Russell County Jail Inmate Commissary

Search for an Inmate in Russell County

Russell County Jail

Address:
307 Prentiss Drive
Phenix City, AL 36869

Phone:

334-298-8621

Buy Commissary for an Inmate in the Russell County Jail

Russell County Jail Inmate Commissary - Sending Money or Purchasing Commissary for an Inmate

The Russell County Jail allows inmates to purchase commissary. This can be snacks, hygiene products, stamps, stationary, clothing and even electronics.

There is a monthly limit of $200-300 on how much inmates can spend on commissary items. This is subject to change so call the facility at 334-298-8621 in order to confirm the amount that cannot be exceeded.

Inmates have access to both an in-house commissary store, and commissary packages that can be purchased and shipped to the inmate by friends and family.

Scroll down for further information on the commissary program, how it works, what type of things inmates can buy, how often they receive commissary, and a lot more.

You can also go to our Inmate Money page for information on how to send money to an inmate.

Adding Money to an Inmate's Commissary Account

How Do I put Money on an Inmate's Commissary Account in the Russell County Jail to Purchase Phone Cards?

There are FOUR options for putting money on an inmate's books:

Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Russell County Jail
Bring money to the jail in person. 
Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment or you will use the NCIC self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.

Option 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online
Russell County Jail uses NCIC to process all online deposits to an inmate's account. NCIC charges you a small fee for doing so, but the fee probably isn't as much as gas and parking would cost to take it to the jail in person.



Option 3 - Mail the Inmate Deposit to the Jail
Mailing a deposit takes more time to process than the other methods but can be done if you live too far away to bring it in person and you don't have a debit/credit card for online deposits. Never send cash. Always send a Money Order from the US Post Office, a reputable bank or Western Union.
Make the Money Order out to the inmate's name and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order.  Mail it to the Russell County Jail address on this page, or to the address below if it is different than the facility address.
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Russell County Jail
P.O. Box 640
Phenix City, AL 36868

Option 4 - Make an Inmate Deposit over the Phone by calling 800-943-2189

For more information about sending an inmate money for phone cards or other commissary sundries, check out our Inmate Money Page.


 

Frequently Asked Questions about Russell County Jail Commissary


What is Inmate Commissary?

What items can inmates purchase in jail and prison?

How much money can an inmate spend on commissary each month?

How often can inmates purchase commissary?

How can a friend or family member deposit money for an inmate?

What companies do jails use to send money to inmates?

How do I send an inmate money by mail?

Can I send an inmate money using the internet?

How expensive are items on commissary?

What is a Commissary Deposit?

How much money can an inmate have in his commissary account?

Can I send an inmate a package or care pack?

Can an inmate buy gifts on commissary?


 

 

What is Inmate Commissary?

Commissary, also known as Canteen, is the ‘store’ within a jail or prison where inmates can purchase items that they want or need to make their stay in jail or prison less of a burden.

Snacks and comfort foods, branded hygiene products they are used to, sneakers and t-shirts, prayer blankets, radios, headphones, television sets, tablets, stationary products and art supplies; depending on the facility, there are thousands of products to choose from.

Some jail and prison systems run their own commissary store, others contract out to companies that serve dozens or hundreds of jails, where inmates and/or their friends and families can purchase products through a website from home, or a kiosk or tablet within their facility.


 

 

What items can inmates purchase in jail and prison?

Food
•    Cookies
•    Pastries
•    Candy
•    Tuna and mackerel
•    Coffee and Tea
•    Soft drinks
•    Energy drinks
•    Pizza
•    Hamburgers
•    Chicken fingers
•    Spices

Hygiene
•    Shampoo
•    Soap
•    Shaving supplies
•    Lotions
•    Deodorant
•    Oral care
•    Toilet paper
•    Nail care

Clothing
•    Sweats
•    Sneakers
•    Shorts
•    Underwear and bras
•    Socks
•    Jackets
•    Hats

Electronics
•    Televisions
•    Radios
•    Headphones
•    Tablets
•    Watches

Miscellaneous
•    Playing cards
•    Games
•    Bibles
•    Books
•    Art supplies
•    Stationery supplies
•    Vaping products (only some states)
•    Greeting cards


 

 

How much money can an inmate spend on commissary each month?

