Address:
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704
Phone:
208-577-3000
Whatever cash the inmate has on their person when booked into the facility will automatically deposited and credited to their account. When released any money left in the account will be returned to them in the form of a check from the Sheriff's Department or the Ada County Jail Trust Account. There may be circumstances where the inmate can give permission to have his money released to a family member or friend.
Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Jail
You can bring money to the jail in person.
If you do, you will use a self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.
Option 2 - Online Deposits with gettingout/Viapath.
Ada County Jail uses GettingOut for some or all of its communication services with an inmate.
If you want to deposit money using this company for your use or your inmate's account, there are four ways to do it:
Occasionally, it may take up to 72 hours for funds to be active on an inmate Trust & Commissary account, however most people experience deposits are available immediately.
Ada County Jail has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 208-577-3000 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 Ada County Jail, this information will be outlined above.
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
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 208-577-3000.
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 Ada County Jail contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 208-577-3000.
There are several ways to send money to an inmate into United States Bureau of Prisons.
There are three ways to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Federal Bureau of Prisons:
In order to do any of these you need to know the exact name the inmate is incarcerated under, and their Inmate ID# (aka Register Number)
If you can't find the inmate and Register Number online, use the online contact form to request help.
1. Ada County Jail and Moneygram
You can send an inmate funds electronically using MoneyGram's ExpressPayment Program.
You can send money either online or at a Moneygram location.
- Funds are received and processed seven days per week, including holidays.
- Funds sent between 7:00AM - 9:00PM EST are posted within 2 to 4 hours.
- Funds sent after 9:00PM EST are posted at 7:00AM EST the following morning.
- If you have any questions you may contact BOP staff at 202-307-2712 between 8:00AM and 4:30PM EST.
NOTE: Do not send money until the inmate has actually arrived to the facility he has been assigned. At that point you can locate their location online.
Please visit https://www.moneygram.com/mgo/us/en/paybills, and enter the receive code 7932 or Federal Bureau of Prisons.
First time users will have to set up a profile and account.
A MasterCard or Visa credit card is required.
The maximum you can send is $300 at a time.
Locate the nearest agent by calling 800-926-9400 or finding a location online.
You'll need to complete a MoneyGram ExpressPayment Blue Form.
You can pay with cash or credit/debit Mastercard or Visa.
2. Ada County Jail and Western Union.
- First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and inmates ID #
NOTE: Do not send money until the inmate has actually arrived to the facility he has been assigned. At that point you can locate their location online.
You need to know these codes.
Codes:
Code City: FBOP, DC
State: DC
Senders Account #: Inmate's eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate's last name (example: 12345678DOE)
Attention: Inmate's full committed name
Western Union Facilities
Deposit funds in-person at Western Union.
Codes:
Code City: FBOP, DC
State: DC
Senders Account #: Inmate's eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate's last name (example: 12345678DOE)
Attention: Inmate's full committed name
If you have any questions you may contact BOP staff at 202-307-2712 between 8:00AM and 4:30PM EST.
3. Ada County Jail and Mailing a Payment
- First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and inmates ID #
NOTE: Do not send money until the inmate has actually arrived to the facility he has been assigned. At that point you can locate their location online.
When sending an inmate money by mail, the Ada County Jail will only accept:
**Important Notes**
- Obtain a money order and include both the inmate's:
- Full committed name AND complete eight-digit register number on the money order.
- Non-postal money orders and non-government checks will be placed on a 15-day hold.
- If you have any questions you may contact BOP staff at 202-307-2712 between 8:00AM and 4:30PM EST.
Make sure your full name and return address is on the envelope.
Address the Money Order to:
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Insert Valid Committed Inmate Name
Insert Inmate Eight-Digit Register Number
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001
Inmate funds are the cash that an inmate has on themselves when they are booked into jail, plus the money that friends and family add while they are incarcerated. Inmate funds are also known as ‘inmate trust account’, ‘inmate commissary account’, and ‘inmate money account’.
Typically, most jails allow an innate spend no more than $300-400 per month on snacks and hygiene products, with another $300 spent on phone calls and other communication services. Some jails limit the amount an inmate can spend on snacks to as low as $100 per month, but that is rare.
To find out how much the Ada County Jail allows, call the jail at 208-577-3000.
Most jails limit the amount that you can send an inmate to $200 at one time. If a money order exceeds $50.00 some jails will hold the money for up to 30 days before releasing it. The quickest way to get money on an inmate’s account is to deposit it either online or over the phone with the outside vendor the jail works with.
