Inmate Account
An inmate account, also called a trust fund account, is a personal financial account held by the correctional facility on behalf of an incarcerated person that they use to pay for commissary, phone calls, and other approved services.
What Is Inmate Account?
When a person enters a correctional facility, the facility creates a financial account in their name to hold any money sent by family or deposited through approved means. This account is sometimes called a trust fund account or inmate trust account. The money belongs to the inmate and can be used to purchase items from the facility commissary, pay for phone call credits, buy messaging stamps, and cover other facility-approved expenses.
Families can add money to an inmate account through several methods depending on the facility and its contracted providers. Common options include sending money through JPay, ConnectNetwork, or Pigeonly using a debit or credit card online, using a money order mailed directly to the facility, or using MoneyGram at a physical retail location. Each method may carry a service fee, and processing times range from a few hours for digital transfers to several business days for money orders.
An inmate account is separate from any bank accounts the person had before incarceration. The facility controls the account during the person's time there and may deduct fees for court-ordered restitution in some jurisdictions. When the person is released, the remaining balance is typically returned by check or loaded onto a release debit card. The exact process depends on the facility and the state.
Related Providers
Communication providers that are relevant to Inmate Account.
Related Terms
Explore other glossary terms that are closely connected to this topic.
Commissary
Commissary is an in-facility store available to incarcerated people where they can purchase food, hygiene items, clothing, stationery, and other approved goods using funds from their inmate account.
FinanceMoney Transfer
A money transfer in the correctional system means sending funds to an incarcerated person's inmate account so they can use the balance for commissary purchases, phone calls, and other approved services.
CommunicationInmate Phone Calls
Inmate phone calls are outgoing calls placed by an incarcerated person from a facility phone system to approved contacts, using a prepaid account managed through a contracted provider such as ConnectNetwork or GettingOut.
AdministrationInmate ID Number
An inmate ID number is a unique identification code assigned to a person when they enter the correctional system, used across all facility systems to track their record, location, account information, and communications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Inmate Account, answered in plain language.
How do I put money on an inmate's account?
How long does it take for a deposit to appear in an inmate account?
Are there fees for sending money to an inmate?
What can an inmate use their account money for?
What happens to money in an inmate account when they are released?
People Also Ask
Related questions families often search for alongside this topic.
What is Commissary?
Commissary is an in-facility store available to incarcerated people where they can purchase food, hygiene items, clothing, stationery, and other approved goods using funds from their inmate account.
Read full definitionWhat is Money Transfer?
A money transfer in the correctional system means sending funds to an incarcerated person's inmate account so they can use the balance for commissary purchases, phone calls, and other approved services.
Read full definitionWhat is Inmate Phone Calls?
Inmate phone calls are outgoing calls placed by an incarcerated person from a facility phone system to approved contacts, using a prepaid account managed through a contracted provider such as ConnectNetwork or GettingOut.
Read full definitionWhat is Inmate ID Number?
An inmate ID number is a unique identification code assigned to a person when they enter the correctional system, used across all facility systems to track their record, location, account information, and communications.
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