Phone, Tablet & Messaging Guide

ViaPath → Securus: what every family needs to do

A new state telecom contract was awarded to Securus in February 2025, and CDCR is now switching each institution one by one — fire camps are done, and institutions run on a rolling schedule from February through late August 2026. Three things matter most:

• Photos and messages will be deleted. Nothing on the ViaPath tablet transfers to the new Securus tablet — not photos, not e-messages, not purchased media. Once the facility switches, that content is gone. The only way to keep it: the incarcerated person prints photos/messages from their tablet or a kiosk before their facility’s switch date. Family members cannot request prints on their behalf, so tell your loved one early.
• The caller ID changes. After the phone switch, calls from your loved one come from a different number. Families miss calls for days because they don’t answer the unknown number. During your facility’s transition week, answer everything.
• Money on the old account doesn’t vanish — but you must claim it. Families request refunds of unused ViaPath balances through the ViaPath call center. The incarcerated person’s own balance refunds to their trust account automatically. After the switch, families need a Securus account (securustech.net/cdcr) to send messages, photos, and fund video calls.

What it costs after the switch: most things get cheaper — video calls drop from 16¢ to 10¢/min, e-messages and inbound photos from 5¢ to 3¢, and free video goes from 15 min/two weeks to 30 min/month with 20 free e-messages per month. Two things stop being free: internet radio becomes $5.49/month and games cost $0.99. Audio calls stay free (paid by CDCR).

Heads-up on billing: in March 2026 CDCR acknowledged some Securus users were overcharged for e-messages after transitioning; the rate error was fixed and refunds addressed — see CDCR’s notice. Check your first statements after the switch.

Facility switch dates (CDCR schedule as of June 4, 2026 — dates tentative)

Already transitioned (use Securus): all fire camps, California Institution for Women, Central California Women’s Facility, Sierra Conservation Center, CSP Solano, CSP Sacramento, California Medical Facility, Substance Abuse Treatment Facility, San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, Mule Creek, Avenal — plus Wasco, North Kern, CSP Corcoran, and Kern Valley, whose scheduled June dates have passed.

Switching now / next (phone date · tablet exchange, 2026): Folsom & Pleasant Valley (Jul 6 · Jul 7–10), Ironwood & Centinela (Jul 13 · Jul 14–17), Calipatria & California Men’s Colony (Jul 20 · Jul 21–24), High Desert (Jul 27 · Jul 28–31), Correctional Training Facility (Jul 27 · Jul 28–Aug 3), Pelican Bay & California Health Care Facility (Aug 3 · Aug 4–7), RJ Donovan & Valley State (Aug 10 · Aug 11–14), CSP Los Angeles County & California Correctional Institution (Aug 17 · Aug 18–21), California Institution for Men & Salinas Valley (Aug 24 · Aug 25–28).

Not yet on the posted schedule: California Rehabilitation Center. Expect intermittent phone/tablet outages at each institution during its transition days. Every facility page on this site shows its own status; confirm current dates on CDCR’s transition page.

Common family problems

• You usually cannot call the person back directly. Calls generally go out from the institution or tablet system.
• Missed calls, tablet outages, lockdowns, modified program, and transfer delays can all interrupt contact.
• Provider transitions can affect messages, photos, and access. CDCR says families should contact vendor customer support lines for support and major outage notices will be posted on the CDCR website.
• Do not send sensitive legal strategy through regular tablet messaging or phone calls.

When communication stops

1. Check CDCR visiting/status and news pages for facility-wide issues.
2. Check whether the person transferred, entered reception, RHU, medical housing, or modified program.
3. Contact the vendor support line for account/app problems.
4. For safety concerns, call the facility directly and use the emergency script.

When contact suddenly stops script

Hello, I’m trying to understand whether there is a facility-level reason calls or tablet contact may have stopped. Can you confirm whether the facility or this person’s housing unit is on modified program, lockdown, quarantine, transfer hold, reception status, RHU status, or another restriction affecting phone/tablet access?

Official sources

• CDCR — Tablets and Telephones
• CDCR — Visiting FAQ
• CDCR — Free Audio Calls announcement