How to write to someone at California Men’s Colony
Mail personal letters to the address below, filling in the person's name and ID number where marked.
Checked against the department's own pages . How we check, and corrections
MAIL TO
Dashed lines are for you to fill in, in the department's own words.
Write the envelope lines in this order: the person's full name, CDC number, institution name, P.O. Box housing line (the preferable option), city, then CA and ZIP code.
- City
- San Luis Obispo
- Phone
- (805) 547-7900
- Where letters go
- To the prison
- What happens to them
- Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered
- What they get
- Your original letter
“Incoming letters are opened and inspected for contraband and then forwarded to the incarcerated person.” Department source
Street address (not for letters unless the department says so): Colony Dr, San Luis Obispo, CA 93409
“Individuals are free to contact any state prison incarcerated person by mail. Incoming letters are opened and inspected for contraband and then forwarded to the incarcerated person.”
No one at California Men’s Colony is listed yet. Know someone there who wants mail? List them for $50.
Securus eMessaging
You start it from outside.
- Create a Securus Online account at securustech.net or in the Securus mobile app.
- Find the person you want to write to and add them as a contact.
- Buy a book of stamps. The price per stamp is shown once you pick the person, because it varies by facility.
- Write and send your message. Attach a return stamp if you want them to be able to reply.
- The person inside cannot message you until you have added them and sent the first message.
California: CDCR is moving from ViaPath to Securus tablets. Fire camps and 16 institutions had switched by the August 21, 2026 schedule; about 15 institutions were still pending with dates TBD. Use Securus once your loved one's institution has transitioned.
ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging
You start it from outside.
- Create a free account at connectnetwork.com and add the facility to your account.
- Open Messaging and search for the person by name or ID (booking) number, then add them as a contact.
- Buy message credits with a credit or debit card. The rate for that facility shows when you click Buy Credits.
- Write and send your message. Where the facility allows it, attach credits so the person can reply.
California: CDCR is replacing ViaPath with Securus institution by institution (see Securus entry). ViaPath messages and photos do not carry over to the new tablets.
ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging's own page · All messaging apps
Questions
What is the mailing address for California Men’s Colony?
Incarcerated person’s full name, CDC#, California Men’s Colony, P.O. Box 8101, ATTN: I/P First and Last Name, CDCR Number, Housing, San Luis Obispo, CA 93409-8101.
Is mail scanned at California Men’s Colony?
No. Personal letters are opened and inspected, and the letter itself is delivered at the prison. The person receives your original letter.
Can I message someone at California Men’s Colony electronically?
California uses Securus eMessaging and ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging. On Securus eMessaging, you make an account, add the person by name and ID number, and pay per message. On ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging, you make an account, add the person by name and ID number, and pay per message.
Can someone at California Men’s Colony be listed on a pen pal site?
We found no rule in California's published policies against it, and normal mail rules still apply. Rules change; the department's page is the final word.
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we fix it from the department's page. How we check.
Sources: California Men’s Colony page, California mail rules, read 2026-10-07. Rules change; the department's page is the final word. Find someone: official inmate locator.
How to write your first letter · All California prisons and rules