A Prison Explosion

In the past decade, California has built and opened 16 prisons and several minimum security camps, and made major renovations and additions to the 12 prisons which existed when the state embarked on the nation’s most expensive prison construction program. Four other prisons are being built and construction is scheduled to begin shortly on two others. Here is a look at the expansion of the state prison system.

Opened Since 1984

1. Solano

Vacaville, Solano County

Opened: 1984-86

Security: low-high

Design capacity: 2,404 inmates

Current population: 4,817

Cost: $156 million

2. New Folsom

Folsom, Sacramento County

Opened: 1986-87

Security: high

Design capacity: 1,728

Current capacity: 3,070

Cost: $158 million

3. Richard J. Donovan

Otai Mesa, San Diego County

Opened: 1986-87

Security: high

Design capacity: 2,200

Current population: 4,484

Cost: $158 million

4. Northern California Women’s Facility

Stockton, San Joaquin County

Opened: 1987

Security: low-high

Design capacity: 400

Current population: 762

Cost $35.4 million

5. Avenal

Kings County

Opened: 1987

Security: low-medium

Design capacity: 3,034

Current population: 5,708

Cost: $163.5 million

6. Mule Creek

Ione, Amador County

Opened: 1987-1989

Security: minimum-high

Design capacity: 1,700

Current population: 3,247

Cost: $153 million

7. Corcoran

Kings County

Opened: 1988

Security: medium to high

Design capacity: 2,916

Current population: 5,387

Cost: $271.9 million

8. Chuckawalla Valley

Blythe, Riverside County

Opened: 1988-89

Security: low-medium

Design capacity: 2,000

Current population: 3,458

Cost: $127.4 million

9. Pelican Bay

Crescent City, Del Norte County

Opened: 1989-90

Security: high

Design capacity: 2,280

Current population: 4,313

Cost: $242.4 million

10. Central California Women’s Prison

Chowchilla, Madera County

Opened: 1990

Security: Various levels

Design capacity: 2,000

Current population: 3,880

Cost: $143.4 million

11. Wasco

Kern County

Opened: 1991

Security: low-high

Design capacity: 2,484

Current population: 4,496

Cost: $174 million

12. Calipatria

Calipatria, Imperial County

Opened: 1993

Security: high

Design capacity: 2,208

Current population: 3,898

Cost: $206.6 million

13. North Kern

Delana, Kern County

Opened: 1991-93

Security: medium-high

Design capacity: 2,492

Current population: 4,313

Cost: $170 million

14. Los Angeles

Lancaster

Opened: 1993

Security: medium high

Design capacity: 2,358

Current population: 3,820

Cost: $250 million

15. Centinela

Seely, Imperial County

Opened: 1993

Security: medium-high

Design capacity: 2,208

Current population: 4,104

Cost: $222.6 million

16. Ironwood

Blythe, Riverside County

Opened: 1994

Security: medium-high

Design capacity 2,400

Current population 2,336

Cost $214 million

Under Construction and Funded, or Partially Funded

17. Pleasant Valley

Coalinga, Fresno County

To open: late 1994

Security: medium-high

Design capacity: 2,208

Estimated cost: $210 million

18. Madera II

Chowchilla, Madera County

To open: 1995

Various levels for women

Security: various levels

Design capacity: 1,984

Estimated cost: $161 million

19. Susanville

Lassen County

To open: 1995

Security: medium-high

Design capacity: 2,224

Estimated cost: $260 million

20. Soledad II

Monterey County

To open: 1995-96

Security: medium-high

Design capacity: 2,224

Estimated Cost: $208 million

21. Corcoran II

Kings County

To open: Pending

Security: low-high

Design capacity: 3,600

Estimated cost: $208 million

Various minimum security camps

1984-92

Security: Minimum

Design capacity: 1,370

Cost: $43 million

Additions to existing prisons

1985-89

Design capacity: 4,500

Cost: More than $237.3 million

Built Before 1984

22. San Quentin

23. Folsom State

24. California Institute for Men (Chino)

25. Correctional Training Facility (Soledad)

26. California Institution for Women (Frontera)

27. Deuel Vocational Institution (Tracy)

28. California Men’s Colony (San Luis Obispo)

29. California Correctional Institution (Tehachapi)

30. California Medical Facility (Vacaville)

31. California Rehabilitation Center (Norco)

32. California Correctional Center (Susanville)

33. Sierra Conservation Center (Jamestown)

Note: Existing prisons are designed to house 66,183 inmates, one to a cell. However, almost all cells are double-bunked. All prisons have 200 or so minimum security prisoners as ancillary help.

Source: California Department of Corrections