Unlocking History
Explore the history of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
For the better part of the 1860s, headlines across the country focused on the manhunt for accused murderer William Wells....
After decades of working in law enforcement, Charles Aull returned to state service, first at San Quentin and then at...
Charles Aull went from a businessman to a lifelong career in law enforcement. This is a two-part story of one...
In 1911, arts as a rehabilitative tool was introduced for the first time at San Quentin State Prison. One widely...
Hazel Belford-Glab found herself the center of attention but not in the way she hoped. Her motion picture career had...
Hazel Belford was a young actress trying to make her mark in silent pictures. She won beauty contests, had a...
This is the story James G. Fleenor, a seemingly prosperous Los Angeles businessman who was instead a career criminal.
Glimpses into everyday settler life can be gleaned from many sources, including a dusty 1855 report on the state prison.
Often the only information available on CDCR's pioneering penologists come from obituary notices. Republishing some of those notices is part...
When Gen. James Estell ran San Quentin prison under a contract, he sought tough-as-nails gritty staff with proven records of...