OUR LAW OFFICE NO LONGER REPRESENT INMATES FOR COMPASSIONATE RELEASE. Families and Friends can write to the Institution CME (list below) to initiate the CR process.
AB 960 mandates appointment of counsel for indigent persons upon CDCR’s recommendation to court
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We have limited our practiced to Lifer Parole Hearings & Appeals from BPH Denial,
Youth Offender Parole (SB 260/261/AB 1308),
Elderly Parole (Statutory tract 50/20 & Federal Court Order Track 60/25)
Call: 619-233-3688 www.dianeletarte.com
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While all are keeping an eye on AB 2727 and elderly parole [Elevates Age and Time-Served Thresholds] (a future blog) , hundreds of incarcerated Californians — and their families — are navigating a quieter but equally critical pathway: Compassionate Release. This process has nothing to do with the Board of Parole Hearings or sentence length. It exists for one reason: a person is so gravely ill, or cognitively incapacitated, that continued incarceration serves no legitimate penological purpose. If your loved one is seriously ill inside a California prison, this blog is for you.
What Is Compassionate Release? The AB 960 (2022) Reform
California’s compassionate release law — now codified at Penal Code § 1172.2 (enacted by AB 960, effective January 1, 2023, formerly § 1170(e)) — allows the CDCR Secretary to recommend to the sentencing court that a gravely ill or permanently incapacitated person’s sentence be recalled and the person resentenced. The court then has short limited days from the Secretary’s recommendation to hold a hearing and decide. This process bypasses the Board of Parole Hearings entirely — the sentencing court is the decision-maker.
AB 960 was a landmark reform: it expanded eligibility, created a presumption of release, and mandated appointment of counsel for indigent persons — making this remedy far more accessible than it was before 2023.
Important: Persons sentenced to LWOP or death are not eligible for compassionate release under PC § 1172.2.
Who Qualifies Under AB 960 / PC § 1172.2?
A person qualifies if they meet ONE of the following two criteria:
• Serious and Advanced Illness with an End-of-Life Trajectory. Under AB 960, there is no longer a rigid “six months to live” deadline. A serious, advanced illness trending toward end of life is sufficient — a significant expansion from the old 12-month terminal prognosis requirement. Examples in the statute include metastatic solid-tumor cancer, ALS, end-stage organ disease, and advanced end-stage dementia.
• Permanently Medically Incapacitated. The person is unable to perform activities of basic daily living — including bathing, eating, dressing, toileting, transferring, and ambulation. AB 960 explicitly added progressive end-stage dementia and removed the prior requirement of 24-hour total care.
The presumption of release: Once eligibility is established, AB 960 created a legal presumption in favor of recall and resentencing. The burden then shifts — the State must affirmatively prove the person poses an unreasonable risk of danger to public safety to block release.
Right to counsel: AB 960 mandates appointment of counsel for indigent persons upon CDCR’s recommendation to the court. If your loved one cannot afford an attorney, request appointment of counsel at the outset.
How the Process Works: The CME Is the Required First Step
Under PC § 1172.2, the compassionate release process must begin at the institution through the Chief Medical Executive (CME) — also called the Chief Executive Officer of Health Care. There is no mechanism to file directly with the court. The CME’s determination of eligibility is the required first step, and once the CME confirms eligibility, CDCR’s recommendation to the court is mandatory. Here is how the pipeline runs:
Step 1 → Primary care physician refers the case to the CME using CDCR Form 7478.
Step 2 → CME reviews medical records and confirms PC § 1172.2 eligibility. Must sign off within a short amount of working days.
Step 3 → Signed form goes to the Classification and Parole Representative (C&PR) within several working days; C&PR prepares an evaluation report.
Step 4 → C&PR forwards the report to the Warden or Chief Deputy Warden within a few working days for review and signature.
Step 5 → Warden sends the referral to the Statewide Chief Medical Executive, who affirms medical eligibility within a short amount of working days.
Step 6 → CDCR’s Classification Services Unit reviews for completeness ( short turn around), then refers the matter to the sentencing court.
Step 7 → The sentencing court holds a hearing within a short number of days and decides whether to grant recall and resentencing.
The court does not act until CDCR recommends. Getting the CME to move is the critical first step — which is why writing to the CME matters.
A family member, the incarcerated person, or their designee may independently contact the CME to request a review under PC § 1172.2, subdivision (g). This does not bypass the CME — it triggers the same internal pipeline. What it does is put the institution on notice that the family is engaged and prepared to pursue legal remedies if the referral is unreasonably delayed.
How to Write to the CME: An 8-Step Guide
Your letter must be professional, factual, and supported by documentation. Always cite PC § 1172.2 (AB 960) — not the old § 1170(e) language — in all correspondence filed after January 1, 2023.
Step 1: Address it correctly. Write to the Chief Medical Executive at the specific institution’s staff mailing address. The full directory for all 31 CDCR adult facilities is at the end of this blog. Do NOT use inmate mail P.O. boxes.
Step 2: Identify your loved one. State the full name, CDCR number, current housing assignment, and your relationship to the incarcerated person.
Step 3: Describe the condition specifically. Name the diagnosis, current stage or severity, and the functional limitations — what can your loved one no longer do? You do not need a firm six-month deadline. A serious advanced illness with an end-of-life trajectory, or an inability to perform ADLs including bathing, eating, dressing, or ambulation, satisfies PC § 1172.2.
