How Do I Send Money to California Inmate Housed in Arizona?

La Palma Correctional Facility in Eloy, Arizona houses California state prisoners under a contract arrangement. Even though your grandson is physically located in Arizona, he remains a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation inmate, which means the money transfer process runs through California's system, not Arizona's.

Western Union works for this situation. When processing the transfer, you will need your grandson's California inmate ID number, not any Arizona facility number. On the Western Union site, process the payment through CCA, which is the Corrections Corporation of America, the private company that operates La Palma on California's behalf.

If you are having trouble getting information from the facility directly, that is unfortunately common with contract facilities housing out-of-state inmates. The California Department of Corrections inmate locator is the most reliable place to confirm placement and pull the correct California inmate ID number if you do not already have it. That ID number is what you need to make everything else work.

Once your grandson gets settled and has access to phones, have him reach out to get communication established. In the meantime, getting money on his books is a practical first step that gives him access to commissary and phone time as soon as he is able to use it.