Visitation Information

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR VISITING

  • 3/2/2021 UPDATE: CDCR’s new Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) is expanding to California Correctional Institution, Centinela State Prison, California Medical Facility, Deuel Vocational Institution, Ironwood State Prison, California State Prison – Los Angeles County, Pelican Bay State Prison and California State Prison – Sacramento. Facilities already using VSA: Calipatria State Prison, California Correctional Center, California Institution for Women, California Men’s Colony, California State Prison – Corcoran, Kern Valley State Prison, California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison – Corcoran, Salinas Valley State Prison, San Quentin State Prison, California Institution for Men, Valley State Prison, Central California Women’s Facility, Avenal State Prison, California City Correctional Facility, California Rehabilitation Center, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, Folsom State Prison, High Desert State Prison, Sierra Conservation Center and California State Prison – Solano.
  • The scheduling window for a visit on March 13 is March 5 through March 9. For a visit on March 14, the scheduling window is March 6 through March 10.   
  • 3/2/2021 UPDATE: All 32 conservation camps are offering video visits. Requests must be submitted the weekend prior to the visit. Please see details below.

All in-person visiting remains cancelled until further notice.

CDCR recognizes visiting is an important way to maintain family and community ties. At the same time, our first priority is the health and safety of those who live in and work in our facilities.

CDCR offers real-time video visiting at all 35 prisons and 32 conservation camps as a safe way for incarcerated people to see and speak with their loved ones.

Under the new system, each inmate will have the opportunity for a free 30-minute video visit every 30 days. Visits will take place on weekends and holidays. Most facilities will schedule their visits between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, but hours may vary.

All camps and institutions will be following public health protocols while conducting video visitation, including physical distancing and sanitation of each station following a visit. CDCR will continue to enforce visitation rules including appropriate attire.

Visitors are encouraged to reference information below on how to schedule visits, use the video system and expectations for video visits. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Scheduling Video Visits at Institutions with VSA

Using a phased approach, CDCR will be replacing the existing email reservation process with a Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) system at all 35 prisons. The VSA system will allow approved visitors to easily schedule their own video visits and receive instant confirmation of their request. A subsequent email from Webex will follow, indicating the confirmed date and time of visit, as well as instructions on how to join the meeting from a computer or mobile device.

Connectivity issues will not allow CDCR to offer VSA for fire camp visits.

CDCR’s new Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) is now offered at the following institutions: California Correctional Institution, Centinela State Prison, California Medical Facility, Deuel Vocational Institution, Ironwood State Prison, California State Prison – Los Angeles County, Pelican Bay State Prison, California State Prison – Sacramento, Calipatria State Prison, California Correctional Center, California Institution for Women, California Men’s Colony, California State Prison – Corcoran, Kern Valley State Prison, California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison – Corcoran, Salinas Valley State Prison, San Quentin State Prison, California Institution for Men, Valley State Prison, Central California Women’s Facility, Avenal State Prison, California City Correctional Facility, California Rehabilitation Center, Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, Folsom State Prison, High Desert State Prison, Sierra Conservation Center and California State Prison – Solano.

The scheduling window for a visit on March 13 is March 5 through March 9. For a visit on March 14, the scheduling window is March 6 through March 10.

Approved visitors must first claim an account and then use the VSA to schedule a visit. A step-by-step guide and video are available on CDCR’s website.

Until the Video Scheduling Application is implemented at an institution, requests must continue to be submitted directly to the institution where their loved one is housed, using designated email addresses.

Facilities still requiring email reservations:

Scheduling Video Visits at Conservation Camps with Email

CDCR has announced video visiting at 32 conservation camps, also known as fire camps. Friends and family may schedule visits starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday through 8 a.m. on Monday for visits the following weekend.

Please submit requests via email, and include all necessary visitor information to the designated email of the camp for which you’d like to request a video visit:

Only those individuals who have already been approved as a visitor may make an appointment at institutions or camps. Step-by-step instructions can be found here. VPASS will no longer be used to schedule a visit.

