Individuals are free to contact any CDCR inmate by mail.
Incoming letters are opened and inspected for contraband and then forwarded to the inmate. To ensure prompt processing the following information should be included on the envelope:
Inmate’s full name, CDC#
California Correctional Institution
P.O. Box Housing (preferable)
City, CA ZIP
To get an inmate’s CDCR# or housing assignment, individuals should call the Public Information Officer (PIO) or contact the California Correctional Institution at the phone number listed above.
Access California Incarcerated Records and Information Search (CIRIS).
Those people who don’t know where an inmate is housed may contact the Department’s ID Unit at 916-445-6713.
A date of birth will be required if the person they are inquiring about has a common name.