CDCR Unlocked

In this episode of the CDCR Unlocked podcast, Sergeant Corey Ringer takes a trip back to the institution where his CDCR career started, High Desert State Prison. There, Ringer talks to Business Manager I Joseph Shelton and Correctional Officers Audrina Wannamaker and Patrick Parrish about their jobs, the camaraderie found working in an institution, and what it’s like living in the Susanville area....

Where some would see thousands of square feet of gray prison walls, a group of artists at Salinas Valley State Prison saw blank canvases. With the support of staff and enthusiasm to change their environment, incarcerated artists joined forces to create colorful, beautiful, and meaningful murals throughout the institution. Those supporters include Associate Warden Veronica Lomeli, a lifelong art en...

The Mountain Oaks Adult Education Center has earned distinction, standing out as an innovator committed to excellence in correctional education. Mountain Oaks operates inside California Medical Facility (CMF), serving students of all academic and physical abilities. This is the third CDCR Distinguished School, following the Robert E. Burton Adult School at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in 2019...

CDCR is empowering employees to not only do the right thing, but to influence others to also do the right thing. The department has partnered with Heroes, an organization that provides Active Bystandership training for corrections, fire and rescue, and health care departments. This training teaches employees when and how to effectively intervene in several situations, from deescalating tense situa...

A collaboration unlike any other is transforming Valley State Prison (VSP) in all the right ways. The Youthful Offender Program, or YOP, tailors rehabilitation to the unique needs of younger incarcerated people, with more experienced incarcerated people serving as peer mentors to guide them along their way. Staff receive specialized training in working with this population, and become as mentors a...

CDCR Unlocked takes the “unlocked” theme one step further with this episode, a conversation with Unlocking History creator Don Chaddock. Chaddock is the editor of Inside CDCR, CDCR’s public-facing news site. Chaddock joined CDCR after a career in journalism, and that combined with his love of history made CDCR a perfect fit. When he’s not covering the many accomplishments of employees and incarcer...

In the latest episode of CDCR Unlocked, representatives from CDCR’s Office of Employee Wellness sit down with Brian Hinton of Savings Plus to talk retirement. Savings Plus is the voluntary retirement program for state employee that allows them to supplement retirement benefits through tax-deferred and Roth payroll contributions. Hinton, Sgt. Corey Ringer, Kathryn Jue and Mai HerHolloway discuss th...

The opportunities for rehabilitation in California state prisons don’t end with CDCR-staffed programs. Community-based organizations have run programs in CDCR prisons for decades, generally as volunteers or with private financial support. Years ago, the Division of Rehabilitative Programs (DRP) recognized the potential for community-based programs to make an even bigger impact by expanding their o...

This week, the CDCR Unlocked Podcast sits down with Jill Johnston, Chief of Case Records Services for CDCR, and Chelsi Hardcastle, a Case Records Supervisor at High Desert State Prison. Case Records Services is responsible for ensuring the appropriate application of criminal sentences, including determining applicable credits; ensuring accurate release dates, and maintaining records for each and e...

In this week’s episode, Sergeant Corey Ringer heads to San Quentin State Prison (SQ) to meet up with three CDCR employees to hear what a day in their shoes looks like working at California’s oldest prison. From its rich history to the camaraderie among staff, SQ offers an environment where you can grow and learn new skills every day being part of a team. Staff events and activities are hosted to s...

As CDCR continues to implement and educate employees about the Human Resources Technology Success (HRTS) program, two key members of the project team stopped by CDCR Unlocked to share how the effort is going. Danyal Noel, Deputy Director, Human Resources, and Julie Baxter, Staff Services Manager III for Enterprise Information Services (EIS), share how HRTS is helping CDCR streamline its recruitmen...

A partnership of parole, technology, and rehabilitation has resulted in a newly revamped application designed to help people succeed when returning to the community after prison. CDCR’s Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO), Enterprise Information Services (EIS) and Division of Rehabilitative Programs (DRP) present ARCAID – the Automated Rehabilitative Catalog and Information Discovery Machin...

