CDCR – California Medical Facility (CMF)

CDCR – California Medical Facility (CMF) basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 707-448-6841

This facility is for adult inmates.

The CDCR – California Medical Facility (CMF) is a correctional facility hospital located at 1600 California Dr in Vacaville, CA.

State Hospitals are operated by the Department of Corrections to hold inmates sentenced to a term of evaluation and treatment before any new assessment of their stability is considered. You may call 707-448-6841 to get information about an inmate and visiting hours.

California DOC medical facilities include Level I (Open dormitories without a secure perimeter) housing, Level II (Open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage) housing, and Level III (Individual cells, fenced perimeters, and armed coverage) housing.

With a "general acute care hospital, correctional treatment center, licensed elderly care unit, in-patient and out-patient psychiatric facilities, a hospice unit for terminally ill inmates, housing and treatment for inmates identified with AIDS/HIV, general population, and other special inmate housing.

Family and Friends of inmates are allowed to:
• Receive phone calls from the inmates,
• Provide them with commissary money
• Receive and send them mail
• Schedule a time to visit.

California Medical Facility (CMF) is a male-only state prison medical facility located in the city of Vacaville, Solano County, CA. It is older than California State Prison, Solano, the other state prison in Vacaville. The CMF was established in 1955 by the Legislature to provide a centrally located medical/psychiatric institution for the health care needs of the male felon population in California's prisons.

Notable inmates that have served time in this facility are Bobby Beausoleil, former associate of the Charles Manson "Family" who is serving a life sentence for the murder of music teacher and associate Gary Hinman in 1969; Juan Corona spent "part of his time" after his first (1973) conviction at CMF; Richard Allen Davis was at CMF twice. In 1974, for burglary, he was sent to CMF a diagnostic study. He was also sentenced to spend six years in CMF for a separate burglary; Jim Gordon attacked his 72-year-old mother, Osa Marie Gordon, with a hammer before fatally stabbing her with a butcher knife; Edmund Kemper is a current inmate who was incarcerated "a short time after" his 1972–1973 murders. He voluntarily denied himself parole in July 2007, July 2012 and again in July 2017. On these occasions, he told the parole board he was not fit to return to society; Timothy Leary served time at CMF in 1973–1974 "for possession of marijuana and escape from a minimum security prison California Men's Colony; Charles Manson was transferred from Folsom State Prison to CMF in March 1974 based on "deterioration of his mental condition and again transferred in May 1976 where he stayed for over nine years, which was noted as a special favor by prison counselor and friend Edward George. While at CMF Manson gave his first notable interview on June 13, 1981, to Tom Snyder for NBC's The Tomorrow Show; Theodore Streleski was released unconditionally from CMF in September 1985 after 7 years and 20 days there. Kenneth Parnell, convicted of the 1972 kidnapping of seven-year-old Steven Stayner, died there in 2008; Edgar Smith, a murderer who once duped William F. Buckley into championing his cause, was incarcerated at CMF for the last few years of his life, dying there in 2017; William ‘Bill’ T. Bradford, a former aerospace engineer with TRW who murdered his wife in 1988 sentenced to 26 years to life.

Inmate Programs

• Vocational: PIA Janitorial, Office Services and Related Technologies and Computer literacy. Students can receive Internet Computing Core Certification/Microsoft Digital Literacy Certification and Microsoft Office Specialist Certification.
• Academic: Adult Basic Education, GED Prep, High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) Prep, and Voluntary Education Program (VEP), College Program (face to face) through Solano Community College, Distance Learning through Coastline Community College, Lassen Community College, Ohio State University, and California Coast University. A Computer Lab is also available as well as a Computer-Based GED Exam Center and an On-Line CTE Testing Lab.
• The Disability Placement Program (DPP): The DPP classroom/resource center is provided for inmates who have disabilities that fall under one or more of six Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) categories including vision impairment, hearing impairment, speech impairment, mobility impairment, wheelchair users, or other disabilities. Instruction and training are provided in areas such as basic literacy skills for disabled students and training in computer use with adaptive software for disabled persons. The DPP Teacher works with the VEP Coordinator to facilitate student participation in the Braille Program offered through the Hadley School for the Blind. The DPP ensures that eligible students have access to equipment and software used for Braille.
• The Developmental Disability Program (DDP): It is CDCR’s Departmental policy to ensure that inmates with developmental disabilities are afforded access to education (academic and vocational), work, and other programs available to non-disabled inmates. Students who are screened and tested by CDCR clinical staff and determined to have developmental disabilities and who are enrolled in school are offered special assistance provided by the Developmental Disabilities Teachers and/or Teaching Assistants.

Blind Project

Over 50 years ago, our organization began as a cooperative effort between staff and inmates at the California Medical Facility, which transformed a small group of volunteers into a far-reaching 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that today impacts thousands of people.

A program like the Blind Project is important because it positively affects three segments of society; the visually impaired community is provided with affordable/donated services; the Lions In Sight & California Talking Book Library benefit from our donated services; and the inmate workers while learning a technical/marketable skill also get to work in a stimulating environment.

The inmate workers are impacted by the responses received from our many clients who appreciate their high-quality services. The workers feel a sense of gratification knowing they are giving back to society.

There are 20 worker positions and five (5) departments within the Blind Project: Perkins Braille Writer Repair, Braille Transcription, Eyeglass Gauging, and Digital/Cassette Machine cleaning. Refurbishing Perkins Braille Writers is an integral part of the Blind Project’s success. There were 518 braille writers serviced in 2014, which is double the number of previous years. Though our prices are below industry averages, price adjustments are sometimes made for clients living on a fixed income or those who cannot afford the repairs.

It’s very gratifying to know our braille writers help people live their lives, participate in their educational goals and communicate effectively. It’s more than a job for us it has become a passion. Donations are regularly made to other charitable organizations such as The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Mission Solano, Orchard Kindergarten’s Playground just to name a few.

Bike Project

Since 1988, the CMF Bicycle Refurbishing Project has been providing refurbished bicycles to children and families who would otherwise be unable to have bikes. The project provides bicycles to needy children. During 2002, CMF set a record by providing 606 bicycles to the local communities. We receive donations of new, used, and damaged bicycles from police departments, private businesses, and private citizens.

Inmates at CMF then refurbish the bicycles and make them look and ride like new. Bicycle paint and tires are purchased by funds collected by recycling aluminum cans from the institution.

The inmates involved in The Bike Project shared that working on the bikes brings back memories of their youth before they made the decisions that landed them in prison. Providing a child in need with a bicycle might just help keep him or her on the right path.

The Bike Project inmate workers learn their skills from local volunteers, including Ray’s Cycle owner Mike Posey, whose family has been coming to the prison for years to share their skills with inmates in the program. Posey teaches the men about different styles of bikes, techniques for fixing them, which tools to use and how to make sure they’re safe and ready to be ridden.

The Bike Project provides a way for the institution to give back to the community, and for the inmates involved to learn new skills and spend their time in a positive way.

DRP Programs

CDCR's Division of Rehabilitative Programs offers a wide range of programs for inmates. Check to see which programs are offered at this institution.

CDCR – California Medical Facility (CMF) – Visitation Guide
CDCR – California Medical Facility (CMF) – Inmate Packages
CDCR – California Medical Facility (CMF) – Parole Information

visitation Info

CDCR – California Medical Facility (CMF) – 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:

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

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 Visitation Guidelines

• Guidelines for Visiting Adult Prisons 
• Guidelines for Visiting Juvenile Facilities

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

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 Locate Inmate

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

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 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.

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 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.