How to Visit Someone at Mule Creek 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. Check that the form’s revision date reads 05/17 in the top left corner, since Mule Creek returns any questionnaire on an older or newer version.

Step 3. Mail the Questionnaire to Mule Creek

Send the completed form to Mule Creek State Prison, ATTN Visiting, P.O. Box 409099, Ione, CA 95640. Do not put any inmate information on the envelope, and write “Visiting form inside” on the outside. Do not send the questionnaire to the incarcerated person, since it won’t be accepted that way. If you’re visiting from outside the United States, attach a copy of your valid passport, or the questionnaire is returned.

Step 4. Wait for Approval or Denial

If approved, both you and the incarcerated person are notified, and you’re added to the system as an approved visitor. If denied, you’ll get a letter explaining why. You can resubmit a corrected questionnaire, or appeal in writing to the Warden, and then to CDCR’s Division of Adult Institutions if you disagree with the outcome.

Step 5. Schedule a Contact Visit Through VSA

Once approved, book contact visits through CDCR’s Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) at cdcr.gtlvisitme.com/app. VSA is the only way to schedule a contact visit; phone calls and emails aren’t accepted for contact visits. The scheduling window opens 8 days before the date you want, at 6:00am: for a Friday visit it opens the previous Thursday and closes the previous Sunday night, for a Saturday visit it opens the previous Friday and closes the previous Tuesday night, and for a Sunday visit it opens the previous Saturday and closes the previous Wednesday night.

Mule Creek’s Visiting Hours

• Friday: 12:00pm to 6:30pm (no visitor processing after 5:30pm)
• Saturday: 8:30am to 3:00pm (no visitor processing after 2:00pm)
• Sunday: 8:30am to 3:00pm (no visitor processing after 2:00pm)

You won’t be allowed onto prison grounds earlier than one hour before visitor processing starts. Park in the lower parking lot marked “VISITOR PARKING.”

Walk-In Visits

Walk-in visits are allowed during regular visiting hours, space permitting. A scheduled VSA visit is still more reliable, especially on busy weekends, but you don’t have to book ahead to visit an approved person on a contact yard.

Non-Contact and Restricted Housing Visits

Non-contact and Administrative Segregation visits are not booked through VSA. Call (209) 274-4911 x5410 Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to noon, or email [email protected] during those same hours, to request an appointment for the same week. Appointments are one hour long. Friday slots are 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00pm; Saturday and Sunday slots are 9:00, 10:00, 11:00am, noon, and 1:00pm. Walk-in non-contact visits aren’t allowed. Put “Non-Contact Visit Request” in the email subject line and include the person’s name and CDCR number, each approved visitor’s details, and the date and time you want.

What to Bring

Every adult visitor needs one 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. You may bring up to $100 per adult visitor and $50 per minor, in quarters, one-dollar bills, and five-dollar bills only, carried in a transparent coin purse no larger than 6x8 inches for the visiting-room vending machines.

Bringing Children

Minors under 18 must be accompanied by an approved adult visitor. A certified copy of the child’s birth certificate is required. 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, with the notary stamp on the form itself, renewed each calendar year.

Dress Code

CDCR’s attire rules apply at Mule Creek. Some specifics from the institution: plain white t-shirts and dress shirts are allowed, dresses may be worn no more than two inches above the knee front and back, leggings are allowed as long as the top or dress covers the lower body and isn’t sheer, and orange tops and bottoms are allowed only if not worn together. Avoid anything resembling state-issued blue denim or chambray, law enforcement or military-style clothing, and anything metal that won’t clear a detector, like an underwire bra. Bring only one form of ID, one comb or brush without metal, and, if needed, one small unopened package of tissues or a handkerchief with no bandana pattern.

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 (209) 274-4911 x5425.

Video Visiting

Mule Creek no longer offers video visits on Sundays, but incarcerated people can still video visit through their tablets. Between in-person visits, families also stay in touch through free phone calls and mail.