Generally, the maximum spend in jail is about $300 per month. Prisons allow a bit more as it is more of a permanent home, whereby jail is temporary. To find out how much an inmate in the Russell County Jail can spend each month, call 334-298-8621.


 

 

How often can inmates purchase commissary?

Some jails it's twice a week, others once a week or every other week. A lot of the online stores care pack companies are once a month. To find out the exact schedule for Russell County Jail, call 334-298-8621.


 

 

How can a friend or family member deposit money for an inmate?

Russell County Jail has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 334-298-8621 and asking, however all jails and prisons all receive money for an inmate’s trust and commissary account, as well as an account used for communications, pretty much the same way.

1.    Mailing an inmate a money order or cashier’s check from a trusted source such as the Post Office, a local bank, or Western Union. The Money order should be be made out to either the inmate or the facility, with the inmate’s name and ID# on the memo line of the check.  

When mailing a money order or cashier’s check, send it an envelope by itself.  Never send it with a letter or photos for your inmate.

Never send personal checks or cash either.

2.    Deposit cash or use a debit or credit card to send an inmate money using an ATM machine that is usually located in the lobby or visitation area of the facility.

3.    Some jails have a reception desk or booth that is open during certain hours that they will list on their website. They will accept cash, money orders or cashier checks. Other facilities that don’t have a human manning the desk will have mail drop where you can leave a money order or check. No cash can be left in these boxes.

4.    There are multiple companies that jails and prisons contract with which accept inmate deposits online, by mail or over the phone, or even in ATM machines you can find in check cashing stores and retail outlets across the country. 

If one of these companies (listed in the next question) works with Russell County Jail, this information will be outlined above.


 

 

What companies do jails use to send money to inmates?

There are many companies competing for the accounts of jail and prison inmates. Their intention is to alleviate the staffing and financial responsibility of handling inmate’s accounts. They usually charge a fee equal to 3-5% of the total deposit.

The companies, in alphabetical order, are:

Access Corrections
AllPaid (aka GovPayNet)
Care A Cell
Cash Bond Online
CIDNET
City Tele Coin
CommissaryDeposit.com
Correct Solutions Group
Correctpay
Ctel
Edevo
Express Account
gettingout
GTL
Inmate Canteen
InmateSales
JailATM
Jail Pack Store (McDaniel Supply)
Jailpayments.com
Jpay
NCIC
JailCanteen (Oasis)
Paytel
Pigeonly
Prodigy Sales
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
Tennessee Business Enterprise
Tiger
Touchpay


 

 

How do I send an inmate money by mail?

To send an inmate money by mail you first have to have the money converted to a money order, preferably from the US Post Office, or a Cashier’s Check. Never send cash, and never send a personal check.
To find the address for sending money to an inmate, call the jail at 334-298-8621.


 

 

Can I send an inmate money using the internet?

Almost every facility contracts with a company that helps friends and families of inmates send them money. The list can be found above.
To find out who Russell County Jail contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 334-298-8621.


 

 

How expensive are items on commissary?

Items on commissary are no more expensive than they would be at a local Walmart store.


 

 

What is a Commissary Deposit?

A commissary deposit is the money that a person on the outside deposits in an inmate’s trust account, so they can have money to spend on commissary and communication services.


 

 

How much money can an inmate have in his commissary account?

The limit that an inmate can have in their commissary account is usually about $300.00. To find out what the limit is for Russell County Jail, call 334-298-8621.


 

 

Can I send an inmate a package or care pack?

Many jails contract with companies that send food, hygiene products and/or clothing to inmates. These can be purchased and sent by friends and family on a weekly or monthly basis.

You can only send items from the one that your jail has a contract with. 

An inmate carepack is a pack of snacks and/or hygiene products that friends or family members of an inmate can purchase online and have shipped to an inmate. The carepack company needs to have a contract with the facility before it can be shipped to the inmate.

