CCWF Inmate Overview
Central California Women's Facility, often shortened to CCWF, is operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It is in Chowchilla in Madera County and is described by CDCR as the largest female institution in California. The facility houses sentenced adult women in CDCR custody and provides academic, vocational, medical, mental-health, counseling, specialized program, and reintegration services.
This facility should not be searched through the Madera County Jail phone process unless the question is about someone who has not yet transferred to state prison. After a person is sentenced and received into CDCR custody, the county jail roster and jail counter are no longer the main record channels. The correct state prison lookup is CDCR CIRIS, which covers current CDCR incarcerated persons and shows state-prison fields described by CA.gov.
Central California Women's Facility
23370 Road 22
Chowchilla, CA 93610
(559) 665-5531
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
CCWF Capacity Records
Research found a CDCR adult-institutions appendix reference listing Central California Women's Facility design capacity as 1,904. Older public references vary, so current population should be checked against CDCR population reports rather than copied from old summaries. The facility page should use the sourced design-capacity figure carefully and should not claim a current live population count unless a current CDCR report is consulted.
CCWF is a state-prison facility, so its population should not be merged with the Madera County Jail count. Madera County Jail reported 604 rated beds after May 2024 and 462 incarcerated persons during the 2024 Grand Jury visit, but those local jail figures do not describe Central California Women's Facility. The CDCR population is a separate sentenced-prisoner population, even though the institution is physically located in Madera County.
CCWF CDCR Inmate Lookup
Use CDCR CIRIS to search for a person at Central California Women's Facility. CA.gov states that CIRIS results include the incarcerated person's name, CDCR number, age, current location, commitment counties, admission date, and Board of Parole Hearing dates or outcomes. Those fields are state-prison fields. They differ from jail booking fields such as booking number, local bond status, and same-day release questions.
The strongest search is by CDCR number. If the number is not known, use a name search and compare age, current location, and commitment county. Madera County may appear as a commitment county for someone sentenced from Madera County, but CCWF also holds people from other California counties. If a person was just arrested and has not been sentenced to prison, use the Madera County Jail phone and VINE path instead.
- Open CDCR CIRIS.
- Search by CDCR number when known, or search by last name and first name.
- Check the current location field for Central California Women's Facility.
- Compare commitment counties and admission date to confirm the correct person.
- Call the CDCR Identification Unit at (916) 445-6713 during posted weekday hours if search help is needed.
| CIRIS Field | What It Means |
|---|---|
| CDCR number | State prison identifier and best exact-match search key. |
| Current location | Shows whether the person is at CCWF or another CDCR facility. |
| Commitment counties | Shows county or counties tied to the state-prison commitment. |
| Admission date | Shows entry into CDCR custody, not the local jail booking date. |
| Parole hearing dates/outcomes | State prison parole information listed by CA.gov as a CIRIS result field. |
CCWF Address and Contact
Central California Women's Facility has separate physical and mailing addresses. The physical location is used for the institution profile and facility contact. CDCR also publishes mailing addresses for the institution and for inmates. Inmate mail must include the incarcerated person's name and CDCR number. That state number is why the CIRIS lookup matters before sending mail.
Central California Women's Facility
23370 Road 22
Chowchilla, CA 93610
(559) 665-5531
Institution mail: P.O. Box 1501, Chowchilla, CA 93610-1501.
Inmate mail uses: inmate name and CDCR number, P.O. Box 1508, Chowchilla, CA 93610. Do not use the Madera County Jail mail-scanning address for CCWF. County jail mail rules and JailATM rules apply to the local jail, not to state prison custody.
CCWF Visiting Rules
State prison visitation is controlled by CDCR, not the Madera County Jail. The research points to the CDCR visiting information entry point and the facility profile for current rules. Visitors generally must be approved and must follow CDCR scheduling and institution-specific rules. Because state prison visiting rules can change, the CDCR facility page and statewide visitor pages should be checked before travel.
Do not use the Madera County Jail's JailATM video schedule for CCWF. That schedule is a local jail process. For CCWF, confirm visitor approval, scheduling, identification, dress standards, allowed property, contact rules, and any current restrictions through CDCR. If a person recently transferred from jail to prison, wait until CIRIS shows the current location before making visit plans.
| Visit Step | CDCR Action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm location | Search CIRIS for current location. | Transfers can change the institution. |
| Visitor approval | Use CDCR visitor procedures. | State prisons require approval before many visits. |
| Scheduling | Use CDCR's current visiting process. | Facility schedules and rules can change. |
| Arrival rules | Check ID, dress, and property limits. | Entry can be denied for rule violations. |
CCWF Mail and Money
CCWF mail and money services follow CDCR statewide family and friends rules plus facility-specific instructions. The key mail point from research is that inmate mail must include the person's name and CDCR number and goes to the CCWF inmate mail P.O. Box in Chowchilla. Sending county-jail mail to Jonesboro or using a jail booking number would be the wrong system for a CDCR prisoner.
The research did not extract a CCWF-specific deposit fee table. Use CDCR's current family and friends resources and the facility profile for approved vendors and current fees. If the person is not yet in CIRIS, the person may still be in county custody or transfer processing, so confirm custody before sending funds.
| Service | Correct CCWF Detail |
|---|---|
| Inmate mail | Name and CDCR number, P.O. Box 1508, Chowchilla, CA 93610. |
| Institution mail | P.O. Box 1501, Chowchilla, CA 93610-1501. |
| Money deposits | Use CDCR family and friends rules and approved vendors. |
| County jail vendor | JailATM is not the CCWF state-prison lookup or deposit source. |
CCWF Reception and Classification
CCWF does not conduct street-arrest booking for Madera County. A person reaches CDCR custody after a court sentence and state-prison transfer process. Once in CDCR, the person's state record is keyed by CDCR number, admission date, current location, and commitment county. Those fields replace the local jail questions about booking time, bond status, and first court appearance.
Classification in state prison concerns custody level, housing, programs, medical and mental-health needs, safety issues, and institutional assignment. CDCR describes CCWF as having multiple custody levels and specialized medical and mental-health services. That is why the correct lookup question is whether CIRIS lists CCWF as the current location, not whether the Madera County Jail roster lists a current booking.
Note: Confirm the CIRIS current location before mailing, sending money, or planning a CDCR visit.
About CCWF Programs
CDCR's CCWF profile lists a broad program mix. Prison Industry Authority programs include dental laboratory, fabric products, farming, garment making, and silk screening. Vocational programs include auto body repair and refinishing, computer technology, cosmetology, electronics, and office services. Academic programs include Adult Basic Education, High School or GED, Pre-Release, a Literacy Program, and a college degree program through Feather River Community College.
Research also notes ISUDT and DRP cognitive behavioral interventions, with participants assessed by medical staff. CDCR identifies Anissa De La Cruz as Warden since April 2024. CCWF's role in Madera County is therefore very different from the county jail's role. It is a state prison for sentenced adult women, with records in CDCR systems and visits, mail, money, and programs governed by CDCR rules.