USP Atwater, CA Inmate Roster

USP Atwater is a high-security penitentiary for men controlled by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that can hold 1,249 inmates in Atwater, California about 40 miles south of Modesto, California. Currently, it holds 1,022 inmates. There is an attached minimum security satellite camp with 81 inmates.

It opened in 2001 on what was formerly Castle Air Force Base. Atwater Prison operates in the Western Region of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

One of the most famous inmates at USP Atwater, CA is Jerry Whitworth, a former senior chief petty officer for the U.S. Navy who was convicted for espionage and selling classified information to the Soviet Union. Agustin Hunnes, arrested for connections to the 2019 college bribery scandal, is also housed here.

Prison Camp

Atwater Prison has a minimum-security prison satellite camp attached to the main prison. The camp has 147 beds. Prison camps have no perimeter fence and are work and program-oriented. Inmates housed at the camps provide work services to both the main institution and off-site locations.

Payment for job assignments is offered at four levels, from 12 cents an hour up to 40 cents, and maintenance pay, at five dollars and twenty-five cents a month. The UNICOR program has its payment system. All job changes have to be approved by the unit supervisor and are posted on the change sheet.

The USP Atwater, CA prison camp has education programs, including a required GED program for inmates who don’t have one. Once inmates have a GED they can continue their education through occupational training or an adult continuing education program. Inmates can get vocational training in building trades and computer skills.

For leisure, inmates can enjoy organized and unorganized sports, games, and hobbies. Among the included activities are table games and art programs. Inmates can also watch movies. Inmates can play softball, soccer, and volleyball organized through the camp.

Inmate Lookup

Looking up who is housed at USP Atwater, CA is free. Before contacting or visiting an inmate, it’s advised to look up to ensure that they’re housed where you think they are. Information can change quickly, especially when it comes to the release of inmates. The information is usually updated within 24 hours.

All lookups can be done through the Federal Bureau of Prison inmate locator. All inmates who have gone through the Federal Prison system since 1982 can be searched. They can be searched through a registration number or their name. For inmates with common names, searches can be narrowed by race, sex, and age.

Contacting USP Prison

There are several ways to contact an inmate at Atwater Prison. Inmates can write and receive letters, make phone calls, and send emails. Staff can also receive letters at the penitentiary.

Sending Letters

Use the following format to send a letter to an inmate at USP Atwater, CA

INMATE NAME AND REGISTER NUMBER
USP ATWATER
U.S. PENITENTIARY
P.O.BOX 019001
ATWATER, CA 95301

All correspondence sent to inmates will be searched before the inmate will receive it. Staff will check all mail for contraband and plans in a letter that may disturb the peace at USP Atwater, CA. Special mail from a government agency is opened in front of the inmate though it is still inspected before the inmate can receive it.

Inmates can only receive packages when they’ve obtained written approval from an authorized staff member. Packages from home can only contain medical items or clothing for release. Clothes for release will be held for up to thirty days to be given to the inmate.

Phone Calls

Inmates are encouraged to make phone calls with their families to help continue their community connections. Phone calls can be restricted when staff determines that would be good for the order of the penitentiary. Calls are monitored to ensure the security of Atwater Prison, though unmonitored calls to attorneys are allowed under some circumstances.

Calls are typically paid for by the inmate, though occasionally a person outside of prison may pay for the call. Phone calls cannot be made using a third-party app to ensure that the calls can be appropriately monitored.

Email

Inmates can also send emails to their families and other community members. Emails are sent through the TRULINCS system, a closed internet program. Before an inmate can send or receive an email, both parties must agree to have their emails monitored. Messages sent through TRULINCS are limited to 13,000 text characters, no photos can be sent or received.

This system is paid for by the inmates. They pay for it through commissary purchases, phone services, and any fees that inmates pay to use the TRULINCS service.

Visiting an Inmate

Inmates are generally allowed visitors from an approved list of friends and family. When an inmate is first processed through at USP Atwater, CA they fill out a form detailing potential visitors. Even lawyers need to be listed and checked.

Visiting hours at Atwater Prison is restricted to Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Holidays from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. Before visiting, incoming visitors are subject to be searched and cannot bring in any outside items, outside of a few items, like identification or religious items.

During the visit, both the inmates and the visitors are expected to behave properly. Visitors must dress appropriately and physical contact is limited to the start and end of the visit. Appropriate dress includes a skirt or dress that reaches the knees, no plunging necklines, and no hooded shirts or sweatshirts.

Currently, all visits are suspended at Atwater Prison until further notice.

Prison Store

The Atwater Prison store, or commissary, is where inmates can purchase personal items using money made at a job or through money deposits from family and friends outside of the penitentiary. Purchases are made with a commissary card that is also used for identification and must be on them at all times.