Check this page, the Money Page or the Commissary Page for further information, or call the jail at 334-298-8621 to see which one that the Russell County Jail works with.

Here are the commissary package companies, in alphabetical order, that provide this service to jails in the United States:

Access Securepak
Care A Cell
Commissary order
Correct Pay
Express Account
icare
Inmate Canteen
Jail ATM
Jail Pack Store (McDaniel Supply)
My Care Pack
Oasis (jailcanteen)
Prodigy Solutions
Tiger
Union Supply Direct


 

 

Can an inmate buy gifts on commissary?

Not really. Other than the basic supplies mentioned above there are no gifts other than greeting cards that they can fill out and mail to a friend, family or loved one.

How to Send a Secure Email Message to an Inmate in Russell County

To send a secure email message to an inmate in Russell County Jail follow these steps:

Russell County Jail uses the services of NCIC for you to deposit funds into your {Russell County inmate’s account so that you and they can purchase secure email messaging services from this jail’s e-messaging service.

You can deposit money three different ways:

•    Deposit online at NCIC.com
•    Deposit at the kiosk in the Russell County Jail lobby, if available.
•    Deposit over the phone 24/7 at 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069 (Note: if you deposit money using a live agent the fee is $5.95).
Email – info@ncic.com

For all information on how to Text/Email an Inmate in Russell County Jail check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Russell County.


 

Russell County Jail Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Russell County Jail allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The Russell County Jail also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Russell County Jail
P.O. Box 640
Phenix City, AL 36868



Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Russell County Jail
P.O. Box 640
Phenix City, AL 36868



Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Russell County Jail allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as AmazonBarnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Russell County Jail standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.


All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Russell County Jail
P.O. Box 640
Phenix City, AL 36868


 

How Do I put Money on an Inmate's Commissary Account in the Russell County Jail to Purchase Phone Cards?

There are FOUR options for putting money on an inmate's books:

Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Russell County Jail
Bring money to the jail in person. 
Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment or you will use the NCIC self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.

Option 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online
Russell County Jail uses NCIC to process all online deposits to an inmate's account. NCIC charges you a small fee for doing so, but the fee probably isn't as much as gas and parking would cost to take it to the jail in person.



Option 3 - Mail the Inmate Deposit to the Jail
Mailing a deposit takes more time to process than the other methods but can be done if you live too far away to bring it in person and you don't have a debit/credit card for online deposits. Never send cash. Always send a Money Order from the US Post Office, a reputable bank or Western Union.
Make the Money Order out to the inmate's name and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order.  Mail it to the Russell County Jail address on this page, or to the address below if it is different than the facility address.
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Russell County Jail
P.O. Box 640
Phenix City, AL 36868

Option 4 - Make an Inmate Deposit over the Phone by calling 800-943-2189

For more information about sending an inmate money for phone cards or other commissary sundries, check out our Inmate Money Page.


 

How to Rent a Tablet for an Inmate at the Russell County Jail

Russell County Jail offers NCIC tablets to rent to inmates that they can use for video visitation and calls, phone calls, instant messaging, education and entertainment.

They can also be used for commissary ordering.

To find out more bout how much tablets cost to rent, and what programs, entertainment, education and other things it can be used for, check out our Tablet Page.


 

How to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Russell County Jail

  • To deposit money online go the NCIC website
  • To deposit money over the phone call 800-943-2189
  • To deposit money at the jail use the NCIC Kiosk in the Russell County Jail lobby.
  • Call the jail at 334-298-8621 to confirm lobby hours for depositing inmate funds.

For complete information on depositing money in an inmate's account, check out our Inmate Money page.


 

How to Schedule and Visit an Inmate in Russell County Jail

To schedule and set up a visit, either at-the-jail or remotely from your home, follow these instructions:

  • Register and/or log in.
  • Select Russell County Jail, then your inmate.
  • Review the days, available hours and the cost of remote and on-site visits in Russell County.
  • Schedule your visit.

To get more complete instructions, and understand visit lengths, times, locations, fees and all the other rules including children, dress codes and more, check out or Visit Inmate Page.
NOTE: All visits are recorded and whatever you say and do will be monitored. It is best to never discuss sensitive information regarding your inmate's pending case.


