Elk County Jail Sending Money

Search for an Inmate in Elk County

Elk County Jail

Address:
100 N. Cedar Street
Howard, KS 67349

Phone:

620-374-2108

Deposit Money for an Inmate in the Elk County Jail

The Easiest Way of Depositing Money for an Inmate

There are several methods for depositing money on an inmate's account. You can find out how to do this by calling the Elk County Jail at 620-374-2108 and asking, or you can scroll down and review the different methods.

1.    Mail 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 Elk County Sheriff's Office, 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, unless the facility allows it. Never send personal checks or cash.

2.    Deposit cash or use a debit or credit card using a dedicated kiosk for this purpose. The machine is located in the lobby or visitation area of the Elk County Jail.

3.    The Elk County Jail has a reception desk that may accept cash, money orders or cashier checks. Call 620-374-2108 to find out the specific hours for drop off times.

4.    The Elk County Jail may contract with a third party service 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. Call 620-374-2108 for the company information, along with a list of these companies, or find it by scolling down below.

Elk County Jail - Depositing Money for Inmates

There are three choices for putting money on an inmate's books:

Choice 1 - Dropping Money at the Jail

Bring money to the jail in person. 

Jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment.

Elk County Jail has a Tiger Kiosk in the Lobby that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.

If you can't get your questions answered online call the Elk County Jail at 620-374-2108.

Choice 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online

Elk 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.

Go to the online site for depositing funds. You will need to register an account, which is free to do and use a debit/credit card for the deposits.

Choice 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 Elk County Jail at 620-374-2108 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 620-374-2108 to ask facility personnel who to make the money order out to, and where to send it.

How do I send an inmate money?

Elk County Jail has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 620-374-2108 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 Elk County Jail, this information will be outlined above.

Who are the companies that 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 620-374-2108.

Can I send an inmate money online?

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 Elk County Jail contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 620-374-2108.

How do I send money to someone in the United States Bureau of Prisons?

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:

  • Moneygram
  • Western Union Online Deposits
  • United States Postal Service - Mailing a Payment

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.  Elk 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.


Sending a Moneygram 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.


Sending a Moneygram from a Location

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.  Elk 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.

Sending a Western Union payment 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

  • Type in and select FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISON, then follow Western Union's instructions.
  • For questions, concerns or to add funds via Western Union over the phone, call 800-325-6000.

 

Sending a Western Union payment from a location

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.  Elk 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 Elk County Jail will only accept:

  • US Postal Money Orders

**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

What are inmate funds?

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’.

How much money can an inmate have?

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 Elk County Jail allows, call the jail at 620-374-2108.

How much money can I send an inmate at one time?

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.

Is it illegal for an inmate to have cash?

It is not illegal for an inmate to have cash, but it is considered contraband and will be confiscated by the Elk 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.

If an inmate can’t have cash in jail or prison, how do they purchase contraband or gamble?

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.

What are things prisoners use or trade in lieu of cash?

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.).

What kind of food can an inmate purchase on Commissary?

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. 

What items can inmates purchase in jail and prison? 

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 send money for an inmate to the {facility_name_1

There are three choices for putting money on an inmate's books:

Choice 1 - Dropping Money at the Jail

Bring money to the jail in person. 

Jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment.

Elk County Jail has a Tiger Kiosk in the Lobby that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.

If you can't get your questions answered online call the Elk County Jail at 620-374-2108.

Choice 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online

Elk 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.

Go to the online site for depositing funds. You will need to register an account, which is free to do and use a debit/credit card for the deposits.

Choice 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 Elk County Jail at 620-374-2108 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 620-374-2108 to ask facility personnel who to make the money order out to, and where to send it.

INMATE COMMISSARY PACKAGES

The Elk County Jail contracts with Tiger Commissary. 

If you want to purchase Commissary for your inmate online click on the image below and follow the instructions.

Tiger Commissary Frequently Asked Questions.

Tiger Commissary Online Support.

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 Elk County Jail Commissary Instructions and Information can be found on this page. If you need more information contact the jail by calling 620-374-2108.

Who can Buy Commissary for an inmate?

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 Elk County Jail?

Since inmates are not allowed to possess cash money while in custody in the Elk County Jail, 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 Elk County Jail at 620-374-2108 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 Elk County Jail 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.

Elk County Jail Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Elk 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 Elk 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#
Elk County Jail
PO Box 127
Howard, KS 67349



Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Elk County Jail
PO Box 127
Howard, KS 67349



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 Elk 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 Elk 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#
Elk County Jail
PO Box 127
Howard, KS 67349


 

How Do You Visit an Inmate in Elk County Jail?

Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate at Elk County Jail, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Elk County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of Inmate Sales utilizing the following instructions:

In order to have a successful video visit with an inmate in Elk County, these are the steps to follow:

  • Make sure you have a device a speaker, a camera and a connection to the internet.
  • Register with Inmate Sales.
  • Find Elk County Jail
  • Select 'New Purchase'
  • Choose Elk County Jail and a product (either 'Remote' or 'Onsite' Visit)
  • Enter your personal information and purchase minutes.
  • Schedule a visit.
  • Call 877-998-5678 if you have any 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 Elk County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.

Elk County Jail Phone: 620-374-2108


 

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

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

  • Register with Inmate Sales, the company that handles inmate messaging in Elk County, by creating an account.
  • Select Kansas, then select Elk County Jail, and then the inmate you want to send your message to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to spend, and input your payment method. The funds can also be used by the inmate to send a message back to you.
  • If you want to pay by phone, call 877-998-5678.
  • NOTE: All messages between you and your inmate will be permanently recorded and seen by the staff and could be used against your inmate in court.

-  Chirping is the product name for inmate texting.  
-  This product allows Elk County inmates to send chirps (texts) to friends and family members.
-  Inmates will be charged a monthly service fee of $4.00.
-  Inbound and Outbound Chirps are $0.10 each.

Inmate Sales Apps

iphone app
Google Play app

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


 

Elk County Jail now offers Inmate Sales Tablets to their inmates.


Inmate Sales also handles inmate phone systems, video visitations, email and texting (they call it chirping) and digital letters.

The tablets can be rented on a monthly basis (or are given to the inmate use for a limited time) and while not directly connected to the internet, the inmates can use them for the following activities:

Here's how it works:

  • Register here.  It is recommended you use Chrome or Firefox.
  • You get charged a full month even if it's only used for a partial month.
  • No activation or early termination fees.
  • Your inmate will recieve their tablet in 3-5 business days, after you pay.

Questions:

iphone app download

Google Play download


 

How Do Inmates in Elk County Jail Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Elk County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

  • Elk County Jail uses the services of a company named Inmate Sales.
  • Register with them online or call them at 877-998-5678
  • Agents are available M-F from 8:00 AM - 12:00 midnight EST, Saturdays from 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM, and speak both English & Spanish.
  • Services for Elk County inmates and their families and friends include: Collect Calling, PIN Debit, Purchasing Calling Cards, Deposits, Messaging & Video Visitation.

iphone app
Google Play app

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


 

How to Purchase Commissary for an Inmate in Elk County Jail

To purchase commissary for an inmate in Elk County follow these instructions:

  • Go to Tiger Services Online.
  • Choose Kansas.
  • Select Elk County Jail.
  • Click on 'Order Commissary'.
  • Select your inmate.
  • Enter your billing information.
  • Follow the rest of the instructions for Elk County Jail to complete your transaction.

For more detailed information on Ordering Commissary, Depositing Money, Setting up Phone & Visitation Accounts; costs, fees, restrictions, rules and more with Tiger Commissary Services, check out our Commissary Page.


 

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