California Institution for Men
 Aerial View |
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| Location | Chino, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°58′55″N 117°40′55″W / 33.982°N 117.682°WCoordinates: 33°58′55″N 117°40′55″W / 33.982°N 117.682°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | minimum to maximum |
| Capacity | 2,976 |
| Population | 4,846 (162.8%) (as of 31 December 2012) |
| Opened | 21 June 1941 |
| Managed by | California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation |
| Warden | Dean Borders |
California Institution for Men (CIM) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Chino, San Bernardino County, California. It is often colloquially referenced as "Chino". In turn, locals call the prison "Chino Men's" or just "Men's" to avoid confusion with the city itself.
CIM is a 2,500-acre (1,000 ha) facility located east of Los Angeles on arid farmland. Facilities include:
As of Fiscal Year 2006/2007, CIM had 2,327 staff and an annual budget of $232.2 million. As of February, 2012 it had a design capacity of 2,976 but a total institution population of 5,266, for an occupancy rate of 177 percent.
CIM opened in 1941 and "was the first major minimum security institution built and operated in the United States." It was the fourth state prison built in California (after San Quentin State Prison, Folsom State Prison, and the original California Institution for Women at Tehachapi). Since the California Correctional Institution replaced the original California Institution for Women at Tehachapi, CIM is now the third-oldest California state prison.
In 1970, a commercial diver training program started at CIM. In following years, the program's graduates had much success in finding jobs after release from prison and a recidivism rate of only 12 percent. The program was "closed in 2003 due to budget constraints," but reopened in 2006.
Inmate Kevin Cooper escaped from CIM in 1983. In retrospect, factors that may have contributed to the escape included conviction "under an alias," an undetected "history of escaping from jails and mental hospitals," and "a hole in a fence" surrounding CIM. Three days after Cooper's escape, four people were found dead in nearby Chino Hills, and Cooper was later convicted of murdering them. However, there have been doubts raised as to Cooper's guilt over the years.
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