CDCR – Ben Lomond Conservation (Fire) Camp #45

CDCR – Ben Lomond Conservation (Fire) Camp #45 basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 831-426-1652

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Ben Lomond Conservation Camp #45 located at 13575 Empire Grade Rd in Santa Cruz, 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.

Inmates committed to CDCR are selected and trained at the California Correctional Center in Susanville, California to determine their eligibility for camp. Once training is completed, eligible inmates are transported to Ben Lomond Camp. The camp houses a maximum of 113 inmates, all of whom are minimum custody male felon convicts. This population allows for five 17-man fire crews. The remaining inmates are employed by the camp as kitchen workers, porters, landscapers, launderers, clerks, mechanics, and maintenance and other support activity workers. Typically, inmates serve the last nine months of their sentence at camp, but some may serve several years of their sentence. In order to be eligible for camp, inmates cannot have any convictions for sex-related offenses, arson, escape or have a high violence potential. Most of the inmates are serving time for alcohol or drug offenses or property crimes.

Inmates are paid for their work, allowing them to have some savings accrued when they are released back into the community. Because the first six months are critical to a new parolee’s success, this savings can contribute to the lowering of convicts re-offending and being sent back to state prison. Most workers in camp earn $1.45 per day. Skilled inmates (mechanics, clerks, cooks, plumbers, welders, carpenters, electricians) can earn up to $2.56 per day. Inmate firefighters earn $1 per day on regular assignments and $1 per hour on emergency assignments.

When in camp, inmates may purchase items from the Camp Canteen such as cosmetics, snacks and correspondence materials. There is a hobby craft program, a TV room, a game and exercise area available to the inmates during off-duty hours. Family visiting is conducted on Saturdays and Sundays. Families bring lunches and barbecue facilities are available. Community volunteers provide spiritual and religious services. Inmates are aware of the opportunities and relative freedom afforded to them in a camp setting that are absent in prison, and as a result conduct themselves accordingly. Both CDCR and CALFIRE provide ongoing training and feedback for inmates, including job performance evaluations.

Inmates are housed in an open-dormitory setting, with a dining hall staffed by inmates and supervised by correctional staff. CDCR supervision is provided 24 hours daily. All units are subject to ongoing inspections and must comply with standards set by the State Department of Health Services.

Ben Lomond Conservation Camp provides Santa Cruz and neighboring counties with tens of thousands of hours of community service annually. Crews suppress fire, clear streams, improve trails and levees, and assist in rescues, floods and landslides. They are an ongoing and consistently available resource to help local authorities when called upon. The camp is succeeding in its mission of improving the safety and quality of life for all state residents, while at the same time providing inmates a rehabilitative environment in which to develop skills and discipline needed to become successful contributors to society.

Camp History – Ben Lomond Conservation Camp is located in the mountains of Santa Cruz County, approximately 12 miles from the town of Santa Cruz. The camp is staffed with eight Correctional Officers, one Correctional Sergeant and one Camp Commander, a Correctional Lieutenant. CALFIRE staff includes a Division Chief, one Office Technician, Ten Fire Captains and one Water Tech Specialist.

CDCR – Ben Lomond Adult Conservation (Fire) Camp #45 – Visitation Guide
CDCR – Ben Lomond Adult Conservation (Fire) Camp #45 – Inmate Packages
CDCR – Ben Lomond Adult Conservation (Fire) Camp #45 – Parole Information

visitation Info

Visiting hours for PRISON_NAME. For Directions call PRISON_PHONE

Sunday 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Monday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Federal Holidays 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

No cellphones, you will be searched before visiting. NO personal belongings. Persons under probation, parole, or other community corrections supervision must obtain the permission of both their individual supervising officer and the superintendent prior to a visit. Such visitation is not normally approved. 

If the visitor is under the age of 18 and is a family member of the inmate, they must be accompanied by an adult family member or guardian to include a member of the inmate's extended family. If the visitor is under the age of 18 and is not a family member of the inmate, the minor visitor must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.