CDCR – Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP)

CDCR – Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 209-274-4911

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Mule Creek State Prison located at 4001 Hwy 104 in Ione, 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.

Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) is a state-prison with the CDCR located in Ione CA. This facility houses long term inmates as well as offenders awaiting re-entry to society. The re-entry program is designed to prepare offenders for life on the outside, which can be much different from what they have been conditioned to while in prison. It also helps offenders to plan out where they will be going, how they will work, and gives them the skills they need for a better chance at successful reintegration.

Notable inmates that have served time at MCSP were Gregory Powell (Onion Field Killer) kidnapped Los Angeles Police Department Officers Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger on the night of March 9, 1963. Assisted by accomplice Jimmy Lee "Youngblood" Smith, Powell took the officers to an onion field near Bakersfield, California, where Officer Campbell was fatally shot. Powell's story was depicted in Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 non-fiction book, "The Onion Field" also made into a movie of the same name; Robert John Bardo; John Linley Frazier is known as "The Killer Prophet" was a mass murderer who killed five people in Santa Cruz, CA; John Albert Gardner serving two life sentences without possibility of parole for two rape-murder of teenaged girls; Patrick Kearney "The Freeway Killer" was a serial killer who preyed on young men in California from 1965 to 1977; Roger Kibbe a serial killer is known as the "I-5 Strangler" who found all but one of his victims on the freeways around Sacramento, CA; Suge Knight a former record producer, music executive, best known as the co-founder of Death Row Records; Big Lurch is serving a life sentence for murdering 21-year-old roommate Tynisha Ysais and eating parts of her body in April 2002; Andrew Luster the great-grandson of cosmetics giant Max Factor, Sr., and heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune. In 2003 he was convicted of multiple sexual assaults using the date-rape drug GHB sentenced to over 100 years in absentia; Charles Manson – infamous serial killer; Lyle Menendez along with his brother Erik were convicted of murdering their parents with a shotgun to inherit their vast estate, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Herbert Mullin; Geronimo Pratt; Hans Reiser is a computer programmer/entrepreneur that was convicted of the first-degree murder of his wife, Nina; Robert Rozier (serial killer); Rollen Stewart aka Rainbow Man known for wearing a rainbow-colored afro-style wig and, later, holding up signs reading "John 3:16" at stadium sporting events is serving three life sentences in a California prison after being convicted of multiple kidnapping charges after a 1992 incident.; Charles "Tex" Watson central member of the "Manson family" found guilty of murder and imprisoned in 1971.

Inmates at Mule Creek can take part in a variety of programs. The education programs at this facility include Adult Basic Education, GED courses, ESL classes, and literacy/reading classes. This facility also allows some of the inmates to work in community service crews, relapse prevention, and youth diversion programs. Vocational courses include HVAC, maintenance, electrical, gardening, welding, carpentry, and auto mechanic repair. All of these are offered to the inmate so that they can serve a purpose while incarcerated and learn a new skill they can use upon being released.

Mule Creek State Prison offers the following programs for inmates:

Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Criminals and Gang-members Anonymous, Criminals and Gang-members Anonymous re-entry, Christian 12-Step, Self-Awareness and Recovery (anger management), Gavel Club, Veterans’ Support Group, Lifers’ Support Group, Self-Exploration through Writing, Victim Awareness Offender Program, Juvenile Diversion Program, New Options for Wellness, Celebrate Recovery Inside, CARE (Concerned About Recovery Education, formerly IMPACT), GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power), Al-Anon, 2×2 Anger Management Program, International Bodhisattva Sangha (IBS), Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), Prisoners Overcoming Obstacles and Creating Hope (POOCH, Tender Loving Canine – TLC), and Paws for Life Program (PFL, Karma Rescue).

Other PROGRAMS:
Adult Basic Education, Arts in Corrections, Building Maintenance, CalID, Electronics, General Education Development, HVAC, Library Services, Office Services, Physical Education, Voluntary Education, Welding

CDCR – Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) – Visitation Guide
CDCR – Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) – Inmate Packages
CDCR – Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) – Parole Information

visitation Info

CDCR – Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) – 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

 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.

 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.