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North Kern State Prison
North Kern State Prison (NKSP) contact, address, visiting, phone, mail and travel details. Confirm custody and current rules with the responsible agency.
Facility record · California
NKSP · Delano · Kern County
- SecurityLevels I–III
- Population2,711
- Occupancy142%
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North Kern State Prison (NKSP) is a state prison in Delano, Kern County, California. By capacity it is the 24th-largest of the 30 state prison records listed for California with a published capacity. It is one of 21 correctional facilities in Kern County, and California operates 30 state prisons in total.
Contact & details
CDCR Infrastructure Master Plan, Appendix 1 (May 2026), period ending 30 April 2026
Finding someone first
Nothing below works without two things: confirmation that the person is at North Kern State Prison, and their CDCR number. Book a visit without them and you will be turned away; post a letter without the number and the mailroom cannot route it.
CDCR's public search covers people in CDCR custody. A disclaimer must be accepted before searching, and CDCR states the tool is informational rather than an official record. County jail populations are held separately.
CIRIS — California Incarcerated Records and Information Search ↗
Visiting North Kern State Prison
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, and what you may carry in.
When visits run
Visiting open · 24 August 2026Get approved
You must be approved before booking. The incarcerated person first sends you a signed CDCR Form 106 Visiting Questionnaire. Complete that copy, then mail it directly to NKSP’s Visiting Department.
Send it to: North Kern State Prison, Attention Visiting Department, P.O. Box 567, Delano, CA 93216.
What not to do: Do not mail the completed questionnaire back to the incarcerated person and do not put the incarcerated person’s information on the envelope. CDCR warns that doing so can route it away from Visiting and delay processing.
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.Book through the scheduling application
Use VSA for NKSP in-person appointments beginning Thursday at 6:30 a.m. of the prior week; the published window closes Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. Walk-ins are allowed.
Open the Visitation Scheduling Application ↗
Walking in: Friday 12:30–4:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 9:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Capacity and building availability can change, so call before relying on a walk-in.
Non-contact and restricted-housing visitsNon-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.
Arrive, and report to visitor processing
RHU-D6 appointments must arrive on time; late arrival may cancel the visit. Otherwise use the published appointment/walk-in windows.
Parking: CDCR states that prisons have a separate visitor parking lot, including marked accessible spaces; visitors should follow local signs and allow for a walk or shuttle to processing.
Where to report: Use visitor parking and report to the visiting department; no separately named public visitor gate is published.
Bring the right things, and only those
Allowed in
- Visitors may bring only the narrow statewide allowance (ID, limited cash, small clear bag, up to two keys, specified papers/photos, and specified infant/medical items). Weapons, drugs, electronics, purses and other unlisted property should remain outside; local restrictions may be stricter.
Identification: Adults must present current valid photo identification (such as a driver license, DMV ID, armed-forces ID, passport, ICE ID, or Mexican consular photo ID). Minors require a certified birth certificate; guardianship or annual notarized consent is also required when applicable.
How many may visit: Facility A and M: up to five including children; Facilities B and D: up to three including children.
Bringing a child: Children under 18 must be accompanied by an approved adult. Bring a certified birth certificate; if the adult is not a parent, also bring proof of guardianship or the required original notarized consent.
Video visits and cost: Weekend institutional video visiting is no longer offered. Tablet video calls are provider-dependent during the ViaPath-to-Securus transition: ViaPath $0.16/min with 15 free minutes every two weeks; Securus $0.10/min with 30 free minutes monthly.
Phone calls, money and mail
Phone calls
You cannot call in. CDCR states that it is up to the incarcerated person to initiate the call, and that calls are limited to 15 minutes. That single fact explains most of what families find confusing: the switchboard will not connect you, there is no voicemail, and a call arriving from an unfamiliar number is normal. What you can do from the outside is make sure the call can reach you — that your number is not blocked by your carrier, that it is not a VoIP or virtual number the system will refuse, and that whatever account arrangement the facility uses is set up and funded before he tries. For anything urgent, a message goes through the institution rather than the phone system.
Putting money on the books
Before anything else you need the person's CDCR number, from California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS), and their current location from CDCR's facility locator. CDCR then lists three routes. Electronic funds transfer through one of its vendors: GTL/ConnectNetwork, JPay, or Access Corrections. A lock box deposit, which CDCR states carries no fee when sent by money order, personal check or cashier's check: complete the Money Order Deposit Form with the sender's name and address, make the payment payable to JPay, and mail it to JPay, 2202 South Figueroa St, Box #3001, Los Angeles, CA 90007. CDCR caps this at $999.99 per money order, holds personal checks for ten business days, and warns that any letter or note enclosed with a payment will be discarded. Or send a check or money order to the institution itself. Vendor fees vary by amount and method, so check the vendor's own figure before you send.
