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Prisons and jails in California

California has 288 prisons and jails: 5.8% of the US total of 4,960. That ranks #2 by count and #46 per person (0.73 per 100,000 residents) of 51.

#46

national rank (per capita)

288

prisons and jails

0.73

per 100k residents

The data

Source: HIFLD Prison Boundaries (U.S. Department of Homeland Security), final release, 2025. Each facility at the centre of its boundary. The Prison Policy Initiative counts 5,077 facilities (2026); counts differ by which kinds of facility are included.

Licence: U.S. government data: no copyright, free to reuse

California: 288 rows (CSV)All of the US (CSV)

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Named prisons and jails in California include

Otay Mesa Detention Center · R J Donovan Correctional Facility (rjd) · East Mesa Reentry Facility · George F Bailey Detention Facility · Facility 8 Detention Facility · South Bay Detention Facility · Chula Vista Jail · Mccain Valley Conservation Camp #21 · Imperial Regional Detention Facility · Cai - Boston Avenue · Cai - Ocean View · MCC San Diego

Cite this

"California has 288 prisons and jails, #2 in the US by count and #46 per person (HIFLD Prison Boundaries, 2025, mapped by InstaMaps)." Free to quote with a link to this page. Population: US Census 2024 estimates.