USP Atwater is a high-security federal penitentiary for men in unincorporated Merced County, California, near the city of Atwater and roughly 130 miles southeast of San Francisco. It opened in 2001 on land that was once part of Castle Air Force Base, one of a number of BOP facilities built on former military property during that era of prison expansion. The main penitentiary is paired with an adjoining minimum-security satellite camp, so the site actually holds two fairly different inmate populations under one administration. As a high-security institution, Atwater has had a difficult history at times: in June 2008, Correctional Officer Jose Rivera was killed by two inmates while conducting a routine headcount, an attack that drew national attention to safety conditions at high-security penitentiaries and led to life sentences for those convicted. The Bureau of Prisons later dedicated a memorial park at the institution in Rivera's honor. Atwater offers standard federal programming, including GED classes, vocational and apprenticeship training, and adult education. For families, it's a standalone facility in California's Central Valley, a fair distance from major metro areas, so visits generally take some advance planning.