California

The table below displays aggregate COVID-19 data for incarcerated people and staff in carceral facilities located in California. The State DOC Data Grade represents our assessment of the transparency and quality of those data reported by California's state department of corrections.

*

The Behind Bars Data Project ceased regular COVID data collection on January 18, 2022.

D
State DOC Data GradeView scorecard
Cumulative CasesActive CasesCumulative DeathsTests
Incarcerated PeopleCountPer 10kCountPer 10kCountPer 10kCountPer 10k
State Adult Prisons90,7207,61624028260223,850,985327,356
Federal Prisons5,3883,94016122921----
ICE Detention Centers2,83423,8555042118----
State and Local Youth Facilities----------------
StaffCountPer 10kCountPer 10kCountPer 10kCountPer 10k
State Adult Prisons55,8518,79925340498----
Federal Prisons----16--1------
View source data

Facilities by

FacilityIncarcerated PeopleStaff

Los Angeles Jails

County Jails

9,9756,150

Wasco State Prison

State Adult Prisons

5,2991,699

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility

State Adult Prisons

4,8362,017

Avenal State Prison

State Adult Prisons

4,3421,531

North Kern State Prison

State Adult Prisons

4,3231,731
View our data on Github
Map of California with spikes representing the active metric for each facility.

1

5.0k

10k

Spikes represent the cumulative cases in a facility for incarcerated people

Data Reporting & Quality Scorecard

Data Reporting & Quality GradeD*

This scorecard assesses data reporting and quality for the state department of corrections in California. Read more about our scoring methodology and to see how this jurisdiction compares to other state and federal systems.

Scores assessed as of December 29, 2022.

*

The Behind Bars Data Project ceased regular COVID data collection on January 18, 2022.

Data reporting for incarcerated people
  • Cumulative Cases

    By facility

  • Cumulative Deaths

    By facility

  • Active Cases

    By facility

  • Tests Administered

    Systemwide only

  • Population

    By facility

  • Vaccinations

    By facility

  • Boosters

    By facility

Data reporting for staff
  • Cumulative Cases

    By facility

  • Cumulative Deaths

    By facility

  • Active Cases

    By facility

  • Tests Administered

    None

  • Population

    By facility

  • Vaccinations

    By facility

  • Boosters

    None

Data quality
  • Machine Readable

    No

  • Regularly Updated

    Yes

  • Clearly Defined

    Yes

  • Contextualized Historically

    Yes

Prison and Jail Releases Related to COVID

We collect data on jurisdictions across the U.S. that have released people from adult prison and jail custody in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click a row to view full details.

FacilityPeople releasedRelease details

Santa Rita County Jail

Alameda

247Minor offenses, Short remaining sentence

Multiple facilities

Alameda

500Short remaining sentence

Statewide prisons

California

3,418Minor offenses, Short remaining sentence

County-wide jails

Los Angeles

250Minor offenses

County-wide jails

Los Angeles

5,193
Map of California with spikes representing the active metric for each facility.
County with a release

Grassroots and Community Organizing Efforts Related to COVID

Our team collects data on grassroots and community organizing efforts by incarcerated people, their families, community-based organizations, nonprofits, and advocates aimed at influencing government agencies to protect the lives of people incarcerated in prisons, jails, and detention centers against the threats posed by COVID-19. Click a row to view full details.

Target facilityCountyDate of actionOrganizationType of effortInternal/ externalEffort concernsSource
Adelanto ICE Processing CenterSan Bernardino6/12/20ICE detainees at Adelanto ICE Processing CenterUprising/Protest–Internal, March/Protest–ExternalCoordinatedAccelerated releases, Sanitation improvements
Adelanto ICE Processing CenterSan Bernardino5/28/2020Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Detention Watch Network, Nikkei Progressive Little Tokyo, ACLU of Southern California, CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Never Again Action- Los Angeles, Freedom for Immigrants, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, National Lawyers Guild Los AngelesCar RallyInternalAccelerated releases, Sanitation improvements
Adelanto ICE Processing CenterSan Bernardino4/30/2020ICE detainees in the women's unit in the Adelanto ICE Processing CenterStrike/Work StoppageExternalAccelerated releases, Sanitation improvements
Adelanto ICE Processing CenterSan Bernardino4/5/2020100-180 incarcerated folksHunger StrikeExternalAccelerated releases, Sanitation improvements
Avenal State PrisonAvenal6/2/2020Families United to End LWOPMarch/Protest–ExternalInternalAccelerated releases