California holds people convicted of crimes in two separate systems: 31 state prisons operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and a smaller set of federal facilities run by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The list of prisons in California below covers both systems, along with how to find someone inside and how to reach them by mail, phone, or visit.
CDCR State Prisons
CDCR operates the following adult institutions. Each entry gives the full name, the common abbreviation used in mailing addresses and records, and the city.
- Avenal State Prison (ASP), Avenal
- California Correctional Institution (CCI), Tehachapi
- California Health Care Facility (CHCF), Stockton — a dedicated medical and mental health treatment facility
- California Institution for Men (CIM), Chino
- California Institution for Women (CIW), Corona
- California Men’s Colony (CMC), San Luis Obispo
- California Medical Facility (CMF), Vacaville
- California Rehabilitation Center (CRC), Norco — scheduled to close by fall 2026
- California State Prison, Corcoran (COR), Corcoran
- California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC), Lancaster
- California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC), Represa
- California State Prison, Solano (SOL), Vacaville
- Calipatria State Prison (CAL), Calipatria
- Centinela State Prison (CEN), Imperial
- Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF), Chowchilla — the primary women’s facility, with specialized medical and mental health services
- Correctional Training Facility (CTF), Soledad
- Folsom State Prison (FSP), Represa
- High Desert State Prison (HDSP), Susanville
- Ironwood State Prison (ISP), Blythe
- Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP), Delano
- Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP), Ione
- North Kern State Prison (NKSP), Delano
- Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP), Crescent City
- Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP), Coalinga
- Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD), San Diego
- Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP), Soledad
- San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQ), San Quentin — California’s oldest prison, being reoriented around education and vocational programming
- Sierra Conservation Center (SCC), Jamestown
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF), Corcoran
- Valley State Prison (VSP), Chowchilla
- Wasco State Prison (WSP), Wasco — a reception center that processes newly admitted people
Recently Closed and Closing Facilities
The California prison footprint has been shrinking. Three state prisons have permanently closed: Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, California Correctional Center in Susanville, and Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in Blythe. California Rehabilitation Center in Norco is set to close by fall 2026. CDCR has also deactivated 11 facilities, portions of two others, and 42 housing units across the system.2California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. California Rehabilitation Center to Close by Fall 2026 If you are trying to locate someone last known to be held at one of these prisons, they have been transferred elsewhere in the system, and the inmate search tools below will show their current location.
California also passed AB 32 in 2019, which bars CDCR from entering or renewing contracts with private, for-profit prison companies and requires the state to phase out private prison facilities by 2028.3Governor of California. Governor Newsom Signs AB 32 to Halt Private, For-Profit Prisons and Immigration Detention Facilities in California
Federal Prisons in California
People convicted of federal crimes are held in a separate system run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The BOP sorts its facilities into five security levels: minimum, low, medium, high, and administrative.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities California hosts several federal institutions, including:
- USP Atwater (Atwater), a high-security United States Penitentiary with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp5Federal Bureau of Prisons. USP Atwater
- FCI Victorville Medium I (Victorville), a medium-security Federal Correctional Institution with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp, part of a larger Federal Correctional Complex6Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Victorville Medium I
- MDC Los Angeles (Los Angeles), an administrative-security Metropolitan Detention Center primarily holding people in pretrial detention or awaiting transfer7Federal Bureau of Prisons. MDC Los Angeles
- FCI Lompoc, FCI Terminal Island (San Pedro), FCI Mendota, and FCI Herlong, among others
The BOP updates its full facility roster regularly, so its official location directory is the most current source.
