Washington Ridge Conservation Camp #44

Visiting Washington Ridge Conservation Camp #44

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 retain hybrid in-person/video visiting on Saturdays and Sundays. Open-phase sessions may occur between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.; call before travel because crews can be activated on short notice.

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 scheduled by email or phone rather than VSA. Call (530) 265-4623 for the current request method and availability.

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

Arrive early enough to complete vehicle/pedestrian screening, identification review, and visitor processing; CDCR advises checking the current facility status and local instructions immediately before travel.

Identification

Adults need current, unexpired photo ID. Accepted forms include a state driver license/DMV ID, military photo ID, ICE ID, U.S. or foreign passport with photo, or Mexican Consulate photo ID.

How many people may visit

Open-phase camp in-person visits allow no more than five approved visitors. CDCR recommends no more than five for video visits because ID verification consumes visit time.

Bringing a child

Visitors under 18 must be with an approved adult. A parent brings a certified birth certificate; a guardian also brings guardianship proof; another adult also needs the parent/guardian’s original notarized written authorization, renewed annually.

What not to wear

Dress conservatively under statewide CDCR attire restrictions and check the facility status page for stricter local rules.

What stays in the car

Only CDCR-authorized visitor property may enter (including ID, limited cash/change, a small clear bag, limited keys, and specified child/medical items). Leave other property secured outside and verify local exceptions.

Video visits, and what a visit costs

CDCR states tablet users receive 15 minutes of free video calls every two weeks and audio calls are free. Weekend video visiting ended at adult institutions, while camps retain hybrid visiting.

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

Phone calls and money

Phone calls

Incarcerated people initiate outgoing calls; ordinary incoming calls are not available. Since January 1, 2023, audio calls from California state prisons are free to both parties and limited to 15 minutes.

Putting money on the books

CDCR lists electronic funds transfer, lockbox, and a check/money order mailed to the institution as deposit routes; funds may be subject to restitution.

Source: CDCR · CDCR

Programmes and release

Education, training and work

The official camp page lists substance-use recovery, religious programs, and GED and college courses.

Preparing for release

The official page describes work, educational, and rehabilitative activities as preparation for community reintegration.

Source: CDCR