally believed to have been purchased at a San Francisco art...
Read More About Behind the Photo: SF Giants artwork from Folsom Prison
CDCR's photographic archive often leaves staff with more questions than answers. One such photo is that of First Lady Eleanor...
Correctional Officer Charles H. Jolly gave up his first career as a grocer after a devastating fire destroyed the Folsom...
Read More About Officer Jolly walked toughest beat for 33 years
Tiburcio Vasquez, an outlaw who plundered Central and Southern California for two decades, may owe his capture to a long...
Read More About Notorious bandit’s fate tied to failed Army camel corps
From the days of the first prison ships, CDCR has adapted to incarcerate females sentenced to state prison. Originally housed...
Read More About Photo Timeline: California Institution for Women
Warden Clinton Duffy in 1942 raised eyebrows when he hired the first black correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison....
Read More About Warden Pulley guided two prisons through tumultuous times
San Quentin State Prison is the oldest state correctional facility in California and Richard "Dick" Nelson has made it his...
Read More About Retired AW Nelson keeps prison history alive
Long before California state prisons established Investigative Services Units or the Office of Correctional Safety, staff used the tools and...
Read More About San Quentin undercover probe foils deadly 1891 plot
When inmates were received at state prisons, physical characteristics were noted as well as the inmate's occupation. An 1887 report...
Read More About Amalgamators, button makers and vaqueros: Jobs lost to time
There was little difference in clothing worn by custody staff and inmates during the 1850s at San Quentin. Over the...