CDCR-sourced visiting logistics — confirm live status before travel.
FAMILY SURVIVAL GUIDE
Mailroom Rulebook
How to send letters without accidentally getting them delayed, rejected, or returned.
Core rule: mail the person by full name, CDCR number, institution name, and housing/P.O. Box if known. CDCR says incoming letters are opened and inspected for contraband before forwarding.
Use this when
You are sending a first letter, photos, kid drawings, greeting cards, or mail after a transfer.
Highest-risk mistake
Mailing to an old facility or adding stickers, perfume, glitter, tape decorations, glued pieces, or anything that looks altered.
Before mailing important items
Confirm the person’s CDCR number, current facility, and housing/P.O. Box if known. Take a photo of the envelope before sending.
Facility-specific limits
Photo count, ink/color rules, card stock, and drawings may need mailroom confirmation before you send a large batch.
What to put on the envelope
Incarcerated person’s full name.
CDCR number.
Institution name.
P.O. Box / housing mail address if known.
City, CA ZIP.
Safe family-mail habits
Keep envelopes plain: no stickers, glitter, perfume, lipstick, tape decorations, glue, or mystery residue.
Write clearly and keep a photo of the envelope before mailing.
If the person transferred, stop mailing until you confirm the new facility and mail address.
Do not send legal strategy through regular mail if confidentiality matters. Use attorney/legal-mail channels.
Photos and children’s drawings
CDCR’s public family contact page confirms mail is inspected, but many detailed photo/drawing limits are handled through prison mailroom practice and current regulations. Before sending anything important, confirm with the facility mailroom or visiting staff.
Avoid nudity, sexual content, gang signs, weapons, drugs, alcohol, coded messages, or maps.
For kids’ drawings, avoid stickers, glitter, glued pieces, crayon buildup, or anything attached to the paper.
Ask the facility about current photo count, size, and color/ink restrictions before mailing a large batch.
Do not publish facility-specific mailroom limits unless confirmed. Ink colors, photo quantity, card stock, and drawing rules may be enforced differently by mailrooms and can change.
Mailroom confirmation script
Hello, I’m calling to confirm current mailroom rules before I send something. The person is housed at [facility/housing if known]. Can you confirm the correct mailing address, whether photos or children’s drawings are allowed, and whether there are any current restrictions on ink color, card stock, stickers, or quantity?