 

How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Russell County Jail

To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Russell County do the following:

1. Enroll in an account with Securus Technologies.

2. Choose one of three account types, Securus Debit, Advance Connect or Direct Bill.
3. Choose [facility_name_1}, then connect with your inmate.
4. If you have any questions, call Securus: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591.

To find out fees, how to's, calling times, limits on phone calls and other systems Securus has do that you can communicate with your Russell County inmate, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your inmate's phone calls are recorded and stored. It is advised not to discuss their pending case.


 

The Russell County Jail contracts with Prodigy Telephone Solutions. Inmates have ability to use their Messaging Service to send and receive electronic messages.

Depending on the facility, inmates can either view messages from you by:

  • Viewing it on a device at the jail,
  • Viewing it on a Kiosk in their unit,
  • Print it out, and/or
  • Respond electronically.

Pay for the Prodigy Inmate Messaging Service at Russell County Jail.
- Online,
- Over the Phone by calling 866-700-4545,
- Using a Kiosk at Russell County Jail.
Pay for Prodigy.
- Using a Kiosk at Russell County Jail.
- Over the phone by calling 877-810-0914.

How much does it cost to send and receive messages?
Rates to send messages vary and are subject to change.
The typical cost is $1.00 per message, plus $1.00 per photo and $3.00 per 30 second video when available.
Step 1 - Sign in or create an account to find your facility.
Step 2 - Fund Account

NOTE: By turning on messaging, you will fund your account with $5.00 and authorize Prodigy / Jail ATM to charge your payment method for the same amount if you send a message or receive a collect message and do not have enough money.

How Do Visit an Inmate in Russell County Jail?

To visit an inmate in Russell County you need to do the following:

Russell County Jail uses the services of NCIC for remote video visitation. In other words, you can visit your inmate in jail by using your home computer, as long as it is equipped with a microphone and camera that supports video.

When available, the jail also provides use of ‘video visit kiosks’ in the Russell County Jail lobby if you do not have a computer at home. These ’on-site’ video visits are FREE.

Costs
NCIC Video Visitation fees are subject to change, but the cost to you is roughly $7.50 ($0.25 per minute) for a 30-minute visit + an additional fee of $2.00 for the connection.
On-site (at the jail) video visits are FREE.

How to set up your Video Visit

  • Register here.  
  • Select Russell County Jail
  • Select your inmate.
  • Choose your date and time.

Your inmate will be notified by the Russell County Jail staff of the date and time for the visit. Be sure to be in front of your computer and connected to NCIC at least 15 minutes before the start of the visit.

NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – info@ncic.com

For all the information you need to know, whether it be 'in person' at-the-jail visitation or remote video visitation with your Russell County inmate, go to our Visit Inmate Page.


 

How Does an Inmate Make Phone Calls in Russell County Jail?

To receive phone calls from an inmate in Russell County follow these instructions:

Russell County Jail uses the services of NCIC for inmate phone calling. It is called a ‘friends & family account”.

In order to receive phone calls from your inmate, you need to do the following:

  • Register here, or by phone 800-943-2189
  • Choose Alabama.
  • Choose Russell County Jail
  • Select your Inmate.
  • Enter the phone number your Inmate will be calling.
  • Fund your Account. ($10-$100 at a time)

NOTE:
1.   You cannot receive any calls to your phone number from your inmate until both you and your phone number are registered.
2.  When you do receive a call, the number you will view on your phone from the incoming call is: 800-943-2189.
3.  When allowed by Russell County Jail, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.

Fees

  • Adding funds to your account - $3.00 
  • Cost of phone call of a Prepaid Collect Account - $0.21 per minute
  • Cost of an interstate (ex. Alabama to a different state) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
  • Cost of an intrastate (ex. Alabama to Alabama) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
  • Cost if you set up your account (or fund it) by phone using a live agent, you will be charged a one-time fee of $5.95.

NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – info@ncic.com
Full list of participating jails.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Russell County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.


 

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