Sending Money in CDCR

How the Trust Account Works

CDCR holds money for an incarcerated person in a trust account. The person can spend from that account but does not physically hold the money.

• The account is identified by the incarcerated person’s name and CDCR number.
• Funds can be used for canteen (commissary), approved tablet and communication services, and charges CDCR assesses.
• A transfer to another institution moves the account with the person; you still deposit using their name and CDCR number.

Deposit Methods

CDCR accepts electronic deposits through approved vendors and mailed deposits by money order, cashier’s check, or personal check. CDCR does not accept cash.

Online and vendor deposits

CDCR lists these approved electronic deposit vendors:

• GTL / ConnectNetwork
• JPay
• Access Corrections

Electronic deposits are a paid service with a vendor fee, and CDCR says funds post to the account within 1 to 3 days.

Mailed money order or check (lockbox)

CDCR uses a JPay-operated lockbox for mailed deposits. A Money Order Deposit Form (coupon) must be included, and the payment is made payable to JPay.

JPay
2202 South Figueroa St, Box #3001
Los Angeles, CA 90007

• Money order, cashier’s check, or personal check is accepted. Cash is not accepted.
• Include the incarcerated person’s name and CDCR number.
• Do not enclose letters or notes with the payment.
• There is no deposit fee for the lockbox. Personal checks are held for 10 business days before posting.

Mailed deposit directly to the institution

A deposit can also be mailed to the institution itself, made payable to CDCR with the incarcerated person’s name and CDCR number.

• There is no fee for this method.
• CDCR applies a 30-day hold on deposits mailed directly to the institution.

Fees and Processing Times

Electronic vendor fees change more often than CDCR’s underlying rules, so the vendor’s checkout page is the current source for the charge that will be added.

The Restitution Deduction

This is the single most important account rule for California families, because it changes how much of a deposit is actually available to spend.

What the rule means in practice

• The deduction applies to incoming deposits, not only to existing balances.
• It affects small deposits as well as large ones.
• CDCR collects toward direct orders before restitution fines.
• If the person owes no restitution, the deduction does not apply.

Canteen (Commissary) Spending

The trust account funds canteen purchases — the institution store where incarcerated people buy food, hygiene items, and supplies.

• CDCR’s maximum monthly canteen draw is $300, set in CCR Title 15 §3090(b). This limit was raised from $220 in 2024.
• A person’s canteen privilege group and credit-earning status can set a lower draw than the $300 maximum.
• A regular canteen purchase cannot exceed the applicable draw limit or the trust account balance, whichever is less.
• Quarterly packages from approved vendors are separate from the canteen draw. See Mail & Packages for package rules.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Sending Money.