Step 4: State the exact relief you are requesting. Ask the CME to initiate a referral for sentence recall and resentencing under Penal Code § 1172.2 (AB 960) and to forward the matter through the required institutional pipeline to CDCR’s Classification Services Unit for recommendation to the sentencing court. Citing the statute by name matters.
Step 5: Describe your release plan. Where will your loved one go? Who provides care? What medical coverage (Medi-Cal) exists? A credible, specific release plan — named facility, confirmed coverage, signed caregiver commitment — is what courts look for.
Step 6: Attach supporting documents. Include physician letters or prognosis statements, hospital discharge summaries, palliative care or specialist records, and a signed CDCR 7385 medical release authorization.
Step 7: Send copies simultaneously. Copy: (1) institution Warden; (2) CDCR Secretary’s office, Sacramento; (3) CCHCS Headquarters, 8280 Longleaf Drive, Elk Grove, CA 95758; and (4) your attorney, if one was retained.
Step 8: Follow up in writing at 21 days. If no written confirmation of a review has been initiated, follow up by certified mail referencing your original submission date. If the institution fails to process the referral within a reasonable time, an attorney can file a Writ of Habeas Corpus in superior court to compel CDCR to comply with its mandatory obligations under PC § 1172.2.
CDCR Institution Address Directory — Write to the Chief Medical Executive
Address all compassionate release correspondence to: Chief Medical Executive / Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration at the institution’s staff mailing address. Do NOT use inmate P.O. boxes.
|
INSTITUTION |
ADDRESS — Chief Medical Executive / Office of CME / Healthcare Admin |
MAIN PHONE |
|
Avenal State Prison (ASP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration #1 Kings Way, Avenal, CA 93204 |
(559) 386-0587 |
|
California Correctional Institution (CCI) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration P.O. Box 1031, Tehachapi, CA 93581 |
(661) 822-4402 |
|
California Health Care Facility, Stockton (CHCF) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 7707 Austin Road, Stockton, CA 95215 |
(209) 467-2500 |
|
California Institution for Men (CIM) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 14901 Central Avenue, Chino, CA 91710 |
(909) 597-1821 |
|
California Institution for Women (CIW) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 16756 Chino-Corona Road, Corona, CA 92880 |
(909) 597-1771 |
|
California Medical Facility (CMF) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration P.O. Box 2000, Vacaville, CA 95696-2000 |
(707) 448-6841 |
|
California Men's Colony (CMC) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93409 |
(805) 547-7900 |
|
California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 5th Street & Western Ave., Norco, CA 92860 |
(951) 737-2683 |
|
California State Prison, Corcoran (CSP-COR) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration P.O. Box 8800, Corcoran, CA 93212 |
(559) 992-8800 |
|
California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 44750 60th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93536 |
(661) 729-2000 |
|
California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 100 Prison Road, Represa, CA 95671 |
(916) 985-8610 |
|
California State Prison, Solano (SOL) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 2100 Peabody Road, Vacaville, CA 95696 |
(707) 451-0182 |
|
Calipatria State Prison (CAL) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 7018 Blair Road, Calipatria, CA 92233 |
(760) 348-7000 |
|
Centinela State Prison (CEN) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 2302 Brown Road, Imperial, CA 92251 |
(760) 337-7900 |
|
Central California Women's Facility (CCWF) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration P.O. Box 1501, Chowchilla, CA 93610 |
(559) 665-5531 |
|
Correctional Training Facility (CTF) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration Highway 101 North, Soledad, CA 93960 |
(831) 678-3951 |
|
Folsom State Prison (FSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 300 Prison Road, Represa, CA 95671 |
(916) 985-2561 |
|
High Desert State Prison (HDSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 475-750 Rice Canyon Rd., Susanville, CA 96127 |
(530) 251-5100 |
|
Ironwood State Prison (ISP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 19005 Wiley's Well Road, Blythe, CA 92225 |
(760) 921-3000 |
|
Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration P.O. Box 5101, Delano, CA 93216 |
(661) 721-6300 |
|
Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 4001 Highway 104, Ione, CA 95640 |
(209) 274-4911 |
|
North Kern State Prison (NKSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 2737 West Cecil Avenue, Delano, CA 93215 |
(661) 721-2345 |
|
Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 5905 Lake Earl Drive, Crescent City, CA 95531 |
(707) 465-1000 |
|
Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 24863 West Jayne Avenue, Coalinga, CA 93210 |
(559) 935-4900 |
|
R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 480 Alta Road, San Diego, CA 92179 |
(619) 661-6500 |
|
Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration P.O. Box 1020, Soledad, CA 93960 |
(831) 678-5500 |
|
San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (SQRC) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 1 Main Street, San Quentin, CA 94964 |
(415) 454-1460 |
|
Sierra Conservation Center (SCC) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 5100 O'Byrnes Ferry Road, Jamestown, CA 95327 |
(209) 984-5291 |
|
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, Corcoran (SATF) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 900 Quebec Avenue, Corcoran, CA 93212 |
(559) 992-8800 |
|
Valley State Prison (VSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration P.O. Box 99, Chowchilla, CA 93610 |
(559) 665-6100 |
|
Wasco State Prison – Reception Center (WSP) |
Chief Medical Executive Office of the CME / Healthcare Administration 701 Scofield Avenue, Wasco, CA 93280 |
(661) 758-8400 |
CCHCS Headquarters (copy all correspondence here):
California Correctional Health Care Services — 8280 Longleaf Drive, Building D, Suite 101, Elk Grove, CA 95758 | Phone: (916) 691-6065
