Welcome to your one-stop resource for connecting and communicating with your incarcerated loved one.
Life can be challenging when a friend or loved one is incarcerated — challenging for your loved one on the inside and for you on the outside. But it’s easier when you face it together.
For years, Global Tel*Link Corporation d/b/a ViaPath Technologies and ConnectNetwork have provided telephone calling and trust deposit services to you and your loved ones incarcerated at California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facilities. Since 2021, our services have expanded to include tablet services. Through our GettingOut platform, we now provide messaging with photo, video, and eCard attachments, and video calling.
This page will provide information on navigating through the services you and your loved one can use today.
- Get Started
- Phone Calling
- Trust Deposits
- Tablet Services
- Tablet Availability
- CDCR Provided Services
- Help
Get Started
Since CDCR institutions have access to services on both our ConnectNetwork and GettingOut platforms, you can start your account creation on either platform. Once you have an existing ConnectNetwork account, the same credentials can be used to log into GettingOut and vice versa.
After your account has been verified, you will need to add your facility (“California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation”) and your loved one as a contact.
Phone Calling
No-Cost Phone Calling Services
Effective January 1, 2023, CDCR is providing incarcerated loved ones and their family and friends with no-cost phone calling services for all CDCR adults. Division of Juvenile Justice youths will continue to get no-cost phone calling as they have in the past.
No-cost phone calling includes both domestic and international calls.
Please note the guidelines below to receive CDCR no-cost phone calls:
- You should have an active ConnectNetwork AdvancePay® account in order to receive CDCR no-cost phone calling. You can set up a ConnectNetwork AdvancePay account by visiting www.ConnectNetwork.com or by contacting the Global Tel*Link Corporation d/b/a ViaPath Technologies’ (“ViaPath”) CDCR-dedicated customer service number at 1-866-607-6006.
- You will not be required to place funds on the ConnectNetwork AdvancePay account when setting it up.
- If you already have an existing AdvancePay® account and have a remaining balance, you can request a refund by calling ViaPath’s CDCR-dedicated customer service at 1-866-607-6006.
- NOTE: if you are receiving calls from a non-CDCR facility that ViaPath provides service to (example would be various California county facilities, or out of state facilities), funds may be required to receive calls from those institutions.*
- For additional information on no-cost phone calling, please visit the CDCR web site that provides additional information.
* Applicable rates and charges for calls from non-CDCR facilities will be based on the contracted rates and charges for that location.
Trust Deposits
Trust FundA Trust Fund allows an incarcerated loved one to better adjust to life at their facility, as well as stay connected to the outside world. The money in a Trust Fund is used just like cash that can be used to assist in paying for ViaPath tablet services that have an associated cost. Sending money to an incarcerated loved one’s Trust Fund can also be used to make a variety of purchases at their facility’s commissary such as food or clothing.
You can easily send money online or with the ConnectNetwork mobile app.
Tablet Services
TabletsThe following tablet services will be rolled out on an ongoing basis. Availability may vary by facility.
Tablets allow for on-demand communication, including secure messaging with photo, short video, and e-card attachments; video calling; and phone calling.
The tablets will also provide incarcerated loved ones access to additional content as determined by CDCR, including movies, music, games, podcasts, audiobooks, news and sports, and internet radio. Educational, vocational, and therapeutic content, as well as rehabilitative programs and activities, such as knowledge-based games and books, may also be available.
As a reminder, in order for your incarcerated loved one to be able to access these paid tablet services, they will need to transfer money from their Trust Fund account. Additionally, for you to access the below paid services, you will also need to add funds to your GettingOut Friends & Family Account.
Video Calling (different than VSA)Incarcerated loved ones at CDCR are provided 15 minutes of free video calling every two weeks.
Video calling can be initiated by incarcerated loved ones at their convenience with no scheduling needed.* Video calling provides more flexibility and has no upfront costs, connection fees, nor minimum/maximum costs – you only pay for the time you use. Plus, families and friends can receive video calls on the go with the GettingOut Visits mobile app.
