How to write to someone at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility
The department lists the address below for Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility but doesn't label it for personal mail. Check the department's mail page before you write.
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.
Address the envelope in this order: the person's full name, CDC number, institution name, P.O. Box or housing information (preferable), city, then CA and the ZIP code.
- City
- San Diego
- Phone
- (619) 661-6500
- 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
“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 Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility 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 Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility?
Incarcerated person’s full name, CDC#, Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, 480 Alta Road, San Diego, CA 92179.
Is mail scanned at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility?
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 Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility 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 Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility 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: Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility 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