Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry Inmate Commissary

Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry

Address:
165 Marston Street
Lawrence, MA 01841

Phone:

978-750-1900 x4309

Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry Inmate Commissary Information

Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry allows pre-determined commissary packs to be purchased by friends and family of inmates.  

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.    Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry 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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry

Contact Info:
888-439-5020 - 8AM–9PM ET, 7 days a week.

Deposits for Commissary and Inmate Communications such as Prepaid Phone Cards

Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry uses GTL Connect Network, also known as Viapath Technologies, to facilitate family members and friends to make deposits directly into their Trust Fund Commissary Account that can be used for communication services.

The inmate can then use the money to purchase products from commissary or services such as secure messages and phone calls.
Deposits can be made 24/7 online or by telephone by calling 888-988-4768, or by using the Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry kiosk.

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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry can spend each month, call 978-750-1900 x4309.

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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry, call 978-750-1900 x4309.

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

Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 978-750-1900 x4309 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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry, 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 978-750-1900 x4309.

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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 978-750-1900 x4309.

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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry, call 978-750-1900 x4309.

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 978-750-1900 x4309 to see which one that the Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry 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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry

To rent a tablet for an inmate in Essex 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 Essex County inmate will recieve their tablet in 3-5 business days, after you pay.


If you have any questions:

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


 

Postcards
The Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry 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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry also allows regular postcards and envelopes to be mailed to inmates as well.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate's Unit & MSA Number (Call 978-750-1900 to get this)
C/O Securus Digital Mail Center/Essex County
PO Box 995
Lebanon, MO 65536


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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry 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 above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry 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 mail, newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate's Unit & MSA Number (Call 978-750-1900 to get this)
Essex County Prerelease & Reentry
165 Marston St.
Lawrence, MA 01841


 

There are five choices for putting money on an inmate's books that may be used for paying an inmate's Bond or Bail.

Check with Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry by calling 978-750-1900 x4309 prior to paying a bond online as this is being rolled out to different facilities slowly.

1. Commissary money in the form of a money order may be mailed to:
AdvancePay Service Department
P.O. Box 911722
Denver, CO 80291-1722

2. You may use cash or credit/debit cards at any time by using the kiosk located in the front lobby.  The fee for the use of the ATM is generally $1.50 per transaction for cash and 10% fee for credit/debit cards.

3. Commissary money can also be added to an inmates account at any time using any of these methods online.

4Cash deposits to ConnectNetwork are now available at 26,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, ACE, Kmart, Kroger, and more. You’ll start the payment process online in your ConnectNetwork account, then complete your transaction with cash at a participating local retail store. Plus, many of these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find a retail store near you.

5. You can call customer service 24/7 at 877-650-4249 and get instructions for depositing money over the phone using a debit or credit card.


 

How to Deposit Money in an Inmate's Trust Account in Order to Purchase Prepaid Calling Cards, Phone Calling Time or Commissary

To Deposit Money in an inmate's account follow these steps:

  • Create a ConnectNetwork account 
  • Select your inmate, and add to them to your account,
  • Deposit money into his or her commissary account.

**NOTE** GTL is in a transition merging into a new company called ViaPath Technologies.


Features:

  • Deposit options available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone 877-650-4249, and online.
  • Mobile-friendly deposit options are available via their app.
  • Deposits and payments made through automated channels (ConnectNetwork Website, Mobile App, Toll Free Phone, or Kiosk at the jail) are transmitted to the facility within one business day.
  • Deposits that are mailed are processed the next business day after they are received by GTL.
  • Inmate can choose how to spend the funds you deposit.

All the information you need to understand depositing money into an inmate's trust fund, specifically for phone calls, but also for Commissary, in Essex County, can be found on our Send Money Page.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Essex County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry follow these steps:

  • Register here to create an account with icaregifts for Essex County.
  • Choose Massachusetts, then Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry, and then the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Essex County at any one time.
  • There are a total of fourteen (14) pre-determined icaregift packs available to choose from. 
  • The gift packs for inmates in Essex County 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.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Essex County.


 

How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry

To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Essex 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 Essex 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 Schedule and Visit an Inmate in Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry

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 Essex County Pre-Release & Re-Entry, then your inmate.
  • Review the days, available hours and the cost of remote and on-site visits in Essex 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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