CDCR INFORMATIONAL RELEASE
Recently issued court orders require all incarcerated people to be fully vaccinated, or to have been granted an approved medical or religious accommodation, in order to participate in regular (in-person) visits, family (overnight) visits, and off-site work assignments.
Visiting
To ensure your visits are not disrupted, please ensure you are fully vaccinated by Dec. 20, 2021. This means both doses of the vaccine must be given by early December. You may request an accommodation based on a qualifying medical reason or a sincerely held religious belief. All requests will be reviewed by staff.
After Dec. 20, 2021, people who have submitted requests for accommodation that are under review, or who have begun vaccination but are not 14 days past their final dose, may visit if they test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of the visit, and must wear an N95 mask during the visit.
Testing and vaccine rules for video visits will not change. People visiting their loved ones are encouraged, but not required, to be fully vaccinated. Visitors must continue to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the visit. On-site testing is not available and at-home tests will not be accepted. Masks and six feet of distance between people are required during visiting, even for fully vaccinated people.
The Photo Ducat Program will return to the visiting areas. Everyone being photographed must remain masked, as must the photographer. Children’s play areas will be open, and will be cleaned throughout the day.
Incarcerated Workers
Incarcerated people currently assigned to jobs outside of the institution (such as fire crew members and Minimum Support Facility workers) will not be removed from their assignments if they are not fully vaccinated. However, effective Dec. 20, 2021, people who are not fully vaccinated and do not have an approved RRA or MA will not be eligible for camp or any off-site work assignment. Vaccination will not be required for placement into the Male Community Reentry Program, the Custody to Community Transitional Reentry Program, or the Alternative Custody Program.
Accommodation requests
To submit a Request for Religious Accommodation (RRA), complete the COVID-19 RRA Vaccine Exemption Form. The form will be forwarded to your Community Resources Manager (CRM) and reviewed by the institutional Religious Review Committee (RRC), which includes an Associate Warden or designee, CRM, and one or more chaplains. If the request is denied and you choose to appeal, a review and decision will be made by the statewide RRC.
