CDCR - California Institution for Women (CIW)

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CDCR – California Institution for Women (CIW) basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 909-597-1771

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at California Institution for Women located at 16756 Chino-Corona Rd
PO Box 6000 in Corona, CA are placed according to their custody level (determined by a number of factors including the past criminal history and the length of their sentence). There are ample educational and vocational training programs for all inmates, especially ones that show a willingness to learn new things that will prepare them for a better life when they are released. The mission is to promote and prepare the offender to leave in better shape than when they arrived, giving them the best chance to never come back and thus lower the state's recidivism rate.

California Institution for Women (CIW) is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facility for adult females that accommodates all custody levels from minimum to maximum security. CIW is situated on 120 acres; located east of Downtown Los Angeles, and it takes about one hour to travel to the prison from Downtown LA.

Its facilities include Level I (Open dormitories without a secure perimeter) housing, Level II (Open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage) housing, Level III (Individual cells, fenced perimeters and armed coverage) housing, and a Reception Center which provides short term housing to process, classify and evaluate incoming inmates.

Some notable CIW inmates include Julia Rodriquez Diaz (First female Inmate to receive 15 years parole denial under Proposition 9 (Marsy's Law) Convicted in July 1979 of the murder of 7-year-old boy Javier Angel and seen on Investigation Discovery's Deadly Women "Heartless Souls"; Betty Broderick, a current inmate, was a San Diego socialite who was convicted of the 1989 murder of her ex-husband, Dan Broderick, and his new wife, Linda Kolkena Broderick. She was convicted in 1991 and was sentenced to 32-years-to-life in prison; Barbara Graham, murderer, and subject of the 1958 film I Want to Live!. Graham was subsequently executed at San Quentin State Prison on June 3, 1955; Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, of Charles Manson's "Family", are current inmates. Susan Atkins, another Manson Family member, was transferred to Central California Women's Facility in May 2008. Each has repeatedly been denied parole; Stephanie Lazarus, a former LAPD detective convicted in 2012 of the 1986 murder of a former boyfriend's wife, is currently in CIW; Dorothea Puente, a convicted serial killer, did two years and six months [at CIW] for a forgery conviction; Cathy Evelyn Smith was in CIW between December 1986 and March 1988 for involuntary manslaughter and drug charges related to the death of John Belushi; Brenda Ann Spencer, a current inmate, was convicted of killing two people and wounding nine at a school in San Diego in 1979; Claudia Haro, ex-wife of actor Joe Pesci. Plead no contest to attempted murder for hiring a hitman to kill her now ex-husband and Hollywood stunt-man, Garrett Warren; Renee Alway, a current inmate, is a noted American model and a former contestant of America's Next Top Model (season 8) and Modelville runner-up. She is serving a 12-year sentence for four felony burglary counts and one count each of vehicular theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm; Theresa Knorr – Was charged and found guilty of two counts of murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and two special circumstances charges: multiple murder and murder by torture. Was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.

The facility can accommodate the special needs of some female offenders including pregnancy, problems associated with HIV, methadone and mental health units.

The primary mission of the California Institution for Women is to provide a safe and secure environment for primarily Level I/III female offenders. This mission is further defined by our responsibility to provide quality health care and institution programs specifically geared to meet the special needs of female offenders. Specialized programs include academic and vocational programs, pre-release and substance abuse programming, pre-forestry and camp training, an arts in corrections program and a wide variety of inmate self-help groups and community betterment projects.

CIW offenders can take utilize their time wisely by taking advantage of the many programs and vocational skills that can be learned. The complex has a clothing manufacturing program that allows inmates to make the various uniforms and clothing worn by inmates, and firefighters.

PIA: Clothing and textile manufacturing (shirts, shorts, jeans, smocks, aprons, bedspreads, handkerchiefs, bandanas, Nomex firefighting clothing), Construction.
Vocational: Computer training, The Last Mile Coding Program, Data Processing, Word Processing, Building Maintenance, Cosmetology.
Academic: Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Development (GED), High School Diploma Program (HSDP), Voluntary Education Program (VEP), Transition Program, Enhanced Outpatient Program (EOP), Chaffey College (Associate degree), Coastline Community College (Associate degree), Palo Verde College (Associate degree), Feather River College (Associate degree) and Adam’s State University (Bachelors of Arts, Bachelors of Science, Masters of Business).
Other: Alpha Faith-Based Re-entry, Prison Puppy program, Victim Awareness, Substance Use Disorder Treatment (SUDS), Forestry/Camp Training.

CDCR – California Institution for Women (CIW) – Visitation Guide
CDCR – California Institution for Women (CIW) – Inmate Packages
CDCR – California Institution for Women (CIW) – Parole Information

The California Institution for Women accommodates all custody levels of female inmates. In addition to its large general population, CIW houses inmates with special needs such as pregnancy, psychiatric care, methadone, and medical problems such as HIV infection.

CIW serves as a hub institution for the selection and physical fitness training of female firefighters selected for conservation camp placement. The institution also serves as a higher security facility for female inmates in Administrative Segregation.

This facility provides both outpatient and inpatient mental health services for patients with a serious mental disorder. The licensed Psychiatric Inpatient Program at this facility is designed to provide more intensive treatment for patients who cannot function adequately or stabilize in an outpatient program.

History

Until 1987, CIW was California's only prison for female felons. It was originally called "Frontera," a feminine derivative of the word frontier – a new beginning. The campus-like design was in keeping with the 1950's progressive notion of rehabilitation.

visitation Info

CDCR – California Institution for Women (CIW) – Visitation

Visiting a CDCR facility must be conducted in a manner that maintains order, safety, and security of the people and facility. Failure to comply with the established regulations and policies may result in a warning or termination, suspension, or revocation of your visiting privileges.

Recommended Steps Before Visiting:

Read Visitation Guidelines to understand what you can expect and what is expected of you
Find out in which facility your inmate is housed
Schedule a visit online using the VPASS system
The day of your scheduled visit, check the Visiting Status to ensure the institution is accepting visitors

Visitation Guidelines

Refer to the Department's current policies and regulations in Title 15and the Department Operations Manual if you want to know more.

Locate Inmate

Use the Inmate Locator to find an inmate and what facility they are housed in.

Schedule Visit

Sign-up or log into VPASS to schedule an inmate visit. VPASS stands for Visitor Processing Appointment Scheduling System. Note: this requires creating an online account.

Check Visiting Status

You can find out the visiting status of a CDCR facility in one of two ways:

Call the Visiting Status Hotline at 1-800-374-8474
Check the VPASS Visiting Status; locate the facility you plan to visit.

You should always do this the day you plan to visit, because visitation can sometimes be unexpectedly cancelled.