California Code of Regulations
Title 15 - Crime Prevention and Corrections
Division 3 - Adult Institutions, Programs and Parole
Chapter 1 - Rules and Regulations of Adult Operations and Programs
Subchapter 5.1 - Incarcerated and Supervised Person Programs
Article 1 - Administrative Remedies for Incarcerated and Supervised Persons
Section 3481 - Claimant's Ability to Grieve and to Appeal

(a) A claimant has the ability to submit a written grievance to the department containing one or more claims, subject to the requirements in section 3482, to dispute a policy, decision, action, condition, or omission by the department or departmental staff. In response, a claimant shall receive a written decision, as described in section 3483, from an Institutional Office of Grievances in the Division of Adult Institutions or a Regional Office of Grievances in the Division of Adult Parole Operations, clearly explaining the reasoning for the decision in each claim. A claimant also has the ability to submit a written appeal concerning one or more claims, subject to the requirements in section 3484, to dispute the decision by the Institutional or Regional Office of Grievances. In response, a claimant shall receive a written decision as described in section 3485 from the Office of Appeals clearly explaining the reasoning for the decision in each claim.

(b) Reviewing Authorities.

(c) A claimant may choose to informally resolve a claim; however, any attempt to informally resolve a claim does not extend the time for submitting a grievance or an appeal.

(d) Staff shall not retaliate against a claimant for seeking to informally resolve a claim or for submitting a grievance or appeal.

(e) A claimant does not have the right to grieve or appeal a policy, decision, action, condition, or omission that was not made by the department or departmental staff but instead was made by an entity or official outside of the department, including, but not limited to, a county jail, a private hospital, the Department of State Hospitals, or the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision; nor by an entity or official that is quasi-independent of the department, including, but not limited to, the Board of Parole Hearings, the Prison Industry Authority, or the Commission on Correctional Peace Officer Standards and Training. This article does not preclude a claimant from filing a complaint with the outside entity or official.

(f) CDCR Form 602-1 (Rev. 01/22), "Grievance," hereby incorporated by reference, shall be made available to incarcerated persons in all housing units and in all prison law libraries and to supervised persons at all parole offices statewide.

(g) When submitting a grievance or appeal, or for purposes of a related interview, if a claimant requests assistance based on a disability, lack of literacy, or need for translation services, or departmental staff detect the need for such assistance, then staff shall provide reasonable accommodations and utilize effective communication techniques as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as applicable.