How to Visit Someone at Kern Valley State Prison

Step 1. Get on the Approved Visitor List

Before you can schedule anything, the person you want to visit must request CDCR Form 106, the Visitor Questionnaire, and send it to you. They have to sign it themselves, confirming they agree to add you to their visitor list.

Step 2. Fill Out the Questionnaire Completely

The form asks for every arrest and conviction you’ve ever had, even ones that never led to charges. CDCR runs a background check against California’s law enforcement records system, and an unlisted arrest or conviction that turns up in that check is a common reason for denial. If you’re unsure of exact dates, give your best approximate answer instead of leaving it blank.

Step 3. Mail the Questionnaire to Kern Valley

Send the completed form to Kern Valley State Prison, P.O. Box 3130, Delano, CA 93216, ATTN: Visiting Department. This is the staff address, not the inmate mail box.

Step 4. Schedule Your Visit Through VSA

Once approved, book your visit through CDCR’s Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) at cdcr.gtlvisitme.com/app. All visits are booked through GTL’s system. Non-contact visits, in particular, must be scheduled ahead of time. Call (661) 721-6300 to confirm hours before you travel.

Kern Valley’s Visiting Hours

Kern Valley runs a three-day visiting week:

• Friday: 11:30am to 6:30pm
• Saturday: 8:00am to 2:30pm
• Sunday: 8:00am to 2:30pm

You may come onto institutional grounds no more than one hour before your appointment or walk-in time. Staff may allow a 15-minute grace period after your appointment time, after which you’re treated as a walk-in.

Walk-In Visits

Kern Valley accepts walk-in contact visits at separate hours: Friday 2:30pm to 5:00pm, and Saturday and Sunday 11:00am to 1:00pm. Numbered passes are handed out at the Gate House as visitors arrive, for one hour, after which you get a pass at the visitor processing area. Walk-in visits are not guaranteed, and walk-ins cannot be non-contact visits.

Non-Contact Visits

If the person is on non-contact status, that visit must be scheduled in advance. Walk-ins are never processed as non-contact visits. Call the Visiting Department at (661) 721-6300 to arrange a non-contact visit.

Check the Program Status Before You Go

Kern Valley is a Level IV prison, and individual housing units can go on a modified program (lockdown) that suspends visiting for that unit. As of this guide’s verification, Facility D, Buildings 7-8 were on a program modification with no visits. Always check the institution’s current visiting status or call before traveling, since a unit’s status can change.

Overnight Family Visiting

Kern Valley offers extended Family Visiting for eligible incarcerated people and their immediate family. It’s arranged through the Family Visiting Coordinator, reachable at (661) 721-6300 ext. 6360, separate from regular visiting. Note that CDCR did not renew its reunification transportation contract, so there’s no CDCR-provided ride to the prison.

What to Bring

Every adult visitor needs valid, unexpired photo ID: a driver’s license from any state, a state DMV ID card, a military ID, an ICE identification card, a US or foreign passport, or a Mexican Consulate photo ID. The visiting rooms have vending machines, so bring allowable coins or small bills in a clear coin purse if you want to buy food during the visit.

Bringing Children

Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an approved adult visitor, and children under 2 are welcome. Bring a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate. If a parent brings their own child, the birth certificate is enough. If someone other than the legal parent or guardian brings the child, you also need a notarized Minor Consent Form, renewed each calendar year.

Dress Code

CDCR’s attire rules apply at Kern Valley. Avoid anything resembling state-issued clothing (blue chambray or denim), law enforcement or military-style clothing, and anything metal that won’t clear a detector, like an underwire bra. Specific restrictions include no strapless, halter, bare midriff, sheer, or transparent clothing, no skirts or shorts more than two inches above the knee, no clothing exposing the breast, genitals, or buttocks, and no tight or form-fitting attire. Children under 36 inches tall are exempt from the color and material rules but still clear the metal detector.

What’s Not Allowed

Visitors can be turned away for clothing that doesn’t meet the dress code, for being under the influence, or for bringing prohibited items into the visiting area. If an officer says your outfit isn’t acceptable and you believe it complies, you can ask to speak with the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant, who has the final say. The Visiting Sergeant’s line is (661) 721-6300 ext. 5708 or 5712.

Video Visiting

CDCR no longer provides video visiting. Contact between visits is by free phone calls and by mail, plus any messaging available through the person’s tablet.