How to Send Money to a Georgia Prison Inmate

Inmates in Georgia need money for basic necessities in prison, and they can get it from relatives and friends, but not in the form of cash. The persons that they officially appoint can send money orders through the mail, make payments over the phone, or transfer money through MoneyGram or JPAY. Once funds are received, inmates can purchase items from the prison canteen using their personal trust account, which is much like a bank account.

Georgia prisons give inmates a personal trust account, which is a prison bank account in which approved family and friends can deposit money. Senders can do this in a number of ways, and the inmate can use the funds to buy necessities at the prison commissary or canteen, which sells a variety of goods, including hygiene items, clothing, writing supplies and snacks, as well as recreational items like books, cards, puzzles, games and electronics.

When prisoners get paid, the state may take a small portion of an inmate's money to pay their outstanding fines or restitution. Also, if an inmate commits a disciplinary infraction, the state may require them to pay a $100 administrative fee. Before a friend or family member sends money to the inmate, they need to know the incarcerated person's full name, Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) ID number, and current location in the state's prison system.

Senders can visit a JPAY or MoneyGram location in the state and send money to an inmate using the Georgia DOC Receiver Code 6857/Georgia Probation Receiver Code 6901 to fund someone's account. To send money any other way, they need to provide their debit card or credit card number. They'll need the inmate's account number, which is a combination of their GDC number followed by their last name, for example, 12345Jones. Another option for senders is to deposit funds into an account online using companies such as JPAY, which charge a small fee for the service.

People can send funds to an inmate over the phone. JPAY accounts, for example, allow for the transfer of funds by calling 800-574-5729. An individual sending money can check the DOC payment portal to make sure it arrived by entering the inmate's ID number. The least expensive method is to send a money order by USPS, however, it will take longer to get to the inmate. Senders must first print out a DOC money order voucher and send it along with their money order to JPay PO Box 246570, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33024.

A Georgia inmate can choose up to five friends or family members who can send them money. The prison has the responsibility of approving and maintaining this list and will allow an inmate to remove or add names twice a year. Before anyone sends money to the inmate, the prison must first approve them and add them to the official list. People who do not meet the detention center's approval cannot send payments.

Once the sender's name is officially on the list, if they send money through JPAY, the information they enter must match the name approved by the prison. They should use the inmate's legal name only. If they included their middle initial in their sender information, they must use it when sending money through JPAY. They should use their full name and not a shorter version of it or a nickname, such as Steve for Stephen.