CDCR Form 2189 is the written notification a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employee submits when a relative, friend, or business associate is committed to or transferred within the state prison system. Its legal basis is California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Section 3406, which requires employees to notify their institution head or chain of command in writing whenever they learn that someone they have a personal or business relationship with is under CDCR jurisdiction.1California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Secretary’s Welcome Letter – New Employee Onboarding The form collects identifying information about both you and the person in custody so the department can flag conflicts and manage assignments.
When You Have to File
The obligation starts the moment you learn about the commitment or transfer, not at a later review date. Section 3406 is not limited to correctional officers; it applies across classifications, including administrative and support staff.1California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Secretary’s Welcome Letter – New Employee Onboarding Prospective hires typically encounter the disclosure during background and onboarding.
Which Relationships You Have to Report
Section 3406 covers “any relative or person with whom the employee has or has had either a personal or business relationship” who enters CDCR custody.1California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Secretary’s Welcome Letter – New Employee Onboarding That reaches well beyond a spouse or parent:
- Immediate family: parents, siblings, children, spouses, and domestic partners.
- Extended family: grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first cousins.
- Non-family: close friends, former romantic partners, former housemates, and anyone you have done business with.
The test is whether a relationship exists or existed, not whether you are still in regular contact. A childhood friend you haven’t spoken to in a decade still triggers the requirement if you learn that person is in state prison. When in doubt, file.
What the Form Asks For
Form 2189 is available through the CDCR intranet or your institution’s Personnel Office. It collects two sets of information.
Your Information
Enter your full legal name, employee identification number, current institution or work assignment, and classification or job title. You also describe the nature of the relationship, for example “brother,” “former business partner,” or “childhood friend.”
The Incarcerated Person’s Information
You need the individual’s full legal name and CDC number. The CDC number is the alphanumeric identifier assigned to every person in state custody, formatted as a single letter followed by five digits, such as B-12345.2California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. By the Numbers: History of the Inmate Numbering System Include the institution or conservation camp where the person is currently housed.
If you don’t have the CDC number or current facility, search the California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS) at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov.3California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS) If nothing comes back, call the CDCR Identification Unit at (916) 445-6713. Pulling these identifiers before you sit down with the form avoids follow-up requests from personnel staff. Double-check every field before signing; incomplete or inaccurate data slows processing and can prompt an administrative inquiry into whether an omission was intentional.
How to Submit It
Section 3406 directs you to notify your institution head or deputy/assistant director in writing, through the chain of command.1California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Secretary’s Welcome Letter – New Employee Onboarding In practice, hand the completed Form 2189 to your immediate supervisor, who routes it upward. The original is placed in a sealed envelope marked “confidential” and forwarded to the Personnel Office, where it becomes part of your Official Personnel File. Your Personnel Liaison at the institution is the contact point for routing questions or confirming receipt.
When to File Again
One filing does not close the matter. You owe the department an update when circumstances change. Common triggers:
- The incarcerated person moves to a different institution or conservation camp.
- The person is released or transitions to parole or post-release community supervision.
- A different relative or associate enters CDCR custody after your original filing.
- You marry, divorce, or otherwise change your legal relationship with someone already reported.
Each change calls for a new or amended Form 2189 submitted through the same chain of command. Keeping records current protects you if an audit or investigation later surfaces the changed facts.
What Happens If You Don’t File
CDCR treats non-disclosure as a conduct violation. Section 3391 provides that failure to meet the department’s expectations, on or off duty, can result in disciplinary action.4California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Employee Discipline The disciplinary matrix lets hiring authorities match penalties to the misconduct, from a letter of reprimand up through suspension or termination, depending on the circumstances.
An undisclosed relationship that surfaces later looks worse than one reported on time. If the department finds you knew about a relative’s incarceration and said nothing, the review can shift from a routine conflict-of-interest check to a potential dishonesty finding. For prospective employees, failing to disclose during hiring can be disqualifying. File as soon as you become aware, even if you believe the relationship poses no real conflict.
Filing Is Not Permission for Contact
Submitting Form 2189 does not by itself authorize you to have contact with the person you have reported. Section 3401 permits off-duty relationships only with an incarcerated immediate family member (as defined in Section 3000) or your aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin, and only after the required written notification is made; any contact must be off duty and away from the workplace. If a family member of an incarcerated person contacts you outside the permissible exceptions, or someone asks you to relay a message or item through unapproved channels, you must immediately notify your institution head or director in writing.5Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 15 3401 – Employee and Incarcerated/Supervised Person Relations Those notifications are separate from Form 2189 but often end up in the same administrative file.