Address:
3026 South California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60608
Phone:
773-674-7100
There are five ways to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Cook County Jail Corrections System:
In order to do any of these you need to know the exact name the inmate was booked under, and the booking number.
If you can't find the inmate and booking number online, call the Records Office at 773-674-2390.
Each week, an individual in custody can purchase up to $100 worth of clothing & supplies, and also $100 worth of food items.
1. Online or Telephone Deposits - Note that it my take up to two business days for the funds to show up in the inmate's account.
JailATM - You need to first register with JailATM in order to look up your inmate's name and booking number and deposit money into their trust fund account. They charge a small fee every time you make a deposit. If you have questions or prefer to use their phone service in order to deposit money, call them at 870-627-5476.
Western Union - First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and booking number.
You also need to know these codes: The City Code is: CCDOC or COOK COUNTY DEPT CORRECTION
State Code is: ILLINOIS
Money Gram - First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name, AND their booking number.
You will also have to know the Receive Code, which is 1750.
For questions, concerns or to add funds via Money Gram over the phone, call 800-225-5227
2. Currency Exchange Facilities -
Deposit funds in-person at Currency Exchanges that offer Western Union or Money Gram services.
Codes:
Western Union
City Code: CCDOC or COOK COUNTY DEPT CORRECTION
State: ILLINOIS
Money Gram
Receive Code: 1750
JailATM
Visit JailATM to register or call 870-627-5476
3. Mailing a Payment -
* Money orders - $100 maximum
* Cashiers Checks - $1,000 maximum
When sending an inmate money by mail, the Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services will only accept:
If you want to send more you can, but you need to send multiple checks that do not exceed the maximum amounts listed above.
**Important Notes**
Mailing Address:
NAME:
BOOKING #:
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
4. Dropping off a payment at a Kiosk - $300 maximum
When dropping off an inmate's money in person, the Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services will only accept.
These Kiosks are ATM machines that are managed by JailATM.
JailATM Locations at the Cook County Jail to drop off inmate money:
The following is the procedure to pick-up money from an incarcerated male or female inmate’s money account, regardless of which Cook County Jail they were in:
Once an inmate is released, they can go to the following address, and as long as they can present a government issued picture ID, they can get the balance of their Trust Fund Account issued to them.
Division 5
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
If they don't have an ID, the balance will be mailed to the address that Cook County Corrections has on file.
If they are being released to another facility, upon request, the balance will be sent there.
Letters can be mailed to:
Cook County Department of Corrections
Trust/Finance Office – Individual in Custody Trust Fund
Division 5 Second Floor
2700 S California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60608
If you have any questions, call the Trust/Finance Office at 773-674-6864.
Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 773-674-7100 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 Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services, 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 773-674-7100.
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 Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 773-674-7100.
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. Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services 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. Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services 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. Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services 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 Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services 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 Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services allows, call the jail at 773-674-7100.
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 Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services 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
Can Inmates Receive Commissary Packages Ordered by Someone Else?
These can be ordered from JailATM online.
What is the Maximum Amount that an Inmate can have Deposited in their Trust Fund Account?
There is, however, a maximum amount of the money orders and cashier's checks that can be mailed in.
These maximums are:
* Money orders - $100 maximum
* Cashiers Checks - $1,000 maximum
When sending an inmate money by mail, the Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services will only accept:
US Postal Money Orders, or
Certified Bank Cashier Checks
If you want to send more money you can, but you need to send multiple checks that do not exceed the maximum amounts listed above.
What can an Inmate Purchase through Commissary?
People who have never been to jail would be surprised by the large amount of candy, snacks, art supplies, playing cards, hygiene products and clothing that can be purchased through this jail's commissary.
The Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services Commissary Instructions and Information can be found on this page. If you need more information contact the jail by calling 773-674-7100.
Who Can Put Money in an Inmate's Account?
Anybody can contribute to an inmate's books or commissary fund as long as there isn't a no-contact order in place.
Because of the ability for family members and friends to deposit money online using a credit or debit card, jail inmates can now receive funds from anywhere in the world.
WHY DOES AN INMATE NEED MONEY IN THEIR ACCOUNT AT THE Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services?
