With a career spanning 50 years, Marilyn Ouye has worked everywhere from CDCR headquarters to the institutions and back again.
After graduating from UC Davis, Ouye began her CDCR career in1975 with the Corrections Decision Information System (CDIS) unit at headquarters in Sacramento. CDIS was a unit developing the Offender Based Information Systems or OBIS, for short.
Shortly after, she transferred to the Case Records Services (CRS) unit as an Office Technician providing administrative support to the CRS Administrators.
She’s now a current CRS Administrator.
“I’ve come full circle,” Ouye said with a smile.
Ouye promoted and transferred to San Quentin as a Correctional Case Records Analyst (CCRA) in 1980. She also worked as a CCRA at the California Medical Facility’s Northern Reception Center and in the CRS-Legal Processing Unit in 1981. She later promoted to a Correctional Case Records Supervisor and then Correctional Case Records Manager (CCRM).
Ouye later transferred as a CCRM to Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) in Ione.
“I wanted to get more experience in institution records for my professional growth,” Ouye said.
Once Ouye was promoted to CRS Administrator in 1989, she never looked back and stayed ever since.
She’s seen so much change in the department. From systems being created and deactivated, hard files becoming electronic files, implementation of legislative changes and so on, Ouye has been proud to work with such diligent Case Records colleagues over the years.
When asked why she chose to stay with CDCR all this time, she said that the department offered challenges she was always ready to face.
“I transferred to CRS because I was impressed by the records officers’ knowledge,” she explained. “That inspired me to go into records to gain that experience and pursue my career.”
For anyone looking forward to a long-standing and rewarding career with CDCR, Ouye said they should be persistent.
“Accept the challenges the department offers and pursue your professional ambitions,” she said.
Does she plan on retiring?
“Someday, (but I have) no exact date. I like the challenges the work provides and the great Case Records staff I get to work with,” she said.
Story by Alisa Butler, Analyst II
Submitted by acting Chief Royce Borunda, Case Records Services
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