Mail & Packages in CDCR

Sending Letters

Standard postal mail is accepted at CDCR institutions. Address it exactly, using the person’s committed name and CDCR number.

Example:

Look up the current institution and its mailing address through the California Incarcerated Records & Information Search (CIRIS). An institution’s mailing ZIP for incarcerated mail can differ from its street address, so use the mailing address CDCR lists.

What to keep in mind

• Incoming mail is screened before delivery.
• Do not send cash. See Sending Money for approved deposit methods.
• Contraband, items that cannot be screened, and prohibited content are rejected or held.
• When someone transfers, mail to the old institution may be delayed or returned. Confirm the location on CIRIS first.

Electronic Messages and Photos

CDCR’s tablet system handles electronic messaging and inbound photos, and California is switching that system from ViaPath to Securus across 2026.

• Electronic messages are paid per message: $0.05 each under ViaPath and $0.03 each under Securus.
• Inbound photos are paid per photo at the same per-item rates.
• The active vendor — and therefore the current price — depends on your facility’s transition date.
• Printed photographs can also be sent by postal mail, but they are subject to facility limits on number and size and to screening.

Full messaging and tablet details, including the transition timeline, are in Phone & Video Calls.

Quarterly Packages

CDCR does not accept packages mailed by family or friends. Packages are ordered through CDCR-approved vendors, which ship an approved package directly to the institution.

• Approved vendors include Access Securepak (the California Quarterly Package Program) and Walkenhorst’s.
• Privilege Group A/B is allowed one 30-pound quarterly package each quarter.
• When ordering, the vendor needs the incarcerated person’s name, CDCR number, privilege group, and current housing location.
• If an order exceeds the 30-pound limit, the vendor removes items to bring it under the limit.
• Eligibility depends on privilege group. CDCR regulations control which groups can receive quarterly packages, and these rules change — for example, effective May 4, 2026, Privilege Group D is no longer eligible.

Books and Publications

Books, magazines, and newspapers come in as publications-only packages rather than ordinary mail.

• Publications must come from an approved source such as a publisher, distributor, or approved bookseller.
• Items are screened, and content that violates CDCR’s correspondence and publication rules can be rejected.
• Ordering through an approved vendor or retailer that ships directly to the institution is more reliable than mailing a book yourself.

What Gets Rejected

CDCR screens incoming mail and packages and can reject items that do not meet its rules.

• Cash or unauthorized payment enclosures
• Contraband or items that cannot be screened
• Packages mailed by an individual instead of ordered through an approved vendor
• Quarterly package orders for an ineligible privilege group
• Content that violates CDCR’s correspondence or publication rules
• Mail addressed to an institution the person has transferred away from

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Staying in Touch.