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 Early 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 School’s Mother Lode Band

An anonymous letter from a San Quentin inmate to a newspaper reporter led to the prison performances of a band...
Read More About Incarcerated person’s letter draws Houdini to San Quentin in 1915

A deadly influenza pandemic swept across the globe a century ago, claiming more lives than all those lost in World...
Read More About 1918 flu pandemic puts prison medical staff to test

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

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

In the mid-1850s, San Quentin hadn’t enacted a classification system to keep younger first-time offenders away from hardened criminals. Early...
Read More About Rattlesnake Dick’s fate highlighted need for classification system

Famous artists, musicians and actors bringing their craft into state prisons can be traced back to the early 1900s. Today...
Read More About World‑famous actress continues rehabilitative effort in 1913

The notion of arts in a correctional setting has roots dating back to 1911, when the warden worked with public...
Read More About 1911 play ushers in ‘new era’ of rehabilitation