* ATTENTION: Only incarcerated loved ones can initiate a video call. Friends and family cannot pre-schedule video calls through the “Visit Now” system – this type of visit can only be initiated by an incarcerated loved one. Scheduled visits can only take place through the Visitor Scheduling Application (see above).
MessagingIncarcerated loved ones at CDCR are provided 20 free messages every week.
Share news, check in, and show support by exchanging electronic messaging with your incarcerated loved ones. Like traditional mail, it just gets delivered faster! For more convenience, family and friends can send messages from the GettingOut messaging app.*
* ATTENTION: Even if the incarcerated loved one does not have access to a ViaPath tablet or is at a CDCR facility that does not yet have tablets deployed, the approved message will be printed and hand-delivered to them by the facility. The delivery time of such messages may vary by facility. For hand-delivered messages, CDCR encourages friends and family to send longer ‘letter-type’ messages. Short messages are more appropriate if your incarcerated loved one has a tablet.
E-CardseCards offer a more uplifting, decorative way to communicate with your incarcerated loved one. With a range of sentiments from holiday greetings and congratulations to sympathy and gratitude, there’s a card for every occasion. Plus, each eCard only costs $0.25 to send—a significant savings over traditional greeting cards that can cost upwards of $5! Cards can be sent and received through the GettingOut messaging app.
Photo and Video Attachments
Sometimes words just aren’t enough. Photo and video sharing are great ways to help boost an incarcerated loved one’s spirits. Whether you want to celebrate a special occasion or just let them know you’re thinking of them, simply attach directly into your GettingOut message thread and your incarcerated loved one can revisit the memory any time they log into their tablet account.
Availability of Tablet Services
ViaPath tablets and services will be rolled out on an ongoing basis. Availability will vary.
Live:
- California Institution for Women (CIW)
- California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC)
- California State Prison, Solano (SOL)
- California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility (SATF)
- Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF)
- Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSP)
- Folsom State Prison (FSP)
- Folsom Women’s Facility (FWF)
- High Desert State Prison (HDSP)
- Ironwood State Prison (ISP)
- Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP)
- Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP)
- Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP)
- Valley State Prison (VSP)
Coming Soon – Timeframe TBD:
- Avenal State Prison (ASP)
- California City Correctional Facility (CAC)
- California Correctional Institution (CCI)
- California Health Care Facility, Stockton (CHCF)
- California Institution for Men (CIM)
- California Rehabilitation Center (CRC)
- California Medical Facility (CMF)
- California Men’s Colony (CMC)
- California State Prison, Corcoran (COR)
- California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC)
- Calipatria State Prison (CAL)
- Centinela State Prison (CEN)
- Correctional Training Facility (CTF)
- Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP)
- Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP)
- Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)
- San Quentin State Prison (SQ)
- Sierra Conservation Center (SCC)
- North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
- Wasco State Prison (WSP)
CDCR-Provided Services
CDCR Visitor Scheduling Application (VSA)
CDCR manages the VSA. For more information please visit: https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/visitation-process/
Need Help?
For Customer Service Inquiries related to any of services listed above except for VSA, please contact the CDCR dedicated customer service number at 1-866-607-6006.
ViaPath places a high priority on customer satisfaction. If a customer feels that their issue is not resolved according to existing policy and regulations, they can request a supervisor. Furthermore, ViaPath maintains an entire escalations team that is solely dedicated to issues that require, for example, additional research – ensuring that the escalation is handled as quickly as possible. More information or to reach our customer service team visit our Contact Us page.
Yes, a ConnectNetwork account is needed to send money to your incarcerated loved one’s Trust Fund through ConnectNetwork. However, other payment options are available, which can be found on CDCR’s website.
For video calling with your incarcerated loved ones via the tablets (“Visit Now”), friends and family cannot pre-schedule video calling. Video calling via the tablets and the GettingOut application can only be initiated by an incarcerated loved one.
