Folsom Prison is California's second-oldest prison, dating back to 1880.
In the decades following the Gold Rush, it housed some of the state's
most notorious prisoners in stone, dungeon-like cells behind solid-metal
doors; was the first prison with electric power; and for many years
provided labor for various state projects, including construction,
fabrication, and printing of license plates. Thrust into the public
consciousness in the 1960s by high-profile performances from country
music's Johnny Cash, the prison remains a notorious and legendary
institution. The variety of offenders housed at Folsom are incarcerated
for a large gamut of criminal behavior, and the California Department of
Corrections has been dedicated to rehabilitation efforts throughout the
facility's long history.