Mail and Photos to California State Prison, Solano

CSP-Solano’s Mailing Address

CDCR’s official facility page for CSP-Solano lists one general address for personal mail, instead of splitting it across multiple P.O. Boxes by housing unit:

[Full Legal Name, CDCR Number]
California State Prison, Solano
P.O. Box 4000
Vacaville, CA 95696-4000

Always include the person’s full legal name and CDCR number. CDCR sorts mail internally once it reaches this address, so you don’t need to know the person’s specific housing unit or which of CSP-Solano’s 4 facilities they’re in to address a letter correctly.

Confirm Before You Mail

People do get transferred between CDCR institutions. Check CIRIS at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov, or ask the person directly, to confirm they’re still at CSP-Solano before you send a letter, especially if some time has passed since you last heard from them.

What You Can Send

Standard letters, greeting cards, and photos are generally accepted. Keep to plain paper and cards without stickers, glitter, tape, or anything glued on, since those items get mail rejected.

Photo Rules

Photos are generally allowed within CDCR’s limits: no Polaroids, since the backing can conceal contraband, and nothing larger than 8x10. Avoid nude or sexually explicit images, gang-related content, and anything depicting drugs or weapons, which will be rejected. There’s usually a limit on how many photos per envelope, so send a reasonable number and confirm current limits with the institution if you plan to send many. You can also send photos through Pigeonly without printing anything yourself. Upload the photos online and Pigeonly prints and mails them to CSP-Solano for you.

Legal Mail

Legal mail from an attorney, court, or public official should be clearly marked as legal mail on the outside of the envelope. It’s opened only in the presence of the incarcerated person to check for contraband, not read. If you’re an attorney or a legal representative, confirm CSP-Solano’s exact legal-mail handling by calling (707) 451-0182, since the facility’s public page doesn’t publish a separate legal-mail box distinct from the general address.

Mail Inspection and Rejected Mail

Incoming personal mail is opened and inspected for contraband before delivery. If a piece is rejected, the person is typically notified and told why, and the item may be returned to sender or held. Following the plain-paper, no-attachments rules is the best way to avoid a rejection.

Packages

You can’t mail a personal package straight to the person. Approved packages, including quarterly packages, come through CDCR’s contracted package vendor, which the person or an approved family member orders from. Contact the institution at (707) 451-0182 or check CDCR’s approved vendors page for the current process.

Sending Money

Don’t mail cash. Use an electronic deposit through GTL/ConnectNetwork, JPay, or Access Corrections, or send a check or money order following the process on the CDCR send-money guide.