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Frequently Asked Questions
Before contacting us for support please review our frequently asked questions:
- In‑Person Visiting Frequently Asked Questions
- Video Visiting Frequently Asked Questions (Fire camps only)
Contact Us
Correctional officers who work in visiting provide scheduling assistance, take your comments and help resolve issues. Visiting Sergeants and Lieutenants can also help. If your complaint is about a Correctional Officer who works in visiting, make your complaint to the Sergeant or Lieutenant. They also support the Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA).
Warden
Visitors may write to the Warden about any issue. Often the Warden’s Office will forward the letter to some prison staff the Warden feels is best able to address the concerns raised.
Director of the Division of Adult Institutions
All prisons are overseen by the Director of the Division of Adult Institutions, whose office is located in Sacramento. Anyone with a concern that cannot be resolved through local staff, the local IFC, the Warden, or the Ombudsman can contact the Director by mail at: P. O. Box 942883, Room 351-N, Sacramento, California, 94283-0001 and seek assistance.
Visitor Centers
Each institution has a Visitor Center, usually on prison grounds, to assist visitors with matters such as clothing, babysitting, and transportation. Staff at the Visitor Centers are familiar with visiting rules and procedures and can be a good source of information for family and friends. Some Visitor Centers provide informational training on issues including medical (e.g., HIV, STDs, and AIDS), children (e.g., how to help a child whose parent has gone to prison), or other concerns.
Funding for Visitor Centers is not always secure and their services may be intermittently interrupted. Nevertheless, you may find it helpful to visit the Center at the prison where you visit and check into its services.
The Inmate Family Council
Most prisons have an Inmate Family Council (IFC), a group of visitors who meet regularly with prison administration to try to resolve issues that come up relative to family and friends staying connected to prisoners. There will be a bulletin board at the prison that provides the names of those on the IFC and there will be a suggestion box at the prison for comments for the IFC.