Getting Your Money Back: How Families Can Request ViaPath Refunds Before Salinas Valley's April Switch
Still have money sitting in ViaPath ahead of Salinas Valley State Prison's switch to Securus? Now's the time to decide if you want it back. Some ViaPath purchases won't transfer over, so requesting a refund may be the simplest way to avoid losing that value.
The main reason families request ViaPath refunds before the Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP) switch? Photos, e-messages, and other media purchased through ViaPath won't transfer to the new Securus tablets. If you've paid for content your loved one can't access after the changeover, that money ends up stuck on the old platform.
CDCR says refunds are available for unused ViaPath balances - families just need to request them through ViaPath. If you're looking at your account thinking, "We won't use this before the switch," requesting a refund is the practical move.
Managing a ViaPath account with an unused balance you want back? Contact the ViaPath call center directly. That's the channel CDCR points families to for refunds.
Balances held by incarcerated people are handled separately. According to CDCR, those funds will automatically be refunded to the person's trust account - no action needed from family members.
For SVSP, the rollout schedule lists the telephone transition as 4/13 (tentative) and the tablet transition as 4/14–4/17 (tentative). If you want to avoid having unused funds tied up during the changeover - or you're concerned about ViaPath media becoming unusable - plan around those dates.
Recommendation: Want a refund for unused ViaPath balances? Contact the ViaPath call center before SVSP's tentative 4/13 phone transition and 4/14–4/17 tablet transition. Ask ViaPath directly about exact cutoff timing and any refund deadlines.
Prepare Info
- ✓ The name and details used on your ViaPath account (so they can locate the right account)
- ✓ The current unused balance amount you’re trying to refund
- ✓ Any recent transaction details you can reference (dates/amounts) to help them find the charges
- ✓ Notes on what the unused balance was intended for (for example, messages or other purchases)
- ✓ A clear request statement you can repeat: that you’re asking for a refund of unused ViaPath balance through the ViaPath call center
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