Find federal inmates held in California BOP facilities. Covers all federal prisons, detention centers, and camp facilities. Free live assistance 24/7, call us or use the BOP locator guide below.
Calls may be answered by a licensed bail bond agent.Understanding the difference determines where to search and which system holds your loved one.
Convicted of federal crimes: drug trafficking across state lines, bank robbery, immigration offenses, federal weapons charges, mail and wire fraud, federal tax evasion. Housed in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities. Search at bop.gov/inmateloc.
Convicted of California Penal Code violations: assault, robbery, DUI, burglary, California drug offenses. Housed in CDCR prisons. Search at cdcr.ca.gov or our CDCR search page.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides a free online search tool at bop.gov/inmateloc. Here is how to use it effectively.
Navigate to the official BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. The tool is free and requires no account or login.
Enter the person's first name and last name. You can narrow results by race, sex, and age range. If the name is common, add as many filters as you know to reduce false matches. You can also search by BOP Register Number if you have it.
Results show the inmate's name, BOP register number, age, race, sex, and current facility. Click the name for facility address, phone number, and inmate mailing address.
Write down the BOP Register Number, this 8-digit number is essential for sending mail, money, and scheduling visits. It looks like: 12345-678.
Call the BOP facility's main line with questions about visitation, mail, or phone setup. Facility phone numbers appear on each inmate's detail page in the BOP locator.
California is home to 10 Bureau of Prisons facilities ranging from maximum security USPs to minimum security camps and metropolitan detention centers.
Type: United States Penitentiary (High Security)
Location: Adelanto, CA (San Bernardino County)
Phone: (760) 530-5000
Houses adult male inmates with high security designations. Part of the Federal Correctional Complex Victorville.
Type: Federal Correctional Institution (Medium Security)
Location: Adelanto, CA
Phone: (760) 530-5000
Two medium-security facilities co-located with USP Victorville at FCC Victorville.
Type: Federal Correctional Institution (Low Security - Women)
Location: Dublin, CA (Alameda County)
Phone: (925) 833-7500
Women's facility in the East Bay. Holds low and minimum security female inmates.
Type: Metropolitan Detention Center (Pretrial & Short Sentence)
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (213) 485-0439
Holds pretrial detainees and short-sentence inmates in the LA federal court district.
Type: Metropolitan Correctional Center (Pretrial)
Location: San Diego, CA
Phone: (619) 232-4311
Pretrial detention for defendants in the Southern District of California federal court.
Type: Federal Correctional Institution (Low Security)
Location: San Pedro / Terminal Island, CA
Phone: (310) 831-8961
Low-security facility located in Los Angeles Harbor. Houses adult male inmates.
Type: Penitentiary + FCI Complex
Location: Lompoc, CA (Santa Barbara County)
Phone: (805) 735-2771
FCC Lompoc includes a penitentiary, medium FCI, and satellite camp. Located on the Central Coast.
Type: Federal Prison Camp (Minimum Security)
Location: Lompoc, CA
Phone: (805) 735-2771
Minimum-security satellite camp adjacent to FCC Lompoc. Inmates often perform work in the community.
Note: California defendants may be temporarily transferred to federal facilities outside California during court proceedings or pending permanent designation. Use the BOP locator to find current location regardless of state.
Federal inmates do not choose their facility. The Bureau of Prisons designates inmates to a specific facility based on multiple factors. Understanding this process helps families plan visits and communication.
After sentencing, the inmate is designated by the BOP's Designation and Sentence Computation Center (DSCC) in Grand Prairie, Texas. The process typically takes 2 to 6 weeks. During this period the inmate is usually held at the original district jail or a nearby federal transfer center.
Designation factors include: security level of the offense, prior criminal history, medical or mental health needs, and the BOP's 500-mile rule, a guideline to place inmates within 500 miles of their release residence when possible. Family ties are considered but do not guarantee placement.
