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How to Mail Photos to an Inmate at California Institution for Men

California Institution for Men prison sign
California Institution for Men prison sign

The California Institution for Men (CIM) is a prison in Chino, CA owned and operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Sending pictures to inmates there is encouraged, but you have to do it the right way.

If you do not follow the rules correctly, your pictures will not be delivered. Inmate Photos can help you get your pictures of that loved one who is in prison.

Table of Contents

  • California Institution For Men History
  • Best Way to Send Photos to California Institution for Men in 2026
  • Rules for Sending Pictures to California Institution For Men
  • Sending Inmates Pictures Via Email
  • Use Inmate Photos to Send Pictures to Inmates

California Institution For Men History

The California Institution for Men is in Chino, San Bernandino County. It is often called “Chino.” Locals refer to it as “Chino Men’s” to avoid confusing it with the city.

The facility started as a Level 1 center with open dorms and an unsecured perimeter. Today, it has four facilities on the campus. A is for medium or Level II inmates. B houses medium-maximum custody Level II inmates. Unit C is actually located about two miles east of the main campus; it is still considered part of the overall center. It houses Level II inmates. D is the largest facility and is a secured Level I center with a 2,000-man capacity.

Chino opened in 1941 as the nation’s first minimum-security facility. It is the fourth oldest facility in California, behind San Quentin State Prison, Folsom State Prison, and the original California Institution for Women at Tehachapi, which is now a men’s facility. The prison has a recent history of being overcrowded.

It is about five miles south of Interstate 5 and five miles west of I-10. Depending on traffic, it is about 45 minutes east of LA.

Best Way to Send Photos to California Institution for Men in 2026

  1. Download the Inmate Photos app from the App Store or the Google Play Store.
  2. Upload the photos that you want us to mail to the inmate or download them from your social media accounts.
  3. Relax knowing we will be sending the pictures to the prison promptly.

Rules for Sending Pictures to California Institution For Men

California Institution For Men has rules for sending pictures to inmates. You must follow these rules. If you do not follow the rules, your pictures will not be delivered.

California has a set of rules that cover all prisons in the state. Each prison can have additional rules. We check with each prison frequently to make sure we have the most current list of rules for you.

A few of the things you need to know are:

  • The prison staff will open all inmate mail. They do this to check for contraband. If they approve your pictures, the photos are delivered during mail call.
  • Anything that could jeopardize the security of the people or the facility is not allowed. The warden and his staff can decide if a picture represents a security concern.
  • Nudity is not allowed. Images of sexual activity are not allowed.
  • Pictures have to be mailed. You cannot hand-deliver them.
  • Pictures must be mailed to the appropriate facility. The envelope must have your loved one’s name and inmate number at the top of the address.

California Institution For Men has a different mailing address for each one of the facilities. When you use our service, we give you the addresses. We also address your envelope for you. You know it is done correctly when we take care of it.

Sending Inmates Pictures Via Email

You can send a picture via email, but you will not like the results.

California uses a private company to handle inmate email. The prison staff sees all emails and inspects them for anything that breaks the rules. If anything breaks a rule, the entire email is put in the trash.

If you send an email letter and a picture and something in the letter violates a rule, the picture is tossed with the email.

If you send a picture, it costs about as much as two first-class stamps. You can only send one picture per email. The picture is also inspected. If it passes, the guards print it in black and white on regular paper.

Use Inmate Photos to Send Pictures to Inmates

At Inmate Photos, the bill you see is all you pay. We do not have hidden fees. We do not have a subscription charge.

We take your pictures and print them on the size of photo paper that you choose. Some photos must be reduced to fit on the photo-quality paper we use. We only use the best color ink to give your loved one the best image possible.

We put the name and inmate number on the back and put them in the mail. We ask you to wait two weeks to make sure the pictures are received before contacting us.

Send pictures to your loved one at Chino today!

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