How Security Classification Works
State Prison Security Levels
CDCR assigns each incarcerated person a placement score that decides which security level of prison they enter:
- Level I (score 0–18): open dormitories with a low-security perimeter, for the lowest-risk individuals
- Level II (score 19–35): secure fenced perimeters, with moderate supervision
- Level III (score 36–59): higher security with restricted movement and controlled access to common areas
- Level IV (score 60 and above): secure perimeters with armed coverage inside and out, and cells that are not adjacent to exterior walls
Each person also gets a custody designation, ranging from Minimum B at the least restrictive end up through Close and Maximum custody. The custody designation controls day-to-day privileges like movement within the facility and eligibility for work assignments.9Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations 15 CCR 3377.1 – Incarcerated Person Custody Designations All state prisons operate under Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations.10Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations 15 CCR 3005 – Conduct
Federal Security Classification
The BOP uses a point-based scoring system that considers age, education, criminal history, history of violence, severity of the current offense, escape history, and substance abuse history. Higher scores land at higher-security facilities.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. Custody Classification Form High-security United States Penitentiaries have heavy perimeter fencing and a high staff-to-inmate ratio. Low-security Federal Correctional Institutions use double-fenced perimeters, dormitory or cubicle housing, and strong work programs. Administrative facilities like MDC Los Angeles hold people of any security level who need a specific type of detention, such as pretrial holding.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. About Our Facilities
Conservation Camps
Beyond the numbered institutions, CDCR, CAL FIRE, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department jointly operate 35 conservation camps — commonly called fire camps — across 25 counties. People assigned to these camps train in wildfire suppression and emergency response and work alongside professional firefighters during fire season.12California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Conservation (Fire) Camps Program
To be eligible, a person must have minimum custody status, be cleared by CDCR medical staff as physically and mentally fit for strenuous activity, and have eight years or fewer left on their sentence. Sex offenses, arson, and any escape history are automatic disqualifiers regardless of custody status. Active warrants, serious medical conditions, and high-profile cases also disqualify.13California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Frequently Asked Questions Conservation (Fire) Camp Program
How to Find Someone in a California Prison
State Facilities
CDCR’s search tool is the California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS). It returns a person’s name, CDCR number, age, current facility, commitment county, admission date, and parole hearing information.14CA.gov. California Incarcerated Records and Information Search You can search by name, but the most reliable approach is using the person’s CDCR number, which is one letter followed by five digits (for example, H-12345). The letter prefix has changed over the decades as earlier series were exhausted.15California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. By the Numbers – History of the Inmate Numbering System CDCR notes the online tool is informational only and may not always reflect real-time transfers.16California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. California Incarcerated Records and Information Search
Federal Facilities
The BOP’s Find an Inmate tool covers anyone incarcerated in the federal system from 1982 to the present. Federal inmates have a BOP register number in a five-digit-hyphen-three-digit format (for example, 12345-678), which is the fastest way to search. You can also search by name and narrow results by age, race, or sex.17Federal Bureau of Prisons. Find an Inmate
Boundary: County Jails
Neither CIRIS nor the BOP locator covers county jails. Someone awaiting trial, serving a short misdemeanor sentence, or held on a local charge is usually in a county sheriff’s jail rather than a state or federal prison, and you have to contact the county sheriff’s department directly to locate them.
Victim Notification
Crime victims can register for automated alerts when an incarcerated person is transferred or released. The national VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) system is at vinelink.com or 1-877-411-5588. CDCR also runs victim notification through its Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services.18California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Victim Request for Services If someone moves from county jail to state prison, you need to re-register with the state system.
Visiting and Contacting Someone Inside
Visitation
Before scheduling a visit to any CDCR facility, you have to submit an application and get approved. The process includes a background check, so approval is not instant.19California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Visitation Process Visiting hours, dress code, and rules about physical contact vary by facility and security level. Watch the email address on your application for confirmation or requests for more documentation.
Address envelopes with the person’s full name and CDCR number, then the institution name, P.O. Box, and city. Use plain white paper and envelopes. Stickers, decorations, or non-standard materials will be rejected at the mail room.20California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. How to Contact an Incarcerated Person
Phone Calls and Messaging
CDCR currently covers the cost of domestic phone calls for incarcerated people, using ViaPath and Securus as service providers depending on the facility. The department pays roughly $0.016 to $0.019 per minute; the calls are free to families. Incarcerated people also have electronic messaging on state-issued tablets, typically at a few cents per message.21California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Tablets and Telephones
Packages
Families cannot mail packages directly to someone in a CDCR prison. Quarterly packages of clothing, food, or personal items must be ordered through CDCR-approved vendors, including Access Securepak, Union Supply Direct, and Walkenhorst’s. When ordering, you need the person’s name, CDCR number, privilege group, and housing location. Religious texts like Bibles and Qurans are an exception and can be sent from any publisher or bookstore doing mail-order business.22California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Sending Packages from Approved Vendors
Sending Money and the Restitution Deduction
Anyone in a CDCR prison with a court-ordered restitution obligation will have 50% of non-exempt deposits into their trust account garnished automatically. That includes money sent by family and friends as well as wages from prison work assignments.23California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Restitution Responsibilities Half of a $100 deposit goes to restitution before the person can spend anything in the commissary. Purchases made through approved package vendors are not subject to this deduction, which is why many families order goods directly rather than sending cash.