It is not illegal for an inmate to have cash, but it is considered contraband and will be confiscated by the Ada County Jail if it is discovered. There could be additional punishment such as phone or visitation limited. It is unlikely that criminal charges will be levied though.
Inmates are very creative in coming up with alternatives to cash for buying goods and services and taking part in gambling and other recreational activities.
• Some jails use stamps as a form of currency.
• Some use a “unit”, which is basically a candy bar, bag of chips or foil package of tuna.
• Some buy goods and services for a “tray”, which is basically a meal, especially one that contains food that may be in demand, such as “chicken on the bone”.
• Some will trade a service such as legal research, haircutting, jail artwork to send to a loved one.
• Some will agree to clean another’s cell in exchange for a candy bar or some coffee.
Basically, everything and anything can be used for trade instead of cash, but one thing is for certain, in jail, you must pay your debt. If you agree to do something when it comes to owing “money”, and you don’t pay, you may end up with a broken jaw when you least expect it.
Inmates in jail and prisoners in prisons, in lieu of cash, trade food, meals, haircuts, cell cleaning, legal research, artwork and communication credits (phone, email, etc.).
Commissaries carry every type of food imaginable:
• Cookies
• Pastries
• Candy
• Tuna and mackerel
• Coffee
• Tea
• Soft drinks
• Energy drinks
• Pizza
• Hamburgers
• Chicken fingers
• Spices
Some jails have larger selections than others, and some contract with companies that ship in gift packages of food, and even fast food that can be reheated.
Prisons in Canada even have small fast-food outlets that operate within the jail.
Besides the food products mentioned above, inmates can purchase:
• hygiene products like soaps, shampoos and lotions,
• clothing like sweats, t-shirts, hoodies and sneakers,
• stationary supplies
• religious garments
• books
• televisions, radios and headphones
• movie and television programming
• educational courses
How to Put Money on an Inmate Account in the Ada County Jail
There are usually four options for putting money on an inmate's books:
Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Jail
Bring money to the jail in person.
Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment or you will use a self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.
Option 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online
Ada County Jail and others often use a private company to process all online deposits to an inmate's account. The company 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.
Call Ada County Jail at 208-577-3000 to confirm the address to send the money order to and how they want it made out.
Failure to do this properly will delay your inmate getting his account credited and may require you to have to resubmit a second money order.
Call 208-577-3000 to ask facility personnel who to make the money order out to, and where to send it.
Option 4 - Make an Inmate Deposit over the Phone
Most of the online companies that provide deposit services will accept deposits over the phone with a debit or credit card.
To do this you will need the inmate's offender # (inmate ID #) and full legal name.
Ada County Jail Commissary Instructions
The service they use is called icaregifts.
Instructions
1. Register here.
2. Click the "Find an Inmate" button and enter your loved one’s first name, last name, or inmate number. When the information is entered correctly, click the “Search” button to confirm they are in the system.
3. Select the icare gift you want to send them.
4. Confirm the order in your confirmation email.
5. Ada County Jail has up to 30 days to give your icaregift pack to your inmate.
6. You will receive a confirmation email when it is delivered.
There are a total of fourteen (14) pre-determined icaregift packs available to choose from.
They range in price from $10.49 for ten pre-stamped envelopes, 2 pens and a pad of writing paper…
… to $104.99 for a box of 85 snack and food items…
… with many gift packs priced in between.
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions (you must have an inmate chosen in order to review these FAQs for Ada County Jail
Contact Info:
888-439-5020 - 8AM–9PM ET, 7 days a week.
What Can You Purchase for an Inmate's Commissary at Ada County Jail
icaregifts is the Ada County Jail's outside vendor for Commissary Items. They have a very good mix of Chips, Snacks, Candy, Meat, Seafood, Hygeine products, and Letter writing materials for sale on their website.
Who can Purchase Commissary for Ada County Jail Inmates?
Anybody can purchase commissary for your inmate as long as there is not a 'no-contact order' in place, as this might get them in further trouble.
Because of the ability for family members and friends to purchase commissary online from icaregifts using a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card, you and your inmate have more options.
Why Do Inmates in Ada County Jail need Commissary?
Since inmates are not allowed to possess cash money while in custody, the Ada County Jail allows the inmate's family and/or friends to purchase products online from icaregifts.
This allows them to obtain items such as personal hygiene products, snacks, apparel, electronics and stationery supplies. Otherwise they go without, and you don't want them to be obligated to others for their basic needs.
Medical Copays, Jail Fees and other Inmate Expenses
Many jails debit (charge) an inmate's commissary accounts for medical visits, any medications including over-the-counter pain reliever, jail stay fees, restitution, etc.
