Levels I-II general population (men) · State Prison · CDCR

Correctional Training Facility

Soledad, Monterey County, California

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (831) 678-3951 ext. 5071 Info last verified: June 2026

The prison everyone calls 'Soledad' — CDCR's second-most-populated institution, a Level II programming prison on US-101, adjacent to the separate Salinas Valley State Prison.

Statewide rules that apply at every CDCR institution

These rules are set by CDCR and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in California.

Dress code

Avoid blue denim, orange, bright yellow, khaki, tan, beige, forest or olive green, and camouflage — these match what incarcerated people or staff wear.
No tank tops, tube tops, spaghetti straps, sheer fabric, or low-cut necklines; shoulders should stay mostly covered.
Skirts and shorts must be within two inches of the knee. Leggings on their own usually do not pass.
Closed-toe shoes only — no sandals, flip-flops, or backless shoes.
Underwire bras set off the metal detector; a wireless or sports bra avoids the issue.

ID: A current government-issued photo ID matching the name on the approved application is required.
What to bring: No cell phones, wallets, other electronics, food, or drinks inside. A small clear bag may hold a car key and vending money in coins and $1 bills, up to the limit the institution posts on its visiting page.
Scheduling: Visitors must be approved on CDCR Form 106 before a first visit, then schedule through the VSA online system. Walk-ins are generally not allowed.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in California

Overview

The Correctional Training Facility began in 1947 as a San Quentin farming camp and grew into the three-facility complex that, in 1968, traded the name “Soledad State Prison” for one reflecting its education and vocational mission. The old name never left everyday use — but the institution today is a Level I-II general-population prison and CDCR’s second largest by population, with about 4,270 men at roughly 152 percent of design capacity.

Two of its three facilities (A and B) run as non-designated programming units; Facility C — which CDCR still calls “Central” in its visiting notices — holds Level II general population plus the administrative segregation unit. Facility D closed in 2021. The programming catalog matches the name: prison industries from furniture to textiles, vocational trades from auto mechanics to welding, academics through college, and a long self-help list including Friends Outside and an on-site Family Liaison Service Specialist for reunification help.

What Makes the Correctional Training Facility Different

Mail sorts by facility: A and B use P.O. Box 705, Facility C uses P.O. Box 689 — the wrong box slows mail, so confirm the person’s facility first. And the wrong prison is a real risk here: Salinas Valley’s boxes are entirely different.
Scheduling is strict and rotates: VSA is the only channel — the posted rule says email requests are not reviewed — the window runs from 8 days to 5 days before each visit day, and CTF posts which facilities are being scheduled each week.
A shuttle is part of the visit: Facility A/B visitors are picked up at the covered area by the visitor lot, with the officer-driven bus cycling every 30 minutes at :15 and :45 past the hour. Facility C visitors can wait there or walk to the Central entrance.
The birth-certificate rule has no exceptions: a certified copy for every minor at every visit, even children who have visited before — visitors without one are not admitted.
Family (overnight) visits run on a posted pipeline: applications are processed in date order with the current batch posted on the visiting page, on two rotations (process in Wednesday/out Saturday, or in Saturday/out Tuesday), with arrival between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. The Family Visiting Coordinator is at (831) 678-3951 ext. 5070.
CTF hosts an annual Get on the Bus children’s visiting event, and an Inmate Family Council meets with the warden on visiting conditions.

Visiting Hours and Procedures

CDCR posts CTF’s schedule, weekly scheduling rotation, and family-visit pipeline on the facility’s visiting status page.

CTF’s posted attire rules restate the statewide list — no blue denim that resembles inmate clothing, nothing law-enforcement-style, skirts and shorts no more than two inches above the knee, no underwire that can’t clear the metal detector. The full approval process and statewide rules are in Visiting in California.

Getting There and Parking

CTF is on Soledad Prison Road off US-101, about four miles north of the town of Soledad — roughly 86 miles south of San Jose and 25 south of Salinas.

Distances are approximate. CDCR directs visitors to check Caltrans QuickMap for road conditions before traveling.

Nearby Services

Soledad’s services run along Front Street and the Soledad Marketplace area: Chevron and Shell stations, a Grocery Outlet, Panda Express, Dutch Bros, and a Motel 6 on Front Street; fuller lodging is in Salinas. The prison sits between two 24/7 emergency rooms — Salinas Valley Health Medical Center at 450 E. Romie Lane in Salinas, (831) 757-4333, and Mee Memorial Hospital at 300 Canal Street in King City, (831) 385-6000.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone at a California state prison:

Visiting in California — CDCR approval process, dress code, scheduling
Mail & Packages — What you can send and what gets rejected
Phone & Video Calls — Call costs, tablets, and video visits
Sending Money — How to add funds to a CDCR trust account
Medical & Mental Health — Healthcare in CDCR facilities
Transfers — What happens during transfers

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.