Avenal State Prison

This facility sits in California's Central Valley and is named after the nearby town. The grounds include dormitories, administrative buildings, and a dedicated firehouse spread across approximately 640 acres.

The facility opened in January 1987 under the name Kings County State Prison. It received its current designation in February of the following year.

The Golden Hills Adult School within the prison provides educational programs from basic education to career technical training, including college-level courses for inmates.

The facility operates with three security levels and currently houses around 4800 inmates. This represents approximately 1.6 times the original capacity of just under 2900 spaces.

In 2001 management introduced a program to control feral cats through neutering. The measure was later discontinued for operational reasons.

Location: California

Inception: January 1987

Official opening: January 1987

GPS coordinates: 35.97500,-120.12000

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:25