North Kern State Prison

They took 5 1/2 months to get my fiancé to where he needs to be. They send you the runaround and it's hard to get in contact with anyone. Plus there's lots of restrictions since it is essentially a reception.

Breakfast served hot cakes and expired syrup that smells homeless.

Our loved one just left here last night,I want to thank you for everything,you took good care of him,someone in each area we had called had always helped us,and someone made sure we all got on our family video visit ,and tried to add us on the last one we'd have,we couldn't but the thought is appreciated. Thank you all for helping us on this journey

Trust me when I say there are prisons much worse than this one when you are visiting someone who is incarcerated. Unless you are from this area, it's basically located north of Bakersfield in the middle of desert "nowhere" close to dairy farms, corn fields and another state prison half an hour away. Make sure you've mapped it out ahead of time before going.

North Kern State Prison is located in Delano, California. The facility acts as both a reception center, and a medium to minimum custody facility, as well as a transportation hub for when inmates are transported over a long distance through California. From L.A., you should leave before the sun comes up if you want to make it in time for visitation hours on Saturdays and watch for dense fog if you are coming down through Grapevine on the 99. It's pretty gnarly.

The important things to remember if you must come here (and hopefully it won't be as an inmate) is to make sure to check their website and fully read the instructions of the Visiting Rules and Information. You have to be on the approved list before visiting and there are very specific rules to follow while you are there. If you do your homework, visits should be flawless.

Aside from this being a prison everything can go smoothly for your visits if you go prepared. This is not like county where just anyone can go visit. You need to be on an approved list for visiting first, so the inmate will have to send you a visiting application and have it approved. This can take up to 6 weeks. I've seen a lot of people turned away, some drove hundreds of miles, just because they were not approved. Read the visiting rules online ahead of time. Also..

Reception Vs Mainline: inmates in reception only have glass visits which means, like in county, the inmates are behind glass, inmates in mainline have contact visits which means they can hug and sit next to each other, etc. Reception visits are an hour long, mainline visits are 2+ hours long. If the inmate has been in trouble and placed in ad seg they only get glass visits until they get out of ad seg.

Appointments: Reception and mainline visits are walk-in only. You can make an appointment but even the guards will tell you that they don't matter cuz they do it based on first-come, first-serve. Ad seg visits must be scheduled by phone only. You NEED to call in for those. 661-721-2345 ext. 7030

Parking: There is plenty of parking and it is less than 500 feet from the processing center. It's free so you don't have to worry about paying anything.

Visiting process: So when you get inside the processing center you need to fill out a paper and place your ID / birth certificates (if you're bringing any children) on top of it and place it on the counter by the guard on the computer. You sit and wait for the other guards to call your name. When they call your name you need to take your shoes off and go through a walk through metal detector. Even underwire from your bra will make it go off and they won't let you through so make sure there's no underwire in your bra. Once you get past the metal detector they give you a paper and your ID/birth certificates and you go through this cage like thing that lets you into the prison to the visiting room. Reception is straight ahead and mainline is to the left. Once you get inside you place your paper on the counter where the guard is (you can't leave without this paper) and wait to be called. Once they call your name you have your visit whether it is glass or contact. After your visit is over you grab your paper go through the cage thing again hand your paper and all IDs to the guard and go home. They keep the paper and you get your IDs.

Tips: bring extra clothes in case they make you change. Black/gray shirt, black/ gray sweats or pants (not leggings) are safe. For mainline you can bring $50 in dollars/ quarters for vending machines per adult and $20 in dollars/ quarters per child. (Reception doesn't have any food or vending machines.)

If you are bringing a baby/ toddler there is an approved list of what you can and cannot bring online. Be sure to check that out before you come for your visit!

Good luck and happy visit!

Prison guards are an embarrassment.
Visitors are not your inmates.
Lost respect for them almost immediately after seeing the treatment of a girl at visitation. An officer harassed and laughed at her for accidentally using the wrong bathroom. Officers openly cussed and used profanities in the waiting room. Anything but public servants. Its just sad.

This is a prison built to benefit the farm community in Kern County. When I went the guards were rude and unpleasant and none of them looked like me. I am 72 years old and dress modestly at all times. Yet I was told my pants were too tight so I needed to go and change. So I go and change which took time off of my visit. When i get in there I see women in skinny jeans Yoga pants you name it. They were not told to change but they took the time to harrass and make me change. I live over 100 miles away and going there is costly. The problem with the CDCR Rules is there are not and each prison makes rules up as they go. They are paid billions of dollars of taxpayers money over and over again to basically do nothing.

Well, what can I say, its a prison. The smell is unpleasant and the residents are uncouth. However, the one bright spot is the snack bar. Really good and reasonably priced. Oh, and the landscaping is great-very well maintained. Lots of free labor.

I lived here for a lil wile not the best looking place and the food kind of sucks but the rent is great. Also way to many guys the need more girls Oh yeah the dentist sucks more then the food. And the lockdowns