Minimum and medium custody; conservation-camp hub · State Prison · CDCR

Sierra Conservation Center

Jamestown, Tuolumne County, California

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (209) 984-5291 ext. 5229 Info last verified: June 2026

Minimum- and medium-security CDCR prison near Jamestown in the Sierra foothills; the statewide hub for the conservation (fire) camp program, so many people are housed at remote camps.

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

Sierra Conservation Center, near Jamestown in the Sierra foothills, is a minimum- and medium-security men’s prison and the statewide hub for California’s conservation (fire) camp program. It trains incarcerated wildland firefighters jointly with CAL FIRE at its Wildland Fire Training Center and administers about 30 adult conservation camps across the state (most with CAL FIRE, some with the Los Angeles County Fire Department). It opened in 1965.

Because SCC oversees those statewide camps, its reported population includes people housed at remote camps, not only at the Jamestown site — so the headline number is not the count of people physically at the prison. CDCR’s population reports and CIRIS are the current sources.

What Makes Sierra Conservation Center Different

It is the fire-camp hub: many people processed here are assigned to a conservation camp and are then physically located at a remote camp, not at Jamestown. Confirm the person’s current location on CIRIS, because camp placement changes where and how visits take place.
It is lower-security than most prisons on this list, so visits are generally contact in a more open setting.
The Jamestown institution has discontinued video visitation; conservation camps may still offer it, so options depend on where the person is housed.
It uses two street numbers: the main and staff address is 5100 O’Byrnes Ferry Road, but incarcerated-person mail goes to 5150 O’Byrnes Ferry Road (with the person’s name, CDCR number, and housing unit).

Visiting Hours and Procedures

Sierra Conservation Center 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 near Jamestown, off O’Byrnes Ferry Road in the Sierra foothills.

The nearest 24-hour emergency room is Adventist Health Sonora in Sonora, about 10-15 minutes away. There is no public transit to the prison; a private vehicle is the practical way to reach it.

Nearby Services

Sonora and Jamestown have gas, food, and lodging in the Gold Country, with more options toward the Modesto/Stockton metro to the west. Visitors often make their last full-service stop in Sonora.

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.