How to Connect With an Inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison Easily

Over two million people are in prison in the US and often when they are denied contact with a loved one, it is because a letter sent to them was rejected. This most often happens when someone sends a letter or card to an inmate without first understanding the mail policies of the facility. Something as small as glitter or stickers on a card can cause it to be rejected and returned to the sender.

The mail policies at Pelican Bay State Prison are very rigid. It's somewhat difficult to find information online that gives specific descriptions of what is and is not allowed. This DoNotPay guide can help you learn how to contact an inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison and offers a safer alternative to trying to send a letter on your own.

About Pelican Bay State Prison

Pelican Bay State Prison is a men's supermax prison in Crescent City, California that opened in 1989 to house a growing number of maximum-security inmates. It is the only supermax facility in California and houses some of California's most serious offenders in a secure, safe, and disciplined setting.

While half of Pelican Bay State Prison inmates are housed in General Population, the other half resides in the Security Housing Unit, or SHU, which is a type of solitary confinement for inmates that pose serious management concerns. Because of the nature of SHU, regular letters and visits from loved ones are critical for these inmates.

How to Contact Inmates at Pelican Bay State Prison

There are a few different ways to contact an inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison. They include:

Visiting or Receiving Calls From Pelican Bay State Prison

• General Population visitation hours are between 9 AM and 3 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and major holidays. SHU visitation hours are between 8 AM and 3 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and major holidays. Appointments are required to visit SHU inmates. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation website offers information on the ongoing changes to in-person visits at Pelican Bay State Prison.
• Pelican Bay State Prison allows outgoing phone calls only. The phone call rates at Pelican Bay State Prison are $0.025 per minute or $0.375 per 15-minute phone call. There are no additional fees for out-of-state phone calls. International phone calls cost $0.07 per minute.

Note that before visiting an inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison, you must first get on the approved visitor list. To do this, an inmate must sign and send you the visitor questionnaire, which you must fill out and return to:

Pelican Bay State Prison

Visiting Sergeant

PO Box 7000

Crescent City, CA 95531-7299

After your questionnaire is received and approved, the inmate will be notified and it will then be their responsibility to notify you.

Contacting Inmates By Mail

To contact inmates by mail at Pelican Bay State Prison, it's helpful to understand the mail policies before sending letters or cards. You must include the following information on your standard envelope and any other correspondence, including letters, cards, checks, and photographs:

1. Inmate's full name.
2. Inmate's CDCR number (if you are unsure of the CDCR number, you may contact the prison for this information).

The mailing address for inmate mail is:

Pelican Bay State Prison

PO Box 7500

Crescent City, CA 95532

Unfortunately, even after following mail rules, there are still vague reasons why mail could be rejected. To avoid this issue, DoNotPay has a Connect With An Inmate product that can help you easily and successfully send letters to an inmate without the hassle and frustration of trying to do it yourself.

DoNotPay Can Help

If you need help contacting an inmate, DoNotPay has a product that can help you. These simple steps can get you started:

1. Locate the Connect With an Inmate service on DoNotPay.

2. Choose whether you want to locate a loved one, create a virtual mailbox, or send a personalized letter.

3. If you want us to find your loved one, provide his or her personal details and the state they are located in. We'll then conduct a search on the appropriate state database.

4. If you want to create a virtual mailbox, just provide your full name! We'll set one up for you so you can easily receive incoming mail from your loved one.

5. If sending a personalized letter, tell us which facility your loved one is located in and what you would like to say to them. You can even include a photo! Your letter will be delivered automatically - just wait 10 days for it to arrive to your loved one!

What Else Can DoNotPayDo?

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