How to Escalate a Visiting Problem You Can’t Resolve at Rainbow Conservation Camp

Start where the problem is happening: with the correctional officers working in visiting. They handle scheduling questions, take comments, and can often fix common issues on the spot. Be specific about what went wrong - a scheduling mix-up, a check-in problem - and what outcome you're looking for. Maybe you need a visit rescheduled, information corrected, or just clarity on what to do differently next time.

No luck? Or is your complaint actually about a correctional officer in visiting? Ask to speak with the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant. That's the next level up for visiting concerns, and the right place for complaints about staff behavior, decisions, or how a situation was handled.

When local visiting staff can't help, put it in writing to the Warden. You can write about any visitation issue - ongoing scheduling trouble, repeated confusion about procedures, or something you want documented. The Warden's Office will typically forward your letter to whoever can best address it, so don't worry if you're unsure which department handles your specific problem.

Still unresolved? You can escalate by mail to the Director of the Division of Adult Institutions at: P. O. Box 942883, Room 351-N, Sacramento, California, 94283-0001.

Two other resources can help when you're stuck: the Inmate Family Council (IFC) and the Visitor Center. Rainbow Conservation Camp has an IFC - a group of visitors who meet regularly with prison administration to address issues around staying connected with incarcerated loved ones. If your problem goes beyond a one-time scheduling glitch (think: repeated process breakdowns), the IFC can bring it to administration in a more organized way.

• ✓ Check the IFC bulletin board at the prison for the names of IFC members
• ✓ Use the prison suggestion box to leave comments for the IFC

Rainbow Conservation Camp also has a Visitor Center on prison grounds. Staff there help with practical needs - clothing, babysitting, transportation - and can explain how visiting procedures work. If you're confused about the rules, they're a good resource. One heads-up: funding for Visitor Centers isn't always stable, so services may be intermittently interrupted. If something isn't available when you arrive, it's likely a funding or staffing issue rather than a refusal to help.

1. Ask the visiting officers first - at Rainbow Conservation Camp, visiting correctional officers can help with scheduling, take your comments, and resolve many visiting issues.
2. Request the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant - this is the next step, especially if your complaint involves a visiting correctional officer.
3. Get help with VSA problems - the Visiting Sergeant or Lieutenant can provide technical assistance for the Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA).
4. Use local visitor resources - bring broader, repeated issues to the Inmate Family Council (IFC), and check whether the Visitor Center can help with procedures and practical needs.
5. Write to the Warden - you may write to the Warden about any visitation-related issue; the Warden’s Office often routes letters to the staff best able to address the concern.
6. Mail the Division Director as a final escalation - if the problem can’t be resolved locally, contact the Director of the Division of Adult Institutions by mail at P. O. Box 942883, Room 351-N, Sacramento, California, 94283-0001.