Men's Central Jail Inmate Commissary

How to Deposit Money in a Men's Central Jail Inmate's Account

There are two ways to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Los Angeles County Jail system:
1.  Mailing a Payment - $200 maximum

Mailing Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164

2.  Dropping off a payment - $200 maximum
When dropping off an inmate's money in person, the Men's Central Jail will only accept:

• Cash
• US Postal Money Orders, or
• Certified Bank Cashier Checks from banks in California for deposit into an inmate’s account.

Locations to drop off inmate money:

Inmate Reception Center
450 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

or

Century Regional Detention Facility
11705 S. Alameda Street
Lynwood, CA 90262

For complete information and guidelines for sending an inmate money including: the maximum you can send, what form the payment has to be, the maximum an inmate can have in their account and more, check out our Inmate Money page.

How to Send Mail to an Inmate in the Men's Central Jail

Men's Central Jail Inmates are allowed mail in envelopes and on postcards. They are also allowed to receive photos.

They are also allowed to receive books, magazine and newspapers directly from trusted publishers and businesses.

Mailing Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164

To learn all the rules, policies and guidelines, and they are extensive, for sending anything in the mail to an inmate at any of the Los Angeles County Jails, check out our Inmate Mail Page.

How to use a Tablet to Access Services at Men's Central Jail

To find out how to get access to a tablet for an inmate read the following:

1.  First, Register or Sign In to GTL / Viapath Services.

2.  In the top menu, click on 'Services', then on 'Inmate Devices & Content'.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.

To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.

How Do You Communicate with an Inmate in the Men's Central Jail by Phone

Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

• Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
• Pin Debit  -  This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
• Voicemail  -  You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for Men's Central Jail, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

For full instructions on the Men's Central Jail Inmate Phone System, what the costs are, how it works, and tips and guidelines on rules, regulations and saving money on calls, check out our Inmate Phones Page.

How do Inmates at the Men's Central Jail Communicate using Email?

As of January 2023, LA County Jails do not yet contract with a service that allows email or messaging services.  For the time being the only communication with inmates by US Mail, By Phone or by Visiting them at the facility.

For more information on how jails across America are using third-party email services to allow communication between inmates and their loved ones, check out our Inmate Email page.

How to Arrange Visitation with Men's Central Jail Inmates

Follow these instructions to register, schedule and then visit an inmate using GTL.

• Register yourself.
• Select your inmate.
• Schedule your preferred time for the visit.

Inmate Visitation times in Men's Central Jail vary based on many considerations.
After you select your inmate, you will be given the option of available time slots.

For all the information you need to know regarding scheduling, times, cost, rules, tips and guidelines of inmate visits at the Men's Central Jail, check out our Visit Inmate Page.

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Los Angeles County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Men's Central Jail follow these steps:

• Select California, then select Men's Central Jail, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
• Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Los Angeles County.
• 
• Choose the inmate and the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
• NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Los Angeles County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Men's Central Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Los Angeles County.