Writing to someone here
Anyone may write to a person in a California state prison. Incoming letters are opened and inspected for contraband, then forwarded. CDCR asks that the envelope carry the person's full committed name and CDC number, the institution name, the P.O. box and housing assignment where known (CDCR states housing is preferable), and the city, CA and ZIP. The housing assignment is the part most people do not have: get it, and the CDCR number, from California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS), from the institution's Public Information Officer, or from CDCR's Identification Unit. Note that the address mail goes to is not always the institution's street address, so confirm it before posting anything you cannot replace.
Full committed name · CDCR number · housing
North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
Facility A and M, P.O. Box 5000, Delano, CA 93216-0567
Full committed name · CDCR number · housing
North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
Facility B, P.O. Box 4999, Delano, CA 93216-0567
Full committed name · CDCR number · housing
North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
Facility C, P.O. Box 5004, Delano, CA 93216-0567
Full committed name · CDCR number · housing
North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
Facility D, P.O. Box 5005, Delano, CA 93216-0567
Getting there, and staying
Delano is the practical lodging base. Confirm the exact room, accessibility features, parking, deposit and cancellation deadline directly before booking. Do not assume a city or regional bus reaches the prison visitor entrance. NKSP’s current CDCR visiting page specifically lists Friends Outside for transportation assistance; arrange both the last mile and the return trip before travel.
Confirm the last mile: Friends Outside transportation assistance: (661) 725-3833. NKSP Visiting: (661) 721-2345 ext. 7030, Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Where to stay
Rates and property policies change. Ask the property to confirm any accessibility need in the exact room reserved.
Somewhere to eat
| Place | What and when | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Denny’s14390 County Line Road, Delano, CA 93215 | Official page lists 24-hour breakfast, lunch and dinner | (661) 720-9808 |
| McDonald’s907 Cecil Avenue, Delano, CA 93215 | Official page lists a 5:00 a.m. daily lobby opening and earlier drive-through service | (661) 725-4646 |
| Hyatt Place Delano — The Placery1200 Garzoli Avenue, Delano, CA 93215 | Hotel dining from 6:00 a.m.; 24-hour packaged market | (661) 454-6500 |
Local planning notes
Check the facility visiting-status page immediately before travel because operations can change; also check Caltrans QuickMap for traffic, closures and road conditions.
Inside the institution
Facilities A, B and D plus Facility M/minimum support; reception center usually processes arrivals within about 90 days.
Restricted housing
RHU-D6 visiting is appointment-only and punctual arrival is required.
Health care, programs and release preparation
These services differ by institution. The details below describe what this prison reports, not a systemwide promise that every person qualifies for every program.
Health care
Facility page lists health-care maintenance operations and says reception classification reviews medical and psychological histories; it does not describe specialized inpatient capability.
Education, training and work
Adult Basic Education, high school/GED, ESL bridging, small-engine repair and electrical work.
Preparing for release
A contracted on-site family liaison case manager assists pre-release preparation and offers parenting/conflict-resolution classes.
Reported figures
These are the institution’s own returns to the state, and every group is dated. They have to be: the figures come from separate documents on separate cadences, and reading the whole set as one snapshot would be wrong.
Capacity and population
as at 30 April 2026How the population is housed
as at 30 June 2024Staffing
as at 30 June 2024Education and training
as at 30 June 2024CDCR Infrastructure Master Plan, Appendix 1 (May 2026) (Public record) · California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, SB601 Reporting (CC BY 4.0)
Guides that go wider than this institution
These cover the same ground across every facility in the directory, which is what you want if the person may be moved, or if you are helping someone in a different state.
Other facilities in Kern County
Clear information.
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Can Jail411 tell me if someone is in custody right now?
No. Jail411 does not hold live custody records. Use the official locator for the county, state, federal or ICE system that has the person; start here if you do not know which.
Does posting bond mean the person comes home?
Not always. A probation or parole hold, another county's warrant or an immigration detainer can keep someone in custody after bond is posted. Ask the jail what holds are on the booking before you pay.
What should I confirm before visiting?
The person's current facility, the visiting schedule, approval requirements, accepted identification and arrival instructions. Check the facility page and its official sources before you travel.
What if I find something that needs correcting?
Send us the page and the detail that needs attention. Include the official source when you have one. Do not send private booking documents or other sensitive personal information.
Plan the next step.
Practical guides for calls, visits, mail, money and release.