Level IV (maximum), with specialized mental-health and medical missions · State Prison · CDCR

California State Prison, Sacramento

Represa, Sacramento County, California

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (916) 985-8610 ext. 5010 Info last verified: June 2026

High-security Level IV CDCR prison in Represa near Folsom, with mental-health and high-risk medical missions; known as New Folsom and separate from Folsom 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

California State Prison, Sacramento — widely known as “New Folsom” — is a maximum-security (Level IV) men’s prison in Represa, near the Folsom Dam. CDCR describes its mission as housing high-security people as well as those who need specialized mental-health programming (it has a Psychiatric Services Unit) and high-risk medical care, plus a Level I minimum-support facility. It opened in 1986 and was named California State Prison, Sacramento in 1992.

It runs above design capacity — about 2,200 against roughly 1,800 designed beds (early 2026); population figures change, so CDCR’s population reports are the current source.

What Makes California State Prison, Sacramento Different

It shares land and the Represa ZIP code with Folsom State Prison, and it is also near California State Prison, Solano — three separate institutions. Confirm the person is at “California State Prison, Sacramento” (SAC / New Folsom), not Folsom or Solano.
As a Level IV prison, much of the population is in higher-restriction housing, so contact visits are not guaranteed.
It carries a mental-health and high-risk medical mission, including a Psychiatric Services Unit.
As California moves people off San Quentin’s former death row, some people under a death sentence have been transferred here and are housed in high-security general population.

Visiting Hours and Procedures

Sacramento visits are arranged in advance, not by drop-in.

General statewide rules, dress code, and the approval process are covered in Visiting in California.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is in Represa, northeast of Sacramento near Folsom.

The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Mercy Hospital of Folsom, a short drive away in Folsom; larger trauma centers are in the Sacramento metro.

Nearby Services

Folsom and the greater Sacramento area have ample gas, food, and lodging, so services are not a constraint here. Visitors traveling from a distance usually find the deepest hotel inventory in the Sacramento metro.

For broader family support beyond the institution itself, Friends Outside is a California nonprofit, operating since 1955, that assists families of incarcerated people and 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.