Taking this into consideration when deciding how much to deposit will ensure the inmate gets the amount you wanted him to have after things are deducted.
A quick call to the Ada County Jail at 208-577-3000 will let you know how much is deducted from the books for each fee related to medical issues or other jail expenses.
Important Tips and Information About Your Inmate's Commissary
Sometimes an inmate's commissary money is used to purchase items to pay gambling debts or purchase prescription medicine from another inmate. If your inmate is spending more than $10.00 a day on commissary items, you are most likely paying for him or her to gamble or buy drugs.
Some inmates, specifically those who are targeted for being weak or are in jail for rape or child molestation, are forced to relinquish their commissary to avoid regular beatings from other inmates.
If you think your inmate is being targeted for violence or having their commissary taken to avoid beatings, contact the Ada County Jail and ask to investigate. If an inmate is being targeted, they will intervene and have the victim placed in protective custody, away from the general population.
Put your financial needs first and the inmate's second. Don't forget, the inmate is getting three free 2,000 calorie meals a day. The food may not be of the highest quality, but the commissary food is generally much less nutritious.
Click here to purchase commissary online for your inmate at Ada County Jail.
Postcards
The Ada 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 Ada County Jail also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.
Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & JID #
c/o Ada County Jail
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD, 21131
Legal Mail
Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & JID #
c/o Ada County Jail
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704
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 Ada County Jail allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & 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 Ada 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 & JID #
c/o Ada County Jail
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704
How to Make a Deposit for Phone, Email or Visitation using GettingOut.com
Ada County Jail uses GettingOut for some or all of its communication services with an inmate.
If you want to deposit money using this company for your use or your inmate's account, there are four ways to do it:
For all the information you need to know, including tips, guidelines and warnings about depositing money in a Ada County Jail inmate's account for communication services, check out our Send Money page.
To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:
1. First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL
2. Purchase the services you want for your Ada County Jail inmate.
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.
To mail or email an inmate in Ada County follow these steps:
When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:
Emailing Messages & Photos
Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.
Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select Ada County Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.
Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115
Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.
All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Ada County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
To visit an inmate in Ada County, whether by video or in person 'at the jail', follow these steps:
Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Ada County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut.
There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Ada County Jail:
1. Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.
To remotely visit an inmate in Ada County follow these steps:
1. Start by confirming that Ada County Jail's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Ada County here.
2. The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Ada County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.
Other Ada County Services provided by GettingOut:
- Phone Calls & Voicemail
- Email, Photo & Video Sharing
- Inmate Tablet Rental
- Deposits
Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Ada County Jail Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions
* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Ada County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.
Ada County Jail Phone: 208-577-3000
To receive phone calls from inmates in Ada County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:
1. Start by confirming that Ada County Jail has the phone service you need to communicate with your inmate by the facility lookup here.
2. In the meantime, you can create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account. This account can be controlled by just you, or by both you and your inmate.
4. Last, select Ada County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.
Ada County Services that are provided by GettingOut, a GTL company:
- Phone Calls & Voicemail
- Video Visits (from home or jail lobby)
- Email & Photo Sharing
- Tablet Rental
- Deposits
Phone & Voicemail Fees
1. GettingOut charges $0.25 per minute for all phone calls, prepaid or collect, within Idaho.
2. Prepaid calls between Idaho and other states costs $0.21 per minute. International calls are $0.95 per minute.
3. There is a fee of $3.00 every time you add money to your account online, and it costs $5.95 if you add funds over the phone with a live agent.
4. You can also leave an inmate a short voice message for a flat fee of $1.25.
Note: Rates are subject to change.
Types of Phone Calls
Collect Calls
Collect calls allow you to accept and pay for calls to your land line (only) phone account. This means that if you accept your call from your inmate, all the charges for that call will then be billed to your land line phone account and will show up and be listed on your next local phone bill. Additional fees, costs, restrictions may apply.
Prepaid calls (Direct Calls)
With Prepaid Calls you can set up your account so that the inmate can only call you and/or you can just deposit money in their account and they can purchase prepaid phone cards through their commissary and call whoever they choose, provided the Ada County Jail approves of the phone number.
Quick Connect
Quick connect is an alternative to collect calls. It allows you to quickly pay for a phone call with your credit card. When your inmate calls you, follow the instructions from the automated voice system to pay for that one phone call, directly billed to your card.
Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Ada County Jail GettingOut phone services, you can call them at 866-516-0115.
* All the information you need to understand making and receiving phone calls with inmates in Ada County, can be found on our Inmate Phone Page.
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Ada County Jail follow these steps:
For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Ada County Jail, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Ada County.