The process is the same at every CDCR institution. The only thing that changes is the prison's own mailing address. Here's everything, step by step.
Every deposit, no matter which option, needs the person's full name and CDCR number.
Online through GTL, JPay, or Access Corrections. Posts in 1–3 days.
Mail a money order or check to one central Los Angeles address.
A check payable to CDCR, sent to that institution's own address.
This guide covers CDCR state prisons only. California county jails and federal (BOP) facilities set their own rules and don't follow this process.
Look up their CDCR number on CIRIS, the California Incarcerated Records and Information Search, at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov.
Confirm their current institution on CDCR's Facility Locator. People transfer, and money follows the person to their current prison.
The fastest way. It's a paid service, the fee depends on the amount and the vendor, and funds usually post to the person's trust account within 1 to 3 days. Family and friends can deposit to a trust account or to restitution only. CDCR uses three approved vendors. Use whichever you prefer:
Send a money order, personal check, or cashier's check with no fee through the central lock box. Make it payable to JPay, fill out a Money Order Deposit Form (the coupon, at jpay.com/moneyorder.aspx) with your name and address, and mail it to:
Mail a check or money order directly to the prison. Make it payable to CDCR, put your name and address on it, and write the person's name and CDCR number on the check. Funds are held for about 30 days before they're available. This is the one option where the address is facility-specific. Find yours below.
Payable to CDCR, with the person's full name and CDCR number. Where a prison splits mail by yard, confirm the yard on CIRIS first and use that box.
Addresses current as of the last verified date above. For electronic deposits or the JPay lock box you don't need the institution's address at all, only the person's name and CDCR number.
Send photos and letters too
This surprises a lot of families. If the person owes a court-ordered restitution fine, CDCR deducts 50% of the balance owing plus a 10% administrative fee, up to 55% of your deposit, before they can spend it. Questions: California Victim Compensation Board, 800-777-9229.
One way around it: buying an approved quarterly package directly from a vendor is not subject to the restitution deduction. Cash deposits are.
All outgoing calls from CDCR prisons have been free statewide since January 1, 2023, so there's no phone account to fund. Money on the trust account goes to the canteen, approved quarterly packages, and media on their tablet.
Money for a family visit is handled separately and cannot be sent by EFT. Contact the institution's Family Visiting Office for instructions first. For Temporary Community Leave funds, the person should ask their counselor.
EFT posts in 1–3 days for a fee. The lock box is free but caps each coupon at $999.99 and holds personal checks 10 business days. A check mailed to the institution is free but held about 30 days. CDCR also limits canteen and quarterly package spending, so a large single deposit may sit on the account until it can be spent.
First confirm you used the correct CDCR number and spelled the name exactly as CDCR lists it. For an electronic deposit, contact the vendor you used through their website. For a mailed check or money order, contact the institution's trust office, and remember the 30-day hold for institution-mailed deposits and the 10-business-day hold for personal checks through the lock box.
6 of 10 questions
Yes, all 31 CDCR state prisons follow the same process: EFT through GTL/ConnectNetwork, JPay, or Access Corrections; a no-fee money order to JPay's lock box; or a no-fee check payable to CDCR mailed to the institution. Only the institution's own mailing address changes. This does not cover California county jails or federal (BOP) prisons, which have their own rules.
CommissaryAn Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) through GTL/ConnectNetwork, JPay, or Access Corrections. It's a paid service and funds usually post within 1 to 3 days.
CommissaryYes, two. Mail a money order, personal check, or cashier's check payable to JPay to their lock box (no fee, $999.99 per coupon, personal checks held 10 business days), or mail a check or money order payable to CDCR to the institution (no fee, held about 30 days).
CommissaryFor the lock box, make it payable to JPay. For a deposit mailed directly to the prison, make it payable to CDCR. Always include the person's full name and CDCR number.
CommissaryIf the person owes a court-ordered restitution fine, yes. CDCR deducts 50% of the balance owing plus a 10% administrative fee, up to 55% of your deposit. Buying an approved package directly from a vendor is not subject to this deduction.
CommissaryNo. Family-visiting funds are handled separately and cannot be sent by EFT. Contact the institution's Family Visiting Office for instructions before sending.
CommissaryNo. All outgoing voice calls from CDCR institutions have been free statewide since January 2023, so there's no phone account to fund. Money on the account is for canteen, packages, and tablet media.
CommissaryThe lock box caps each Money Order Deposit Form at $999.99. EFT amounts vary by vendor. CDCR also limits canteen and quarterly package spending, so a large single deposit may sit on the account until it can be spent.
CommissaryThat's the one facility-specific detail. Find the institution's address in the searchable list on this page, then make the payment payable to CDCR.
CommissaryConfirm you used the correct CDCR number and exact name. For an electronic deposit, contact the vendor you used. For a mailed deposit, contact the institution's trust office and allow for the 30-day hold, or 10 business days for a personal check through the lock box.
CommissarySearch for your loved one and start sending photos, letters, and messages today.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified July 18, 2026. Official source: cdcr.ca.gov/family-resources/send-money ›