Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program Inmate Commissary

Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program

Address:
400-C John Allison Drive
Alexandria, LA 71303

Phone:

318-449-4377

Commissary Deposits using Touch Pay

Options for putting money on an inmate's books in Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program:

Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Jail
Bring money to the jail in person. 
You will use a Touchpay self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.


Option 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online
Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program uses Touchpay 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. 

NOTE: Call the Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program at 318-449-4377 to see if they are still allowing money orders to be mailed.

Option 4 - Make an Inmate Deposit over the Phone by calling Touchpay at 866-232-1899.
To do this you will need the inmate's offender # (inmate ID #), full legal name, and Facility Locator Number. Call 318-449-4377 to get the Facility Locator Number.

Depositing Money in an Inmate's Commissary Account at Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program

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 Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program 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 Commissary Money at the Jail

  • Bring money to the jail in person. 
  • Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment (money orders only!) or you will use a self-serve kiosk in the lobby that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.


Option 2 - Mail the Inmate Commissary 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.
  • 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 and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order.

Mail to:
Inmate's Full Name
Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program
400-C John Allison Drive
Alexandria, LA 71303

Failure to do this properly will delay your inmate getting their account credited and may require you to have to resubmit a second money order.
Call 318-449-4377 to ask any questions about this.


 

What is an 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 Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program can spend each month, call 318-449-4377.

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 Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program, call 318-449-4377.

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

Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 318-449-4377 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 Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program, 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 318-449-4377.

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 Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 318-449-4377.

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 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 Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program, call 318-449-4377.

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 318-449-4377 to see which one that the Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program 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.

Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program Allows your Inmate to Receive and Send Text and Email Messages

The Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program contracts with City Tele Coin, the same company that offers Phone and Video Calling, to allow inmates to send and receive digital text messages from friends and loved ones.

You may have to provide them the funds to rent a tablet for a small monthly fee to do this, and of course there is a fee to send and receive messages.

To register for text and email digital message with your inmate go to City Tele Coin and sign up.

Customer Service Contact information:
[email protected]
318-746-1114


 

Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program now offers City Tele Coin Tablets to their inmates.

City Tele Coin is the same company that handles the inmate phone system, video visitations, email and texting and digital letters.

The tablets can be rented or used on a monthly basis and while not directly connected to the internet, the inmates can use them for the following activities:

  • Phone Calls - Inmates may make calls directly from their tablet allowing for more privacy. The rates are the same as the phones in the unit, and the calls are still recorded and monitored.
  • eMessaging - Communicate via a text based message or picture. Fee based system.
  • Education - Free educational platform and course catalog that provides thousands of educational resources.
  • Self Help -Inmates have daily access to mental health and addiction recovery programming.
  • Music - Top-40, Hip-Hop, Country, Rock, Gospel, and more.
  • Law Library -  Legal research with up-to-date case information.
  • eBooks - Thousands of available titles.
  • Religion - Religious resources for spiritual guidance.
  • Games - Inmates can play their favorite games. Available through monthly subscriptions
  • Facility Services - Digital access to submitted forms, requests, facility documents, and notifications from staff.

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:


 

Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail is to be shipped to the Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program:
Inmate's Full Name
Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program
400-C John Allison Drive
Alexandria, LA 71303


For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.


 

Rapides Parish Bail Bond Information

Because Rapides Parish and Louisiana can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program at 318-449-4377, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, and do this right after an arrestee has been booked. 

Ask the staff at the Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program or the Rapides Parish Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released. 

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.


 

How to Deposit Money into an Inmate's Account in Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program

To deposit money into the account of an inmate in Rapides Parish, follow these instructions:

  • Create an account with Touchpay Services, a GTL company.
  • Select Louisiana.
  • Select Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program
  • Enter the Inmate ID of your inmate.  This can be found by calling 318-449-4377 or by looking up the inmate's name in the Inmate Search link.
  • Enter your billing information and send money.
  • You can also deposit cash using the kiosk at the Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program.  To do this you need the Inmate's ID Number and the Facility Locator Number for Rapides Parish.

For all the information you need regarding making an inmate deposit, what it costs, how much you can send, how long it takes for your inmate to receive funds and more, and to get the Facility Locator Number, check out our Send Money Page.


 

How to Have Remote Video Visits and Email Communication with an Inmate in Rapides Parish

To register and sign up for a remote visitation account with City Tele Coin to communicate with your Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program inmate, follow the instructions below:

  • Register and create an account with City Tele Coin.
  • City Tele Coin has excellent quality video visits between your home device and a video terminal in the inmate's housing area.
  • You can also send and receive secure messages and use them to make and receive phone calls with your Rapides Parish inmate.
  • This is a fee based service.
  • For more information, you can call City Telecoin from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM CST by dialing 318-746-1114, or email them: [email protected].
  • Visit Inmate 'at the jail' information.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding visiting with an inmate (both at the jail and remotely) in Rapides Parish, visit our full page guide

NOTE: All video visits are recorded and stored. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some video visits providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.


 

How to Make and Receive Phone Calls from an Inmate in Rapides Parish

To register and sign up for a phone account with City Tele Coin to communicate with your Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program inmate, follow the instructions below:

  • Register and create an account with City Tele Coin.
  • City Tele Coin Phone Services include Prepaid Accounts and Calling Cards for your inmate in Rapides Parish Transitional Work Program to call you and others.
  • You can also send and receive secure messages with your inmate.
  • This is a fee based service, but regular calls are capped at $0.21 per minute and collect calls capped at $0.25 per minute.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding making phone calls with an inmate in Rapides Parish, visit our full page guide

NOTE: All phone conversations and messages are recorded and stored. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some phone providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.


 

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