This episode, CDCR Unlocked turns the mic over to Dr. Trisha Wallis, a senior psychologist specialist for CDCR/CCHCS. As an ambassador for the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), Dr. Wallis is committed to helping the department achieve its goals toward diversity, equity and inclusion. She sat down with Julie Callahan, Executive Director of Transgender Community of Police & Sheriffs...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, observed in the United States since 1949. While special attention is focused on mental health each May, professionals at CDCR and CCHCS work every day to ensure incarcerated patients’ needs are met. At the same time, the Office of Employee Wellness is dedicated to providing wellness support, education and resources to all CDCR and CCHCS employees. In this epis...

In this week’s episode, experts from CDCR’s Office of Employee Wellness discuss what it’s like once you’re not quite a “new” CDCR employee, but not someone with decades of experience in the department. What challenges do we face after we pass probation? What should we consider when deciding whether to promote? And most importantly, what steps can we take toward the beginning of our careers to set...

This week's episode brings you a conversation with Alia Cruz, Information Officer with OPEC-Office of Public and Employee Communications, and Katie James, the Chief of the Office of Victim & Survivor Rights Services for CDCR. They discusses this year's theme for the National Crime Victims' Rights Week-Survivor Voices: Uplift. Engage. Change of Effect-as well as other ways her office supports v...

In a first for the CDCR Unlocked podcast, we present this episode as a Spanish language version of the conversation with Katie James, the Chief of the Office of Victims & Survivors Rights Services for CDCR. She discusses this year's theme-Survivor Voices: Uplift. Engage. Change of Effect-as well as other ways her office supports victims of crime and their loved ones. Ana Mejia reads the transl...

CDCR and Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out (VHV) have formed a groundbreaking partnership to serve incarcerated veterans. VHV founder Ron Self sat down with the CDCR Unlocked podcast to talk about the program’s important work serving veterans. Hosted by: Krissi Khokhobashvili Recorded on: Mar. 6, 2023 Produced by: Angela Lee

In this week’s episode of CDCR Unlocked, Sgt. Corey Ringer heads to Pelican Bay State Prison, where he sat down with three longtime CDCR employees. In a new take on recruitment, the group talks less about the job itself and dives into what makes living in the Crescent City area great. And it’s not just beautiful scenery, although that is also a draw! What it really comes down to is the people and...

In this week’s episode of CDCR Unlocked, two dedicated CDCR employees share how years of teamwork, collaboration and thinking outside the box are resulting in major advancements for the department. Jaclyn Padilla, Deputy Director of Human Resources, and Emily Bither, Information Supervisor II at Enterprise Information Services (EIS), are excited to discuss Human Resources Technology Success (HRTS)...

In this episode, Joseph Sickler recounts his journey from crime to incarceration, where education took him to growth as an ironworker and a father.

Sarina Calderon has a big job at CDCR. As the Associate Director of the Office of Civil Rights, she is responsible for ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity exists for all applicants and employees, as well as creating a professional work environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. In addition to that, she is also very involved on the CDCR/CCHCS steering committee for the Gov...

Dr. Lynne Ruvalcaba with the CDCR Office of Education is truly passionate about education. She and her team, in collaboration with Enterprise Information Services, are transforming what correctional education looks like. CDCR is rolling out about 30,000 secure laptops to incarcerated students attending face-to-face college programs. Not only does this initiative increase access to education for in...

The holidays are a joyful time, but also a stressful one. Shopping, events, travel, houseguests – it all adds up and can become exponentially complicated for those who work in a 24-7 professional like Corrections. Join Sgt. Corey Ringer, Correctional Officer Anna Bozworth, and Associate Governmental Program Analyst Kathryn Jue from the Office of Employee Wellness for a discussion about how to navi...

In this episode of CDCR Unlocked, Community Resource Manager Martina Virrey shares how CRMs are vital to building community partnerships throughout California. From implementing rehabilitative programs to organizing fundraisers to recruiting volunteers, CRMs do it all! Hosted by: Krissi Khokhobashvili Recorded on: November 10, 2022 Produced by: Rob Stewart & Krissi Khokhobashvili