The Calipatria state prison is one among the many male only state prison facilities in California. It is located in the city of Calipatria, California, within Imperial County. The Calipatria State Prison facility first opened its doors in 1992, less than two years before the Centinela State Prison would open, which is also located in Imperial County. The Calipatria State Prison is often times referred to as the lowest prison in the Western Hemisphere, due to the fact that it is situated at approximately 184 feet below sea level. The original design for Calipatria State Prison was meant to hold a maximum of 2,200 inmates, though current population numbers are at about 4,200 prisoners housed in the facility. The staff consists of over 1,100 and has an annual budget of about $123 million.
The facility sits on over 1,200 acres, with the prison itself occupying about 300 acres. The Calipatria State Prison is classified as a minimum to maximum security level complex, covering the entire spectrum in terms of the types of criminals that can be found on its premises. More than 2,000 of its housing units are dedicated for inmates that are qualified as maximum security risks, which means that there are fenced or walled perimeters, electronic security measures, and armed security staff at all times. The minimum security facility consists of open dormitories with a fenced in perimeter. One of the interesting features of the Calipatria State Prison is the fact that there is a $1.5 million dollar electrified fence system, which actually causes instantaneous death when touched, which is meant to deter inmates from escaping.
The Calipatria state prison is one among the many male only state prison facilities in California. It is located in the city of Calipatria, California, within Imperial County. The Calipatria State Prison facility first opened its doors in 1992, less than two years before the Centinela State Prison would open, which is also located in Imperial County. The Calipatria State Prison is often times referred to as the lowest prison in the Western Hemisphere, due to the fact that it is situated at approximately 184 feet below sea level. The original design for Calipatria State Prison was meant to hold a maximum of 2,200 inmates, though current population numbers are at about 4,200 prisoners housed in the facility. The staff consists of over 1,100 and has an annual budget of about $123 million.
The facility sits on over 1,200 acres, with the prison itself occupying about 300 acres. The Calipatria State Prison is classified as a minimum to maximum security level complex, covering the entire spectrum in terms of the types of criminals that can be found on its premises. More than 2,000 of its housing units are dedicated for inmates that are qualified as maximum security risks, which means that there are fenced or walled perimeters, electronic security measures, and armed security staff at all times. The minimum security facility consists of open dormitories with a fenced in perimeter. One of the interesting features of the Calipatria State Prison is the fact that there is a $1.5 million dollar electrified fence system, which actually causes instantaneous death when touched, which is meant to deter inmates from escaping.
