Welcome to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Visitors
Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP)
Aerial view of Pelican Bay State Prison. CLICK to download a copy. Hit browser <back> arrow to return to this page.

Warden Horel
Robert Horel, Warden

Physical Address:
5905 Lake Earl Drive
Crescent City, CA  95531

Institution Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 7000
Crescent City, CA  95531-7000
(707) 465-1000

Inmate Mailing Address:
Pelican Bay State Prison
P.O. Box 7500
Crescent City, CA 95532


Pelican Bay State Prison - Mission Statement

Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) is designed to house California’s most serious criminal offenders in a secure, safe, and disciplined institutional setting.  One half of the prison houses maximum security inmates in a general population setting.  The other half houses inmates in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) designed for inmates presenting serious management concerns.  The SHU is a modern design for inmates who are difficult management cases, prison gang members, and violent maximum security inmates.

In Addition, PBSP operates two unique programs: The Psychiatric Services Unit (PSU) which is a 127 bed unit designed and staffed to treat mentally disordered offenders who are serving SHU terms, as well as the Transitional Housing Unit (THU) which is a 40 bed unit designed to reintegrate prison gang members back into the general population.  PBSP also operates a 400 bed, Level I Minimum Support Facility which houses non-violent offenders outside of the secure perimeter of the main institution, and a Fire House with 8 full time inmate fire fighters.


Institution Details

PBSP is located on 275 acres on the North Coast of California, 13 miles from the Oregon/California Border.  The institution opened in 1989 to accommodate a need for a growing population of maximum security inmates.   Currently in its seventeenth year of operation, PBSP operates with a budget in excess of $180 million.


Institution Statistics

As of Fiscal Year 2006/2007, the following statistics apply:

Number of custody staff:
1,056

Number of support services staff:
492

Total number of staff:
1,548

 
 





Designed Bedspace & Count
Design Capacity
2,280

Current Population
3,461




Inmate Programs
  • Prison Industry Authority (PIA): The PIA operates two programs at PBSP which employ approximately 100 inmates. One of the programs is the PIA Laundry, which is responsible for the cleaning of all institutional clothing and linen and also contracts with the local school district to clean rugs.  Additionally, the PIA operates an Optical Lab, which produces approximately 150,000 pairs of eye glasses each year.
  • Vocational Programs:  PBSP offers vocational courses in Auto Mechanics, Building Maintenance, and is in the process of establishing Vocational Landscaping, Auto Body Repair and Graphic Arts Programs.

    Additionally, inmates have work assignments throughout the institution on various work crews which include yard crews, kitchen workers, porters, clerks, grounds keeping, maintenance, and other duties which assist in the daily operation of the prison.
  • Academic: PBSP offers Adult Basic Education, General Education Diploma (GED), as well as College Courses, which are available through distance learning.
  • Inmate Support Groups: PBSP offers inmates access to Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Choices for Common Ground, Incarcerated Veterans, and Reaching Out Convicts to Kids which is known as the “ROCK” Program.

Visiting Hours and Directions
Saturdays, Sundays, and Designated Holidays* 
from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

* New Year's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas

NOTE: These holidays are visiting days,
regardless of the day of the week


For information relative to PBSP visiting, or to make an appointment to visit an inmate in the SHU, contact our Institutional Visiting Staff at (707) 465-1000 Extension 5425.

General Directions:

From the South:

PBSP is located 370 miles north west of Sacramento, and 370 miles north of San Francisco

  • Take Hwy 101 to Crescent City, CA
  • Continue north to Kings Valley Road; turn left
  • Proceed west to Lake Earl Drive; turn left
  • Follow Lake Earl Drive approximately 1 mile to the gate of Pelican Bay

From the North:

PBSP is located 13 miles south of the California/Oregon boarder

  • Take Hwy 101 south to Crescent City, CA
  • Take Kings Valley Road; turn left
  • Follow Lake Earl Drive approximately 1 mile to the gate of Pelican Bay
For additional information, visit this link  to customize your driving directions.