Federal inmates can be transferred between facilities at any time. Transfers happen for programming needs, population management, medical reasons, or security concerns. Families are not automatically notified of transfers. Always verify the current location using the BOP inmate locator at bop.gov before visiting.
To request a transfer closer to family (called a "nearer release" request), the inmate can submit a BP-9 administrative remedy request to their case manager. These requests are rarely granted but are the proper channel. Staff-initiated transfers are more common.
Most federal inmates do not go directly from prison to full freedom. Understanding the reentry pathway helps families plan appropriately.
Federal inmates are typically transferred to a Residential Reentry Center (RRC), commonly called a halfway house, for the final months of their sentence. RRCs provide transitional housing while the person secures employment and permanent housing. Placement in an RRC is determined by the BOP case manager and can range from a few months to up to 12 months before release.
Federal "supervised release" replaces what used to be called parole at the federal level. Most federal sentences include a term of supervised release to be served after prison. The term is typically 1 to 5 years and is served in the federal judicial district where the person lives. Supervised release is enforced by U.S. Probation Officers. Violations can result in revocation and a return to federal prison.
Federal inmates can earn up to 54 days per year of good conduct time (GCT) off their sentence under the First Step Act. This reduces the actual time served below the nominal sentence. The BOP Inmate Locator displays a projected release date that already accounts for earned GCT. Release dates can change if disciplinary actions result in GCT forfeiture.
Address mail to: [Inmate Name], [BOP Register Number], [Facility Name], [Facility Address]. Letters are inspected. No staples, paperclips, or stickers. Photos allowed if printed on regular paper (no Polaroids). Check individual facility rules for specifics.
Federal inmates use the TRULINCS system (Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System) for calls and email. Set up a calling account at connectnetwork.com. Calls are collect or debit from a prepaid account. Cost varies by facility contract, typically $0.06–$0.21/minute.
All visitors must be pre-approved. Submit a BP-629 visitor application to the inmate's unit team. Processing takes 3–6 weeks. Bring a valid government photo ID. Some BOP facilities have moved to video visitation. Check your specific facility's visiting page at bop.gov.
Send funds via MoneyGram (BOP code 6113), Western Union Speedpay, or U.S. Postal Money Order. Online deposits at bop.gov/inmates/communications. Include the inmate's BOP Register Number on all transactions. Minimum deposit is typically $5.
Books and magazines must be sent directly from the publisher or an approved vendor (Amazon, Barnes & Noble). Personal packages are generally not allowed. Each facility has an approved vendor list. Check individual facility rules before ordering.
Correspondence from attorneys is marked "Special Mail - Open Only in Presence of Inmate" and is subject to different handling rules than general mail. Attorney-client mail may not be read by staff in most circumstances.
Yes. The BOP Inmate Locator includes records for inmates released after 1982. Searching for a released inmate will show their last known facility, release date, and release type. Inmates released before 1982 may not appear in the online system.
After a federal arrest in California, the person will typically be held at the nearest federal pretrial facility (MDC Los Angeles, MCC San Diego, or a contract county jail) pending an initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge, usually within 24–48 hours. They may not appear in the BOP locator immediately, allow 24–48 hours after booking. Call us for faster location assistance.
The BOP Register Number is an 8-digit identifier assigned to every federal inmate (format: 12345-678). It appears on the BOP Inmate Locator result page. It is also on all court documents and sentencing paperwork. You will need this number for mail, money transfers, phone setup, and visitation requests.
Yes. BOP transfers inmates between facilities based on security classification, program needs, medical requirements, and bed space. Transfers are not announced in advance and may happen without family notification. Always verify current location through the BOP locator before visiting or sending mail.
The BOP Inmate Locator does not have a California-only filter. However, once you find the inmate, their current facility location is shown. To search for all BOP facilities in California, you can browse the BOP facility list at bop.gov/locations and select California from the state dropdown.
Our free search team checks federal, state, and county databases simultaneously. We can locate most inmates within 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
📞 Call Free: (916) 633-2220Calls may be answered by a licensed bail bond agent. Federal search assistance is always free.