Chowchilla State Prison, CA

CDCR is moving institutions from ViaPath to Securus. Once Chowchilla State Prison transitions, you'll use Securus for all communications. Check the rollout schedule for tentative dates and expect possible outages during the switch. The good news: video visits drop to $0.10 per minute (from $0.16), and e-messages go from $0.05 to $0.03. Free monthly allowances also jump to 30 minutes of video and 20 e-messages. During the transition, incarcerated people turn in ViaPath tablets and receive Securus tablets. Photos, e-messages, and other media purchased on ViaPath won't transfer. If you have unused ViaPath funds, request a refund through ViaPath's call center. Incarcerated balances get refunded automatically. To use Securus video, you'll need to register and add funds.

Money you send directly to someone at Chowchilla State Prison can be reduced by court-ordered restitution—meaning they may receive less than you deposited. Want to avoid that? Packages purchased directly from a vendor aren't affected by restitution. If a third-party vendor like ViaPath is involved, you can request refunds for unused balances through the vendor's refund process. Incarcerated balances typically get refunded to trust accounts automatically. Deposit options usually include online or mobile portals, phone deposits, lobby kiosks, or U.S. Postal money orders—confirm accepted methods before you start. Never mail cash. Trust funds cover commissary, phone time, hygiene items, and other approved purchases. Fees and posting times may affect when money becomes available.

The official listing for Chowchilla State Prison has the institution's current physical address and main phone number—check it before calling or mailing anything. Trying to confirm custody status, housing, or another immediate question? Call the facility's main/intake line so staff can route you correctly. For records, releases, or other official paperwork, those requests go through the Records & ID office. Before calling any office, have the incarcerated person's full name and date of birth (or their booking/ID number) ready—it speeds things up. For records or property-related requests, bring a government-issued photo ID and follow any submission rules provided by the facility.