Through the commissary, inmates can purchase additional personal or hygiene items, such as soap and shoes. They can also purchase select food items, such as spices and snacks. Inmates are limited to spending $320 or less a month.

Any money left on the commissary card when an inmate is released is consolidated on a debit card and given to the inmate.

Money Deposits

Inmates are not allowed to have cash on them at any time while housed at USP Atwater, CA and money cannot be mailed to them. All money deposits have to be processed before they can be deposited into the inmate’s account. This can only be done with a money order or using MoneyGram or Western Union.

Money orders must be sent through USPS to the central processing location in Desmoines, Iowa. The sending address on the envelope must include the inmate’s name and eight-digit registration number.

Inmates can also receive money through a deposit from MoneyGram or Western Union. These deposits can be made over the phone or online and are typically completed within 2 to 4 hours if made before 9:00 pm eastern time. To make the deposit you will need the inmate’s last name and registration number.

Inmate Jobs

Inmates can earn money through job assignments. Jobs are assigned to all inmates after they’re medically cleared. Any job changes must go through the unit staff and these changes are posted on the Daily Change Sheet. Inmates are responsible for getting to their job assignments on time.

Some job assignments offer pay through the Inmate Performance Pay (IPP) system. Pay is offered on a scale depending on the job assignment and how long the inmate has worked in that position.

The first job many inmates get is in institutional management, this includes working in food services, as a unit orderly, or in a maintenance shop. Inmates can also get a job in a factory operated by Federal Prison Industries, also called UNICOR.

UNICOR trains and employs inmates to make high-quality products for the federal government. Inmates at Atwater Prison with a high level of financial obligation often get the first choice at a UNICOR job placement and these skills are beneficial to life outside of prison.

Inmates are expected to be financially responsible for any money obligations they have. This includes any court fees. Inmates can take advantage of the programs at Atwater Prison to help them manage their money. Staff can help inmates develop a financial plan and how to pay off debt.

Education and Job Training

All inmates at USP Atwater, CA who do not have a high school diploma or GED must take the classes necessary to get one. One of the benefits of having passed the GED test is getting pay above entry-level.

Inmates who speak English as a second language must have their English skills evaluated. If an inmate’s ability to communicate in English is limited they must take classes until they can function at an eighth-grade level, even if they have a GED.

Once inmates have completed the required literacy and English programs, they can choose to participate in an occupational educational training course, apprenticeship, adult continuing education, or a correspondence course. These courses allow inmates to learn skills that they can use outside of prison to find employment.

Inmates who have children can take parenting courses designed to help them improve their relationship with their children, even while incarcerated. This program has a classroom component and social outreach contacts.

Recreation Programs

While incarcerated at USP Atwater, CA inmates are encouraged to engage in recreational activities. Inmates can learn hobbies and skills for their mental enrichment to help fight off boredom. These hobbies and activities can be done alone or in a group of people.

Inmates can play organized sports or workout in the facilities. Keeping physically active can help keep stress levels reduced and promote better overall health. Staff organizes intramural activities to encourage cooperation and healthy competition.

Inmates can also learn hobbies and skills to make items for their mental health. Inmates can take art, woodworking, or yarn work classes for no financial or employment benefit. Inmates can also participate in music or table game activities.

Library Services

Atwater Prison has library services for inmates to use for fun or educational purposes. Inmates can check out books from the book cart or through the interlibrary loan system. The interlibrary loan program allows inmates to check out books from local, state, and college libraries.

There is also an electronic legal library that is open to all inmates. Here inmates can access legal materials and research legal matters. Inmates can also produce copies of the materials they need to with a self-service copy machine.

Personal and Social Wellness Programs

One of the goals of USP Atwater, CA is to help inmates find healthy coping mechanisms while incarcerated and to give inmates the tools to make healthy life choices after prison. Atwater Prison offers several wellness programs and services to help inmates get the appropriate help they need.

Psychological services are offered to all inmates to screen inmates and to help them get the best care. Upon entering Atwater Prison each inmate will be screened for any mental health problems and develop a plan for the inmate’s needs. Inmates are also encouraged to seek mental health treatment on their own.

Therapy sessions for inmates can be individualized one-on-one sessions or group sessions. Confidentiality is held in sessions, excluding cases where harm to the inmate or others is a risk factor.

Drug Treatments

Some inmates at USP Atwater, CA may have a history of drug abuse. Atwater Prison has several programs to help inmates diagnose and treat any addiction problems they may have.

The Drug Abuse Education Course is not designed as a treatment program. Here inmates can examine how drugs have carried an influence over the crimes they have committed and their relationships with loved ones. The goal of this course is to get inmates to recognize that they have a drug problem and seek help.

When an inmate seeks help for drug addiction, they can go through nonresidential drug treatment. Nonresidential treatment is used for inmates with a low level of drug addiction and is more flexible to suit the individual’s needs.

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