The prison is located in Stockton, California, on the site of the former Karl Holton Youth Correctional Facility.

The 61-building medical complex was built in response to two federal class action civil rights lawsuits (Plata v. Schwarzenegger and Coleman v. Schwarzenegger), after which a federal court in Sacramento ruled that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's medical and mental health services violated the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

[2] The facility cost $839 million to construct and employs approximately 4,000 custody, medical and support staff.

CHCF provides both inpatient and outpatient medical and mental health treatment.

[5] In March of 2019, CDCR confirmed a patient who had been incarcerated at CHCF and died tested positive after death for Legionnaires' disease.