Mail and Photos to California Institution for Women

The Correct Mailing Address

Address letters and cards to:

[Full Legal Name, CDCR Number] California Institution for Women 16756 Chino-Corona Road Corona, CA 92880

Always include the recipient’s full legal name and CDCR number. Without the CDCR number, mailroom staff may not be able to match the letter to the right person, especially if the name is common.

How Mail Gets Processed

Incoming letters are opened and visually inspected for contraband before being forwarded to the recipient. CIW handles this directly instead of routing mail through an outside scanning company, which is different from states where mail goes to a separate processing center first.

Getting Someone’s CDCR Number

If you don’t already have the recipient’s CDCR number, search for them on CIRIS at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov, or call the institution’s Public Information Officer for help confirming their housing and number.

Sending Emails and Photos Through the Tablet System

CIW has completed CDCR’s transition to Securus for tablets, so inbound e-messages and photos go through the Securus platform. Each e-message or photo costs a small per-item fee (currently 3 cents on Securus), with a 2,000 character limit per message. When mailroom or tablet staff process an inbound electronic message, the incarcerated person receives it on their tablet instead of as a printed page.

Sending Packages

CDCR only allows quarterly packages through its approved outside vendors, not items purchased and mailed from home. Check CDCR’s current list of approved package vendors before ordering anything, since unapproved packages will be rejected and returned or destroyed instead of delivered.

What’s Not Allowed

CDCR inspects all incoming mail for contraband, including drugs, weapons, and unauthorized electronics. Sexually explicit material, material depicting or encouraging violence, and anything that could help someone escape are also prohibited. If a letter or package is rejected, the mailroom typically returns it to the sender or notifies the recipient of the rejection, depending on what it contains.

If Something Gets Rejected

If your letter or package doesn’t make it through, you can contact CIW’s mailroom directly to ask why. Confirm you followed the correct address format and included the CDCR number, since incomplete addressing is one of the most common reasons mail gets delayed or returned.