Penobscot County Jail Inmate Commissary

Penobscot County Jail

Address:
85 Hammond Street
Bangor, ME 04401

Phone:

207-947-4585

Depositing Money in an Inmate's Commissary Account at Penobscot County Jail

Whatever cash the inmate has on their person when booked into the facility will automatically deposited and credited to their commissary 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 Penobscot 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 Commissary Money at the Jail

  • Bring money to the jail in person. 
  • Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment in cash 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 commissary 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)
Penobscot County Jail
85 Hammond street
Bangor, ME 04401

Failure to do this properly will delay your inmate getting his commissary account credited and may require you to have to resubmit a second money order.
Call 207-947-4585 to ask any questions about this.


 

Commissary Money Deposits

Penobscot County Jail uses Access Corrections Secure Deposits (also known as 'Smart Deposit') for depositing money into an inmate's account. 

The information below provides you complete instructions regarding the Penobscot County Jail:
- Inmate Accounts and Deposits,
- Commissary Information,
- Depositing Money Online,
- Mailing Inmate Money, and
- What 'property' Penobscot County Jail inmates are allowed to have in jail and/or have dropped off to them.
Follow the instructions below on this page exactly to help ensure that your inmate has access to commissary, and in some cases medical and bail money, as soon as possible.

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 Penobscot County Jail can spend each month, call 207-947-4585.

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 Penobscot County Jail, call 207-947-4585.

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

Penobscot County Jail has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 207-947-4585 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 Penobscot 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 207-947-4585.

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 Penobscot County Jail contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 207-947-4585.

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 Penobscot County Jail, call 207-947-4585.

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 207-947-4585 to see which one that the Penobscot County Jail 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.

How to Rent a Tablet for an Inmate in Penobscot County Jail

To rent a tablet for an inmate in Penobscot County follow these instructions:

  • Register here.  It is recommended you use Chrome or Firefox.
  • Pay for the subscription using Paypal.
  • You get charged the 1st of each month. 
  • You get charged a full month even if it's only used for a partial month.
  • No activation or early termination fees.
  • Your Penobscot County inmate will recieve their tablet in 3-5 business days, after you pay.


If you have any questions:

For all Penobscot County information on Tablet Rentals for your inmate, check out our Tablet Rental Page.


 

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Penobscot County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Penobscot County Jail follow these steps:

  • Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
  • Select Maine, then select Penobscot County Jail, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Penobscot County Jail.


 

How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Penobscot County Jail

To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Penobscot County do the following:

1. Enroll in an account with Securus Technologies.

2. Choose one of three account types, Securus Debit, Advance Connect or Direct Bill.
3. Choose [facility_name_1}, then connect with your inmate.
4. If you have any questions, call Securus: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591.

To find out fees, how to's, calling times, limits on phone calls and other systems Securus has do that you can communicate with your Penobscot County inmate, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your inmate's phone calls are recorded and stored. It is advised not to discuss their pending case.


 

How to Send a Text or Email Message to an Inmate in Penobscot County Jail

To send a text or email message to a Penobscot County inmate, do the following:

Penobscot County Jail uses Securus eMessaging for Inmate Email.

Register here. (You are already registered if you signed up with Securus for 'Phone' or 'Remote Visitation' in Penobscot County or any jail or prison in the country).
Steps: 
1.  Sign up for eMessaging
2. Find your Penobscot County inmate.
3. Purchase a book of Securus ‘stamps’.
4. Type & Send message.

For all Penobscot County information for sending secure messages to an inmate in Penobscot County Jail, including instructions, video examples, fees, limits, tablet rentals and more, check out out Text/Email an Inmate Page.


 

How to Schedule and Visit an Inmate in Penobscot County Jail

To schedule and set up a visit, either at-the-jail or remotely from your home, follow these instructions:

  • Register and/or log in.
  • Select Penobscot County Jail, then your inmate.
  • Review the days, available hours and the cost of remote and on-site visits in Penobscot County.
  • Schedule your visit.

To get more complete instructions, and understand visit lengths, times, locations, fees and all the other rules including children, dress codes and more, check out or Visit Inmate Page.
NOTE: All visits are recorded and whatever you say and do will be monitored. It is best to never discuss sensitive information regarding your inmate's pending case.


 

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