Search California Institution for Men Prisoners

California Institution Prison Overview

California Institution for Men, often shortened to CIM, is operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Its public address is 14901 Central Avenue, Chino, CA 91710, and the main phone number listed for the institution is (909) 597-1821. The prison is part of the state prison system serving sentenced men, including people committed from San Bernardino County and other California counties. It is separate from West Valley, Central, Glen Helen, and High Desert county jails, which are run by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

CDCR describes CIM as both a reception and institutional custody site. Reception means a person may arrive from a county jail after a state-prison sentence so CDCR can process records, assess custody needs, and assign housing. Institutional custody means some people remain at CIM in general population or specialized units. The research notes several distinct facilities on the grounds, including Facility A, Facility B, Facility C, and Facility D, with levels and populations that differ by housing mission. That mix is why the facility name alone is not enough for mail or visiting. The incarcerated person's CDCR number and housing detail should be checked through CDCR and the institution before sending mail or making plans.

The CDCR history summary says CIM opened in San Bernardino County in 1941 on 1,700 acres. It was California's third correctional institution and was built to reduce crowding at San Quentin and Folsom. The institution was once known as the "prison without walls" because early security fencing used a five-strand barbed-wire livestock fence.

CIM Prison Capacity

Research for this build confirms that CDCR publishes design-capacity information on the facility page, but a current point-in-time population count for CIM was not extracted from the inspected sources. Treat any population number as dated unless it comes from a current CDCR population report or facility page. Capacity is also not the same as custody count. A design figure describes planned space, while actual population changes as people enter reception, transfer to other CDCR institutions, parole, return on violations, or move for medical, court, or security reasons.

CDCR's facility narrative gives a more useful custody picture than a single headcount. Facility A is listed as a medium Level II non-designated programming area. Facility B includes reception and higher-custody functions, plus Palm Hall Administrative Segregation and transfer-related housing. Facility C is a Level II area with many people serving life sentences and sits east of the main complex. Facility D is described as Secure Level I general population housing. Level I generally means lower-security dorm-style housing for people with low classification points.

California Institution Prisoner Lookup

The correct online search for CIM custody is CDCR California Incarcerated Records and Information Search, known as CIRIS. CIRIS is the statewide CDCR locator for people in state custody. It is not the San Bernardino County booking search, and it does not use county jail booking numbers as the main identifier. A person may appear in the county jail roster while awaiting court or transport, then stop appearing there after CDCR receives the person. At that stage, CIRIS becomes the better public record channel.

1. Open CDCR CIRIS and search by the person's name or CDCR number when that number is known.
2. Review the result fields for the person's name, CDCR number, age, current location, commitment counties, and admission date.
3. Confirm that the current location shows California Institution for Men before using CIM mail or visiting information.
4. For parole-hearing details, read the Board of Parole Hearing date or outcome fields when CIRIS displays them.

The CDCR CIRIS search screen is the matching public lookup source for CIM prisoners.

CIRIS should be used after state-prison transfer, while the San Bernardino County jail records page applies to local jail custody before that transfer.

CIM Address and Contact

The public street address and main phone line should be used for institution-level contact, not for sending general inmate mail unless CDCR instructions say that is correct for the person's housing. CIM has several mail boxes for different facilities, and legal mail has its own box. Before mailing anything, confirm the incarcerated person's CDCR number and housing assignment. This matters because a reception-center move, court transport, or transfer to another prison can make an old address stale.

CIM Visiting Rules

Visiting at CIM follows CDCR visitor rules, not the San Bernardino County jail visit request popup. State-prison visiting usually requires advance approval, compliance with CDCR dress and conduct rules, and scheduling through the current CDCR process. Facility status can change because of lockdowns, staffing, health controls, construction, or unit restrictions. A visitor should check CDCR visiting status and the person's current location before leaving for Chino.

Note: CDCR visits depend on approval, current housing, and institution status, so confirm with CDCR before traveling to CIM.

CIM Mail and Money

CDCR family services, not county jail commissary rules, govern mail, phone, money, and packages for CIM. Use CDCR family resources for current statewide instructions, then match the mailing address to the person's unit. The research lists legal mail to P.O. Box 3100, Chino, CA 91708, and institution mail to P.O. Box 128, Chino, CA 91708. Inmate mail is divided by facility: Facility A West, P.O. Box 368; Facility B Reception Center Central, P.O. Box 441; Facility C East, P.O. Box 500; and Facility D, P.O. Box 600, all in Chino, CA 91708.

CIM Programs and Intake

Intake at CIM is a state-prison reception and classification process. It is not a street-arrest booking. County arrest records, first appearance dates, and local bail issues belong to the county jail and court systems before sentencing. Once the person reaches CDCR, classification staff review sentence, custody level, medical and mental-health needs, prior records, security factors, and program placement. That review can lead to a CIM housing assignment or transfer to another CDCR institution.

Programs named by CDCR include Adult Basic Education, pre-GED, literacy, life skills, English as a Second Language, and a substance-abuse program. CDCR also lists volunteer self-help groups, Prison Industry Authority work in marine technology, food and beverage packaging, and laundry, along with Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Veterans In Prison, Victim Offender Education Group, PRIDE, mentoring programs, fatherhood, religious services, college correspondence, and cognitive behavioral treatment. Program access depends on custody, eligibility, waitlists, and institutional status.