Since inmates are not allowed to possess cash money while in custody in the Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services, the jail maintains a 'bank account' for the inmate to purchase products and services from their commissary (canteen) store.
Commissary funds allow inmates to purchase items such as personal hygiene products, snacks and stationery supplies from the jail store.
Inmates can use money from their account to purchase phone time credits or prepaid phone cards in order to make outside phone calls to friends and family members.
Many jails also allow an inmate to bail himself out of jail if he has the funds in his account. The bail amount is typically 10-15% of the bond amount set by the court.
Inmate accounts are also used to pay the co-payment for medication and visits to the jail's medical clinic should they become ill.
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 Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services at 773-674-7100 will let you know how much is deducted from the books for each fee related to medical issues or other jail expenses.
Important Tips
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 Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services and ask to investigate. If an inmate is being targeted, most jails 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.
(Scroll down for Video Visitation instructions)
As long as there is a threat of inmates getting sick from COVID or other pandemic related illness, the following rules will be in affect for all inmates and their visitors:
Once regular in-person visitation returns in 2023, the following will link you to the actual visitation schedules for each Cook County Jail Division:
Video Visitation is done using Microsoft Teams Group Chat Software.
There are five ways to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Cook County Jail Corrections System:
In order to do any of these you need to know the exact name the inmate was booked under, and the booking number.
If you can't find the inmate and booking number online, call the Records Office at 773-674-2390.
Each week, an individual in custody can purchase up to $100 worth of clothing & supplies, and also $100 worth of food items.
1. Online or Telephone Deposits - Note that it my take up to two business days for the funds to show up in the inmate's account.
JailATM - You need to first register with JailATM in order to look up your inmate's name and booking number and deposit money into their trust fund account. They charge a small fee every time you make a deposit. If you have questions or prefer to use their phone service in order to deposit money, call them at 870-627-5476.
Western Union - First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and booking number.
You also need to know these codes: The City Code is: CCDOC or COOK COUNTY DEPT CORRECTION
State Code is: ILLINOIS
Money Gram - First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name, AND their booking number.
You will also have to know the Receive Code, which is 1750.
For questions, concerns or to add funds via Money Gram over the phone, call 800-225-5227
2. Currency Exchange Facilities -
Deposit funds in-person at Currency Exchanges that offer Western Union or Money Gram services.
Codes:
Western Union
City Code: CCDOC or COOK COUNTY DEPT CORRECTION
State: ILLINOIS
Money Gram
Receive Code: 1750
JailATM
Visit JailATM to register or call 870-627-5476
3. Mailing a Payment -
* Money orders - $100 maximum
* Cashiers Checks - $1,000 maximum
When sending an inmate money by mail, the Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services will only accept:
If you want to send more you can, but you need to send multiple checks that do not exceed the maximum amounts listed above.
**Important Notes**
Mailing Address:
NAME:
BOOKING #:
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
4. Dropping off a payment at a Kiosk - $300 maximum
When dropping off an inmate's money in person, the Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services will only accept.
These Kiosks are ATM machines that are managed by JailATM.
JailATM Locations at the Cook County Jail to drop off inmate money:
The following is the procedure to pick-up money from an incarcerated male or female inmate’s money account, regardless of which Cook County Jail they were in:
Once an inmate is released, they can go to the following address, and as long as they can present a government issued picture ID, they can get the balance of their Trust Fund Account issued to them.
Division 5
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
Hours: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
If they don't have an ID, the balance will be mailed to the address that Cook County Corrections has on file.
If they are being released to another facility, upon request, the balance will be sent there.
Letters can be mailed to:
Cook County Department of Corrections
Trust/Finance Office – Individual in Custody Trust Fund
Division 5 Second Floor
2700 S California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60608
If you have any questions, call the Trust/Finance Office at 773-674-6864.
For more information, including fees, more detailed instructions, deposit limits, type of items available to purchase, and more, check out our Inmate Money page.
Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services Inmates are allowed mail in envelopes and on postcards. They are also allowed to receive photos.
They are also allowed to receive books and magazines, but not newspapers.
Mailing Address:
NAME:
BOOKING #:
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
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 Cook County Jails, check out our Inmate Mail Page.
Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)
For full instructions on the Cook County Jail - Women's Justice Services 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.