Email reservations will be taken weekly, beginning each Saturday at 8 a.m. through Monday at 8 a.m. for visits the following weekend. Please note, emails received outside the timeframe allowed will not be rolled over to the following weekend for review. Instead, a new request must be submitted during the following week reservation timeframe. Not all reservations may be accepted because of space and equipment limitations.

Visitors must provide the following information in their visitation email request:

  • Inmate Name
  • Inmate CDCR Number
  • Approved Visitor(s) Full Name(s)
  • Date of Birth
  • Valid Identification Type and Number
  • Relationship to the Inmate
  • Email Address
  • Phone Number

Visitors approved for video visitation will receive a confirmation email that includes the visit’s time and date. The dates and times are assigned and cannot be changed if you cannot make the appointment. You may request a new visiting session during the next open visiting scheduling timeframe. Also included in the confirmation will be a link to join a visiting session as well as instructions on how to begin a video visit. You may also check out the Webex How-To resource for some helpful tips and a step-by-step guide on how to access the Webex video visit.

As with all visitation at our institutions, visits may be canceled at any time for health and safety reasons.

Visiting Facility Status

Holiday Video Visiting

A request to visit on an approved holiday may be submitted seven days prior, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Example: An approved visitor wanting to visit on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 (Christmas Day), would be allowed to request a video visit on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Recognized holidays are New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Using Webex Video System

Video visits will take place using Webex, which can be accessed for free on devices with internet and camera capabilities (i.e., smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer). Incarcerated people will use laptop computers in designated visiting areas. CDCR will only provide laptop computers to inmates; no equipment will be provided to visitors by CDCR. View more information on the video visitation technology.

During the Visit

To make your video visit go as smoothly as possible, CDCR encourages you to familiarize yourself with our new video visiting guidelines and procedures. Once connected to the Webex system, visitors should ensure they are in a location where they will be able to hear throughout the visit, as the incarcerated person’s mask must remain on through the duration of the video visit.

Before staff connects you to your loved one, approved visitors should log into the video visit at least five minutes prior to the scheduled start time and have valid identification ready to present to staff (including minor(s) birth certificates).

To maintain order and to ensure safety, rules established in California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Article 7 Visiting, still apply during all video visits with the exception of dress code color restrictions

Misconduct by any party during a visit will result in termination of the video visit, and may include disciplinary action. Information about attire and other visiting guidelines are available at https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/inmate-visiting-guidelines/.

All institutions will be following public health protocols while conducting video visitation, including physical distancing and sanitation of each station following a visit. For additional information on CDCR’s COVID-19 response, additional updates and information can be found at https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/covid19/

Locate Inmate

Use the Inmate Locator to find an inmate and in what facility they are housed.


Check Visiting Status

You can find out the visiting status of a CDCR facility by checking the VPASS Visiting Status. You should always do this the day you plan to visit, because visitation can sometimes be unexpectedly cancelled.

Contacting an Incarcerated Person

Individuals are free to contact any state prison inmate by mail, and electronic mail is available at some institutions. See our website on how to contact an inmate.

You cannot directly call an inmate. However, most inmates have access to telephones and can initiate outgoing collect calls. Learn how to receive a call.

Sending Money and Packages

Sending money to an inmate is permitted. Learn how to send money. How to Send a Package to an Inmate.
You can send Inmate Quarterly Packages through authorized private vendors. Learn how to send packages.

You can send Religious Property Packages through authorized private vendors. Send Religious Property packages.

SIFC Website


Inmate Family Councils

Statewide Inmate Family Council Local Inmate Family Councils (IFC’s) are a gathering of family and friends of the incarcerated who meet regularly with Wardens to support visiting since keeping strong family connections with loved ones is a powerful rehabilitative tool. These IFC’s promote visiting by clarifying rules and regulations as well as discussing health, education, vocational training, packages, books, and related issues. For more information on connecting with a local IFC, please visit the Statewide IFC website.

Throughout the roll-out of the video visitation program, CDCR will be collecting feedback, questions, and concerns on the process from the IFC’s so the department can work to create better solutions and processes for this new program.


Visitation Guidelines

Refer to the Department’s current policies and regulations in Title 15 and the Department Operations Manual if you want to know more.