Minimum through maximum custody (men) · State Prison · CDCR

Mule Creek State Prison

Ione, Amador County, California

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (209) 274-4911 ext. 5410 (non-contact visit appointments) Info last verified: June 2026

A large programming-focused men's prison in the Gold Country foothills near Ione, about 60 miles southeast of Sacramento.

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

Mule Creek State Prison opened in 1987 in the foothills outside Ione and has grown into one of CDCR’s largest institutions — about 3,800 men across the original prison and two modern facilities (D and E) added in 2016, purpose-built with rehabilitation classrooms and family-visiting space. CDCR’s June 2026 weekly report listed the population at about 115 percent of design capacity.

What defines the place for families is programming: CDCR’s published catalog at Mule Creek runs from Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous through anger-management, veterans’ and lifers’ groups, two dog-training programs, and five career technical trades, and incarcerated students earn bachelor’s degrees on site through Sacramento State’s prison program, per news reporting. The prison also has its own newspaper, the Mule Creek Post, written by incarcerated staff.

What Makes Mule Creek State Prison Different

VSA is the only door for contact visits. Mule Creek’s posted rule is blunt: scheduling happens only through CDCR’s Visitation Scheduling Application — “phone calls and emails are not accepted.” The booking window opens at 6:00 a.m. eight days before each visit day, and walk-ins are accepted during regular hours only as space allows.
The visiting application has a version trap: the posted rule rejects any CDCR Form 106 that isn’t the May 2017 revision — the version CDCR currently posts. Write “Visiting form inside” on the envelope, and put no inmate information on the outside.
Visitors can carry real vending money: up to $100 per adult and $50 per minor — quarters, $1s, and $5s only — in one transparent coin purse no larger than 6 x 8 inches.
Non-contact and restricted-housing visits are appointment-only, booked by phone — (209) 274-4911 ext. 5410, Monday-Thursday mornings — or email, with one-hour slots and a three-visitor cap. No walk-ins.
The 2016 facilities were built with families in mind, sharing dedicated family-visiting units — and family (overnight) visits operate here under CDCR’s statewide immediate-family rules.
No weekend public transit: Amador Transit’s Ione route runs weekdays only, and visiting is Friday through Sunday — the trip is by car.

Visiting Hours and Procedures

CDCR posts Mule Creek’s schedule and rules on the facility’s visiting status page.

Sunday video visiting has ended — people with tablets can still make video calls from the tablet itself. CDCR directs visitors to check Caltrans QuickMap before traveling, and VSA appointment holders are notified there of weather cancellations. The statewide approval process, dress code, and visit types are covered in Visiting in California.

Getting There and Parking

Mule Creek is on Highway 104 just outside Ione, in the Sierra foothills.

Visitor parking is the posted lower lot. Foothill roads and valley fog are seasonal factors; QuickMap has current conditions.

Nearby Services

Ione is small — a Shell station on Preston Avenue covers fuel, and the Harrah’s Northern California casino on Coal Mine Road has restaurants. Fuller services are in Jackson, about 20 minutes east: the Best Western Amador Inn, the Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort’s hotel and restaurants, and Sutter Amador Hospital at 200 Mission Boulevard — the county’s only hospital, with a 24-hour emergency department, (209) 223-7500.

For family support beyond the institution, CDCR’s posted resources include the statewide Inmate Family Council system — family members who meet regularly with wardens about visiting conditions — and Friends Outside, the California nonprofit that operates visitor centers at state prisons.

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.