Ben Lomond Conservation Camp #45

Visiting Ben Lomond Conservation Camp #45

This is what the institution publishes, in the order you will meet it: when visits run, how to get approved, how to book, when to arrive, what you may carry in and who may come with you.

When visits run

Conservation camps continue in-person visits on Saturdays and Sundays and hybrid video visiting. In the published Open Phase guidance, in-person sessions may run between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.; call before travel because crews can deploy on short notice. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/get-help/in-person-visiting-frequently-asked-questions/

Getting approved first

You have to be an approved visitor before you can book anything. Approval starts with a Visitor Questionnaire, CDCR Form 106.

How to get the form: You cannot download it and send it yourself. The incarcerated person has to send the form to you, and they must sign it first — that signature is what confirms they want you added to their visiting list.

Filling it in: Fill it in completely. The questionnaire asks for every criminal conviction AND every arrest, including arrests that never led to a charge. CDCR runs a background check and will deny approval if the check turns up something the form left out, so list everything. If you cannot recall the details of an old arrest, give the approximate date and the reason as precisely as you can.

Where to send: Mail the completed questionnaire to the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant at the institution where the person is housed, addressed to the attention of “Visiting”.

Warning: Most prisons use a DIFFERENT address for mail to staff than for mail to an incarcerated person. Use the staff address. A questionnaire sent to the inmate mail address does not reach Visiting.

What not to do: Do not send the questionnaire to the incarcerated person. It will not be accepted.

How long: Processing time varies by institution, depending on how many forms it receives and how many staff are cleared to review them. CDCR publishes no standard turnaround.

Booking a visit

Camp visits are not booked in VSA. For an in-person visit, call or email Monday-Friday for that weekend: BenLomondVideoVisiting@cdcr.ca.gov; (831) 423-1652. Video requests are submitted by email from 8 a.m. Saturday through 8 a.m. Monday for the following weekend. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/schedule-visitation/scheduling-visits-at-conservation-fire-camps/

Non-contact and restricted-housing visits

Non-contact visiting is not a choice — it is what applies while someone is in reception (newly admitted to CDCR, or just transferred between prisons) or is segregated.

Who: Reception status, Administrative Segregation, Security Housing Units, Adjustment Centers, someone pending specific rules-violation charges, or anyone assigned to a Behavior Management Unit.

Conditions: The visit happens through a glass partition. Staff escort the incarcerated person in handcuffs, and the handcuffs come off only once they are secured on their side of the booth.

With children: If you would rather a child did not see someone in restraints, wait away from the booth until they are settled.

Limits: Three visitors, not five. Length is limited — usually one to two hours, depending on the prison and on why the visit is non-contact.

How early to arrive

Confirm with the camp immediately before travel because a fire crew member can be activated on short notice. No camp-specific check-in lead time is published. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/get-help/in-person-visiting-frequently-asked-questions/

Identification

Adult visitors need current photo ID (driver license/state ID, military ID, ICE ID, U.S. or foreign passport, or Mexican Consulate photo ID). https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/identification-required-for-visiting/

How many people may visit

Published camp guidance allows no more than five approved visitors per incarcerated person. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/get-help/in-person-visiting-frequently-asked-questions/

Bringing a child

A minor must be with an approved adult and bring a certified birth certificate; guardians also need proof of guardianship, and another accompanying adult needs the original notarized annual consent form. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/identification-required-for-visiting/

What not to wear

Do not wear inmate-like blue denim/chambray, law-enforcement/military-like attire, revealing or sheer clothing, very tight clothing, short hemlines, unauthorized headwear, or shower shoes; local rules can be stricter. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/attire-restrictions/

What stays in the car

Only the narrow published visitor-item list is allowed. Examples include a small clear bag, two keys, ID, limited vending money, approved documents/photos, and specified baby or medically documented items; weapons/drugs and other unauthorized property are prohibited. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/items-a-visitor-may-bring/

Video visits, and what a visit costs

CDCR reports all fire camps fully transitioned to Securus. Published rates are $0.10/minute for video calls, with 30 free minutes per month; verify current vendor status before funding an account. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/family-resources/tablets/

Source: CDCR · CDCR — How to Get Approved to Visit an Incarcerated Person · CDCR — Types of Visits

Phone calls and money

Phone calls

Audio calls from standard phones/tablets are free. Incarcerated people initiate calls; CDCR’s contact page states calls are limited to 15 minutes. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/family-resources/how-to-contact-an-incarcerated-person/

Putting money on the books

CDCR publishes three methods: paid EFT (GTL/ConnectNetwork, JPay, Access Corrections), no-fee JPay lockbox, or check/money order mailed to the institution (30-day hold). Confirm the person’s CDCR number and location first. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/family-resources/send-money/

Source: CDCR

Getting there, and staying

Public transport

Santa Cruz METRO Route 41 serves the Empire Grade corridor; the official schedule does not identify a stop at the camp, so confirm the last-mile plan before travel. https://scmetro.org/routes/route-41

Worth knowing before you go

Call/email (831) 423-1652 before setting out: crews may deploy with little notice and visiting can change. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/ben-lomond/ https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/get-help/in-person-visiting-frequently-asked-questions/

Source: CDCR

Inside the institution

How it is laid out

The camp houses up to 113 minimum-custody male participants in an open-dormitory setting with an inmate-staffed dining hall and correctional supervision. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/ben-lomond/

Security levels

Minimum-security conservation camp; participants must have minimum-custody status. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/faq-conservation-fire-camp-program/

Source: CDCR

Health care, programmes and release

Health care

CDCR and the federal Plata Receiver provide health care to all CDCR inmate-patients: DHCS provides mental-health and dental services, while the Receiver provides medical care. The statewide mental-health program provides access based on need. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/dhcs/ https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/dhcs/mental-health-program/

Education, training and work

Conservation camps provide rehabilitation and education including substance-use programming, religious programs and GED courses; community-college partnerships may add correspondence/fire-science opportunities. Camp-specific availability should be confirmed. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/faq-conservation-fire-camp-program/

Preparing for release

The camp program builds work skills and offers pathways after release, including advanced firefighter training and possible AB 2147 expedited expungement for successful fire-camp participation. https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/facility-locator/conservation-camps/faq-conservation-fire-camp-program/

Source: CDCR