If he has been sentenced to LESS than a year (you said 356 days), then he is not going to state prison ... unless, of course, this is part of a parole violation. And, if he is going to state prison and NOT on a parole violation, then his is a rather serious offense as AB 109 allows for most so-called non-violent offenders to serve state prison time in county jails now.

If he knows what facility he will be assigned to, then you can contact that facility to inquire about how to put money on his books. Also, depending on the nature of his offense, he might be sent to one facility for assessment and then transferred to another for long term housing.