Wasco State Prison Overview
Wasco State Prison-Reception Center, commonly shortened to WSP, is operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at 701 Scofield Avenue in Wasco. It is a CDCR state prison in Kern County, not a Kern County Sheriff's Office detention facility. Its reception-center role makes it a common first CDCR location after sentencing, but the search and contact rules remain state-prison rules.
CDCR says WSP includes a 4,580-bed reception center, a 1,000-bed medium-custody general-population facility supporting the reception center, and a minimum-custody facility for maintenance and landscaping. The reception-center function is central. CDCR uses reception processing to gather criminal, life, medical, psychological, and social histories and to determine classification score and placement. For families, that means Wasco may be a temporary CDCR location before a person moves to a longer-term prison assignment.
Wasco State Prison Population
CDCR's TPOP1 report for April 15, 2026 listed Wasco State Prison-Reception Center with a population of 3,296, design capacity of 2,384, staffed capacity of 3,547, and 138.3 percent occupancy against design capacity. Research also found a 2025 PREA report that listed design capacity of 4,448, current population of 3,757, and average daily population of 3,656. The TPOP1 figure is the dated CDCR population snapshot used for the stat block, while the PREA source shows why capacity numbers may differ by reporting method.
Do not read those people as part of the Kern County jail population. The county jail population is reported through KCSO and BSCC sources. Wasco's population is CDCR state-prison custody physically located in Kern County.
Wasco State Prison Lookup
Use CDCR CIRIS for a Wasco State Prison-Reception Center inmate lookup. CIRIS is built for CDCR custody and may show the incarcerated person's name, CDCR number, age, current location, commitment counties, admission date, and parole hearing data. The Kern County jail roster does not show current WSP housing because WSP is a sentenced-prison facility.
- Search by CDCR number if it appears in court, prison, or family paperwork.
- Search by first and last name when the number is not available.
- Read the current location field to confirm Wasco State Prison-Reception Center.
- Check the admission date and commitment county to reduce mistaken identity.
- Confirm housing before mail or visits because reception-center placement can change.
| Custody Stage | Search Tool | Record Type |
|---|---|---|
| Kern arrest and pretrial jail | KCSO Inmate_Info | Booking and jail record |
| Sentenced state prison | CDCR CIRIS | Current prison location |
| Victim notification | VINELink | Custody status alerts where available |
People often search the county jail roster after a sentencing hearing and think the record has disappeared. In many cases the search has simply moved from county custody to CDCR custody. Reception centers such as Wasco and North Kern State Prison are part of that transition.
Wasco State Prison Contact
Use the institution phone and CDCR facility page for current WSP questions. The institution address and mailing P.O. boxes are not the same thing as Kern County jail addresses. Mail should be routed with the incarcerated person's name, CDCR number, institution name, and correct facility P.O. Box.
Wasco State Prison-Reception Center
701 Scofield Avenue
Wasco, CA 93280
(661) 758-8400
Institution P.O. Box 8800, Wasco, CA 93280
Wasco State Prison Visiting
Wasco State Prison uses CDCR visiting rules, not KCSO public visiting rules. Visitors generally need CDCR approval and must follow the prison's current scheduling, identification, dress, and conduct requirements. Reception-center status can affect visiting because the person may still be under intake review or may transfer before a visit date.
| Visiting Topic | What To Verify |
|---|---|
| Approval | CDCR visitor approval before scheduling. |
| Current location | CIRIS still shows WSP. |
| Institution status | Facility notices allow visiting that day. |
| Reception processing | Housing status permits the requested visit type. |
Note: Confirm current location and visit status before traveling to Wasco.
Wasco State Prison Mail
CDCR mail guidance requires full name, CDCR number, institution, and a correct mailing route. WSP has separate mail boxes by facility. If the person is at Wasco only for reception processing, the current housing information is especially important. CDCR state-prison phone rules and money processes should be followed instead of Kern County jail Securus or Access Corrections procedures.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Facility A mail | P.O. Box 4400, Wasco, CA 93280 |
| Facility C mail | P.O. Box 6600, Wasco, CA 93280 |
| Facility D mail | P.O. Box 7700, Wasco, CA 93280 |
| Facility H mail | P.O. Box 9900, Wasco, CA 93280 |
| Facility M mail | P.O. Box 3300, Wasco, CA 93280 |
| Phone calls | CDCR state-prison phone rules; free audio calls noted by CDCR |
Wasco Prison Intake
Wasco's reception-center role should be described as CDCR intake and classification, not county booking. County booking occurs after an arrest and can show bail, charges, and hearing details on the KCSO roster. Wasco reception begins after a person is sentenced and received by CDCR. Staff compile background, health, security, and placement information. The person may remain at Wasco's medium-custody general-population facility, move to another CDCR prison, or be assigned based on custody and program needs.
This is why a current CIRIS result matters. Mail sent to the wrong facility or a visit planned from an old location can fail even when the person is still in CDCR custody. For time-sensitive steps, search CIRIS and then call the institution.
Wasco also sits in a different part of the custody timeline from the Kern County court and jail records that may have led to the prison term. A jail record can show arrest charges, bail, hearing dates, and a booking number. A court record can show filed charges, plea, sentence, and disposition. Wasco's public prison record is about CDCR custody after that sentence. Keeping those records separate helps prevent a common mistake: using a jail booking record to decide where a sentenced person can receive mail or visits.
About Wasco State Prison
Wasco State Prison-Reception Center is one of four CDCR facilities physically in Kern County. On April 15, 2026, those four CDCR prisons had a combined TPOP1 population of 11,657, combined design capacity of 8,250, and combined staffed capacity of 12,168. That scale is larger than the county jail population, but the custody category is different. Wasco should be counted as state prison infrastructure in Kern County, not as a Sheriff's Office jail.
The prison's mix of reception-center beds, medium-custody general-population support, and minimum-custody work functions also means not every person at Wasco is in the same stage of custody. Some are being processed for placement. Others support institution operations or are assigned to the general-population portion. Public pages should avoid saying only that Wasco is a jail or only that it is a long-term prison. The supported description is CDCR reception center with related general-population and minimum-custody functions.
Note: Wasco is a CDCR reception center, so use CIRIS and prison rules rather than county jail procedures.
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