CDCR Inmate Population Agency
CDCR is the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the statewide agency responsible for California state-prison custody and related correctional operations. The abbreviation is confirmed by CDCR's own home page and CIRIS metadata. CDCR is not the statewide operator of county jail rosters; county sheriffs and local corrections agencies control local jail booking and custody records.
The official CDCR home page shows the statewide entry points for population search, facilities, parole, records, and public resources.
That source confirms CDCR as the state-prison agency and frames why this page separates CDCR custody from county jail booking records.
CDCR's public-facing systems include Search Population through CIRIS, Find a Facility, the Board of Parole Hearings, parole operations, credit earning information, victim services, visitation and family services, reports and statistics, and the Public Records Portal. The CDCR inmate population page therefore has two jobs: it identifies the agency and it separates state-prison custody from county, federal, immigration, and court records. A person recently booked into a local jail may not appear in CIRIS until a state-prison commitment occurs. A person in federal or ICE custody is outside CDCR even when held in California.
The CDCR Inmate Population
The current researched CDCR inmate population was 88,174 people in institution and camp custody as of midnight July 1, 2026. CDCR's weekly TPOP1 report also showed 89,469 total in-custody/CRPP supervision, down 1,202 from the prior year; institutions/camps were down 1,178 from the prior year.
CDCR publishes the report series through its weekly and monthly population reports page.
The population reports page is the CDCR source for dated statewide custody figures and trend context.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CDCR institution/camp custody | 88,174 | TPOP1, July 1, 2026 |
| Total in-custody/CRPP supervision | 89,469 | TPOP1, July 1, 2026 |
| Adult institutions | 31 | CDCR adult institution list |
| Institutions/camps design-capacity occupancy | 118.9% | TPOP1, July 1, 2026 |
The CDCR inmate population count is narrower than the full California custody universe. It does not count every person in a county jail, every person in federal BOP custody, every person in ICE detention, or every person with a pending court case. It does, however, give the most authoritative statewide figure for California prison institutions and camps because CDCR publishes the reports itself. That distinction is important when a search starts with a county arrest. A person can be booked locally, appear in a sheriff roster, go to court, and only later enter the CDCR inmate population after a state-prison commitment.
Search the CDCR Locator
The official CDCR inmate locator is CIRIS, the California Incarcerated Records & Information Search. CIRIS is the right starting point when the person is in CDCR custody, not when the person is still in a county jail after a local arrest.
The CIRIS search page is the public locator screenshot captured for this CDCR search workflow.
That screen belongs on the DOC page because CIRIS is the direct public search point for the CDCR inmate population.
- Open CIRIS.
- Search with the person's identifying information or CDCR number when known.
- Review the result for name, CDCR number, age, current location, commitment counties, admission date, and Board of Parole Hearing information.
- If no CDCR result appears, check the county roster, BOP locator, ICE ODLS, or court records depending on the custody path.
CIRIS metadata in the research identifies the record fields that may appear after a successful search. Those fields are built for prison custody, parole-hearing context, and commitment information. They are not meant to replace a county booking log. If the person was arrested today, the county roster or jail records office is more likely to have the first public custody trace. If the person was sentenced and transferred, CIRIS becomes the better tool.
CDCR Inmate Record Fields
CIRIS metadata says results include the incarcerated person's name, CDCR number, age, current location, commitment counties, admission date, and Board of Parole Hearing dates and outcomes. Those fields are different from county jail booking fields such as local booking number, arrest date, bail, release status, or county housing unit.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| CDCR Number | The agency identifier used in CDCR custody records. |
| Current Location | The CDCR facility or custody location reported by CIRIS. |
| Commitment Counties | The California county or counties tied to the state-prison commitment. |
| Admission Date | When CDCR received the person into state custody. |
| BPH Dates and Outcomes | Board of Parole Hearing information where applicable. |
- CDCR number
- The state correctional identifier used to distinguish people in CDCR records.
- Commitment county
- The county connected to the state-prison case, which may not be the current prison location.
- BPH
- The Board of Parole Hearings, the body tied to parole suitability and other review processes.
- CRPP supervision
- A CDCR population category named in the TPOP1 total in-custody/CRPP figure.
