Video Call Costs at CMF After the Switch to Securus: What Changes and How Much You’ll Save
CMF is switching from ViaPath to Securus — and that means new per-minute rates and a different way free minutes work. Here's what's changing, with simple math to help you plan your monthly budget.
California Medical Facility (CMF) is scheduled to switch phone service on February 23, with the tablet transition (which covers video calling) happening February 26–27. CDCR says this is part of a new telecommunications contract awarded to Securus Technologies, LLC on February 21, 2025. An interim agreement with ViaPath keeps service running during the rollout.
What this means for you: once CMF completes its transition, you'll use Securus for video calls. If your loved one is at a different CDCR facility that hasn't switched yet, you'll still need ViaPath for that institution until its own transition happens.
The first thing most families notice is the per-minute rate. Under ViaPath, video calls cost $0.16 per minute. Under Securus, they drop to $0.10 per minute - a $0.06 difference. That means a 10-minute call goes from $1.60 to $1.00. A 30-minute call drops from $4.80 to $3.00.
Quick math: $0.16/min to $0.10/min is a 37.5% reduction per minute. The longer the visit, the more that difference adds up (for example, 30 minutes saves $1.80).
Free video minutes change too, and it's not a direct swap. ViaPath gives you 15 free minutes every two weeks. Securus gives you 30 free minutes per month. The total is similar, but the reset schedule is different - monthly instead of biweekly.
- Translate the free-minute allowance into your month - ViaPath is 15 minutes per two weeks; Securus is 30 minutes per month.
- Estimate what you’ll pay for a typical visit - after your free minutes are used, Securus video calls are $0.10 per minute (ViaPath was $0.16 per minute).
- Run a simple example - if you do one 30-minute video visit in a month, Securus lists 30 minutes free per month, so that visit could be fully covered by the allowance; if you go beyond the allowance, the extra minutes are billed at $0.10/min.
Video calls aren't the only cost. CDCR publishes a broader comparison between ViaPath and Securus that includes phone call rates and e-message fees. Even if video is your main focus, those smaller charges can add up - especially if you message often.
- ✓ Video call per-minute rate: ViaPath $0.16/min vs Securus $0.10/min
- ✓ Free video allowance timing: ViaPath 15 minutes per two weeks vs Securus 30 minutes per month
- ✓ Telephone call rates shown in CDCR’s comparison chart (listed as paid by CDCR)
- ✓ E-message fees shown in CDCR’s comparison chart
- ✓ Whether your loved one’s institution is fully on Securus yet (so you don’t fund the wrong platform)
Once CMF is on Securus, budgeting is straightforward. Start with two numbers CDCR has published: $0.10 per minute for video and 30 free minutes per month. A 30-minute paid visit costs $3.00. A 20-minute visit costs $2.00. Under ViaPath's $0.16 rate, those same calls would run $4.80 and $3.20. If you call regularly, the savings add up fast.
- Confirm which platform CMF is using right now - once CMF has transitioned you’ll use Securus; if an institution is still on ViaPath, you’ll need to use ViaPath for that institution until it transitions.
- Plan around the free minutes - with Securus listing 30 free video minutes per month, decide which call(s) you want to prioritize for those free minutes.
- Price out your “typical month” in minutes - total up the video minutes you expect to use, subtract the free allowance, then multiply the remaining minutes by $0.10 to estimate your paid amount.
Before you add money or buy minutes: double-check that CMF has completed its transition. CDCR’s guidance is that families use ViaPath until an institution transitions, then use Securus moving forward.
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