Clinton Truman Duffy (1898–1982) was the warden of San Quentin State Prison between 1940 and 1952.[1] He was a prominent opponent of capital punishment.[1]
Life
His father was a guard at San Quentin, he was raised on the prison grounds, and his wife's father was also a San Quentin guard.[1]
The 1954 film Duffy of San Quentin tells his story as a warden.[2][3] His accomplishments during his tenure as warden include:[1][4]
- Elimination of corporal punishment
- Improvement of food services
- Establishment of vocational training
- Founding of an Alcoholics Anonymous program
- Desegregation of the dining hall
- Creation of the first prisoner-developed radio programs inside a prison
- Inauguration of a prison newspaper
He was known to walk unarmed among the prisoners and to chat with them.[1][4] Although he "supervised 90 executions during his tenure as warden", he opposed capital punishment.[1]
After he left San Quentin, he worked for the state's parole board; in addition, he wrote books and gave lectures about capital punishment.[1] He died in Walnut Creek, California, at the age of 84.[1]
