Family communication toolkit

Contacting William Head Institution

A step-by-step guide for families using the Canadaprison system. Everything below is aggregated from public sources; the prison's own official channels are linked where available.

Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always verify with primary sources before acting on any figure. See data sources.

Send mail to Canada

Address block. Copy and paste into your envelope or shipping label.

Inmate Full Name & FPS Number
William Head Institution
6000 William Head Road
Victoria V9C 0B5
British Columbia
Canada

Country-wide mail rules

· Letters only; no laminated photos, no polaroids, no stickers.
· Books direct from publishers/retailers are usually accepted; check the institution first.
· Cash not accepted by post — use a money order to the inmate trust account.

Send money (CAD ($))

Inmate Trust Account — Correctional Service Canada
Money orders payable to 'Receiver General for Canada' with inmate's FPS number.
Telmate / GTL (federal)

Phone calls

· Inmate-initiated only; calls are pre-paid via an inmate phone account.
· All non-legal calls recorded.

This prison's general number: +1 250-391-7000(administrative — you cannot speak to inmates this way)

Visiting

Book a visit: CSC visitor application — V-1 form

Country-wide visiting rules

· Photo ID required.
· Visit types: open contact, closed (non-contact), and private family visits (PFV) up to 72 hours for eligible inmates.
· Dress code per institution; no white, no all-blue/khaki.

First-visit checklist

Photo ID
Approved-visitor letter from CSC
Coins for lockers/vending
No phone, no electronics in the visit area

Legal aid

Provincial legal aid directory

Helpful to know

· Indigenous inmates may be transferred to a Healing Lodge (Section 81) — family visits there follow community protocols.

Important

This toolkit aggregates publicly available guidance. Rules vary by facility and change over time — always confirm with the prison's official contact channels before sending mail, money, or attempting a visit.