CDCR manages the Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA) where friends and family can schedule in-person and video visits with incarcerated loved ones based on CDCR guidelines. More information for these visits can be found at https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/visitors/visitation-process/
No, you can use the same log in credentials to access both platforms.
ConnectNetwork and GettingOut offer many ways to pay for services that are safe, reliable, secure, and convenient. The quickest is online or with our free mobile apps.
| Service | Trust | Family & Friends |
| Platform | ConnectNetwork | GettingOut |
| Online | www.connectnetwork.com | www.gettingout.com |
| Mobile App | ConnectNetwork App | GettingOut App |
| Phone | 1-866-607-6006 | 1-816-516-0115 |
To receive no-cost phone calls from an incarcerated loved one at a CDCR institution, you must have an active ConnectNetwork AdvancePay account.
If you don’t already have an AdvancePay account, you can set up an account by visiting www.ConnectNetwork.com or by contacting customer service number at 1-866-607-6006.
You will not be required to place funds on the AdvancePay account when setting it up.
Yes, calls can be received on both your cell phone and land lines. Any incoming call can be accepted by pressing “5” when prompted.
Any incoming call can be refused at any time by hanging up. The call will be disconnected and the offender will be informed their call was not accepted.
To block calls from a CDCR facility you will need to call customer service at 1-866-607-6006 and they will be able to help block future calls from a facility.
Please note the unique PIN they provide you with, as it will be needed if you wish to remove the block in the future.
Any incoming call can be refused at any time by hanging up. The call will be disconnected and the offender will be informed their call was not accepted.
You can remove a block on your telephone number by calling customer service at 1-866-607-6006.
Please note, you will need to provide the customer service representative with the unique PIN that was provided at the time the block was requested.
ViaPath, in conjunction with the CDCR, monitors and records connected phone calls in most instances. Private phone calls and other numbers, as determined by CDCR at their discretion, may be set as do not monitor and/or do not record.
No, this option is not available due to California state law and CDCR regulations. You will need to make a Trust deposit to your incarcerated loved one’s trust account. Incarcerated loved ones will then choose how much to transfer to their tablet account. Trust deposits can be made through our ConnectNetwork system. See above for instructions on setting up an account.
E-Letter functionality is still available, except now through ViaPath. By sending a message to your incarcerated loved one via ViaPath’s GettingOut application, our system will determine if your incarcerated loved one has a tablet. If they do not, the message will be printed and hand delivered by the facility. CDCR recommends that if your incarcerated loved one does not have a tablet or is at a CDCR facility that has yet to received tablets, this e-Letter capability will be used to send longer ‘letter-type’ communications from friends and family to your incarcerated loved one as opposed to short communications such as “Hey” or “Call me.”
Deployment of tablets within CDCR facilities requires an immense amount of coordination between CDCR, ViaPath, and other State entities. CDCR and ViaPath are working hand-in-hand to get tablets deployed to all facilities as soon as possible. ViaPath will update the list of facilities in Coming Soon when installations can be best projected.
CDCR currently provides both scheduled face-to-face and scheduled video visitation as part of its Visitation Scheduling Application (VSA). The VSA visitation types are limited based on the facility’s available visitation date/times. Video visitation through VSA is also limited by the number of visitation stations available at any given facility.
CDCR and ViaPath provides on demand video calling, also known as “VisitNow.” VisitNow video calling can be initiated at any time by your incarcerated loved one that has a tablet. Remember that VisitNow requires family and friends to have the GettingOut Visits mobile application installed on their device.
Important things to know before calling ViaPath customer service for such an issue are as follows.
- GettingOut Visits application must be installed on your mobile device.
- You must have an active GettingOut account with sufficient funds in your account.
- The GettingOut application must be open and with notifications enabled in order to be notified that you have an incoming video call. If the application is not open the notification will not be received. If you continue to have any issues, please reach out to customer service at 1-866-607-6006.