CDCR Prisons and Facilities
CDCR lists 31 adult institutions: Avenal, CCI, CHCF, CIM, CIW, CMC, CMF, CRC, Corcoran, LAC, SAC, SOL, Calipatria, Centinela, CCWF, CTF, Folsom, High Desert, Ironwood, Kern Valley, Mule Creek, North Kern, Pelican Bay, Pleasant Valley, Richard J. Donovan, Salinas Valley, San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, Sierra Conservation Center, SATF-CSP, Valley State Prison, and Wasco. CDCR's facility locator also lists conservation/fire camps, community correctional facilities, parole units/offices, and the Ventura Training Center.
The CDCR facility locator is the official statewide source for CDCR facility browsing.
The locator supports the facility section by showing how CDCR separates prisons, camps, parole offices, and other correctional locations.
Security and mission are facility-specific. Research identifies reception, medical, mental-health, Level I, Level III, Level IV, minimum support, security housing, conservation camp, reentry, and specialized medical or psychiatric roles. Browse the Facility Directory for statewide facility rows.
CDCR facility rule: use CIRIS for people in a California state prison or CDCR camp, even when the institution sits inside a county that has its own jail roster.
CDCR Inmate Population Trends
CDCR's July 1, 2026 TPOP1 report showed the CDCR inmate population down year over year, while CDCR's Spring 2026 Population Projections predicted a net five-year institution-population decrease compared with the June 30, 2025 actual population. The projection discusses policy drivers including Proposition 47, Proposition 57, SB 73, SB 483, and good-conduct credit changes.
| Source | Detail | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| TPOP1 July 1, 2026 | 89,469 total in-custody/CRPP supervision | Down 1,202 from prior year |
| TPOP1 July 1, 2026 | 88,174 institution/camp custody | Down 1,178 from prior year |
| Spring 2026 projections | Institution population projection | Net five-year decrease projected |
CDCR Parole and Release
California release timing is not a single public calculator. Determinate terms, indeterminate or life terms, credits, enhancements, custody level, parole eligibility, holds, detainers, resentencing, and administrative review can all affect the date. Proposition 57 created nonviolent offender parole review for certain determinately sentenced people once the full term of the primary offense has been served. The Board of Parole Hearings conducts parole suitability proceedings, nonviolent offender parole reviews, medical parole proceedings, and other specialized reviews for adults under CDCR jurisdiction.
The parole and review functions are documented on the California Board of Parole Hearings page.
The BPH screenshot ties release timing back to the agency process rather than implying a universal release-date formula.
| Term | Plain meaning | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Determinate sentence | A set prison term. | Credit earning and review rules can still affect the actual time served. |
| Indeterminate or life term | A term that may require parole suitability review. | BPH proceedings can become central to release timing. |
| Nonviolent parole eligible date | A Proposition 57 review marker discussed by BPH sources. | It does not mean automatic release. |
| Medical parole | A specialized BPH proceeding identified in the research. | It is a distinct review path, not a general custody search tool. |
CDCR Records Requests
For CDCR records, use the CDCR Public Records Portal linked from CDCR's home and Contact pages. A request should identify the record sought, the incarcerated person's full name, CDCR number if known, date range, facility, and record type. For Board of Parole Hearings records, BPH has a separate public records request contact, and transcript requests are separate from general CDCR records. County jail records requests should go to the holding county, not CDCR.
The CDCR contact and public-records route is captured from the CDCR Contact page.
That image reinforces the records distinction: CDCR requests go to CDCR, while jail booking records stay with the county that owns them.
- Start with CIRIS when the needed fact is a public locator field.
- Use the CDCR Public Records Portal when the requested record is held by CDCR and is not already available through CIRIS.
- Use BPH public-record channels for Board of Parole Hearings material when the record belongs to that process.
- Send county jail booking, arrest, bail, and release-record requests to the county that booked or held the person.
CDCR Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the CDCR inmate population?
CDCR reported 88,174 people in institution and camp custody as of midnight July 1, 2026, and 89,469 total in-custody/CRPP supervision.
What is the official CDCR inmate locator?
The official locator is CIRIS, the California Incarcerated Records & Information Search, at https://ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov/.
Is CDCR the same as a county jail roster?
No. CDCR covers state-prison custody and related CDCR records. County jail rosters cover local bookings, pretrial custody, short sentences, and county release information.
Does CDCR show federal or ICE detention?
No. Use the BOP inmate locator for federal custody and ICE ODLS for immigration detention. CDCR handles California state-prison custody.
Why can a CDCR search fail after an arrest?
The person may still be in county jail, released, in court processing, held federally, or held for immigration custody. Start with the system that matches the most recent custody event.