Rikers Island - West Facility Inmate Commissary

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Rikers Island - West Facility

Address:
16-06 Hazen Street
East Elmhurt, NY 11370

Phone:

718-546-4120

Buy Commissary for an Inmate in the Rikers Island - West Facility

Rikers Island - West Facility Inmate Commissary - Sending Money or Purchasing Commissary for an Inmate

The Rikers Island - West Facility allows inmates to purchase commissary. This can be snacks, hygiene products, stamps, stationary, clothing and even electronics.

There is a monthly limit of $200-300 on how much inmates can spend on commissary items. This is subject to change so call the facility at 718-546-4120 in order to confirm the amount that cannot be exceeded.

Inmates have access to both an in-house commissary store, and commissary packages that can be purchased and shipped to the inmate by friends and family.

Scroll down for further information on the commissary program, how it works, what type of things inmates can buy, how often they receive commissary, and a lot more.

You can also go to our Inmate Money page for information on how to send money to an inmate.

Commissary for New York City (NYCDOC) Jails

Rikers Island - West Facility Commissary Ordering

The New York City Department of Correction is rolling out a new commissary system in 2024. Inmates will be able to order commissary directly and have it delivered from an outside vendor. Stay tuned for updates.

This jailhouse 'Uber Eats' system will be replacing the current commissary system in which commissary is fulfilled by the jail, which results in most items being out of stock almost all of the time. 

Call 718-546-4120 for information or stay on top of developments by following stories in the media or by going to this page.

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 Rikers Island - West Facility can spend each month, call 718-546-4120.

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 Rikers Island - West Facility, call 718-546-4120.

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

Rikers Island - West Facility has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 718-546-4120 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 Rikers Island - West Facility, 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 718-546-4120.

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 Rikers Island - West Facility contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 718-546-4120.

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 Rikers Island - West Facility, call 718-546-4120.

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 718-546-4120 to see which one that the Rikers Island - West Facility 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 Rikers Island - West Facility

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


If you have any questions:

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


 

How do you Visit an Inmate in NYC Rikers or other Correctional facilities?

To lean about inmate visitation in the NYC Correction Department, read the following:

TELEVISITING (Remote Visitation)

Televisiting will take place from 8:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday, and 8:00am to 2:00pm on Sunday. Televisiting follows the Department's existing in-person visit schedule, which organizes visit days based on the first letter of the person in custody's last name. Please refer to the Visit Schedule in order to determine which day of the week you may visit your loved one.

VISIT SCHEDULE (changes monthly)

In-person visits will take place Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.- and Friday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors need to arrive 1 hour prior to their scheduled visit time. Visits will follow the existing visitor schedule according to the last name of the individual in custody.

To learn more about the Rikers Island - West Facility inmate visitation procedures, polices and schedules, which change monthly, check out our Inmate Visitation Page.


 

How Inmates in Rikers Island - West Facility, Rikers Island and the entire NYC DOC Jail System Make Phone Calls

To find out how Rikers Island - West Facility makes phone calls, read this information:

  • Inmates in the Rikers Island - West Facility can make 21 minutes worth of domestic calls every three hours, with no call going longer than 15 minutes.
  • Inmates in Segregation get less time, and only once a day maximum.
  • There is a fee if an inmate wants to buy more phone calling time when incarcerated in the NYC DOC.

For all the information on how to buy time, using tablets to make calls, how much it costs and more, check out out Inmate Phone Page.


 

How to Deposit Money in the Account of an NYC DOC Inmate in Rikers Island - West Facility

To deposit money in the commissary account of an NYC DOC inmate, follow these instructions:

  • You can deposit money online using Jpay, Western Union or Moneygram. The money can also be used for bail.
  • You can mail a money order of cashier's check into Rikers Island - West Facility.
  • You can deposit cash into a kiosk that is located in the Vernon C. Bain Center in the Bronx.

For all the information, including links to all of the online deposit methods and addresses fo mailing money orders, check out our Send Money Page.


 

What is the Rikers Island - West Facility?... Where is it Located?... Who is in Jail There? ... How Many Inmates are There?

  • Rikers Island - West Facility is one of twelve jails in the New York City Department of Correction.
  • There are 940 beds in the facility.
  • There are over 18800 of Bookings every year.

For all the information about Rikers Island - West Facility, how to reach an inmate there, how to find out if the inmate is there, or where he went when he was released, check out our Family Info Page.


 

How to Mail, What Can you Mail and What Can't you Mail to an Inmate in Rikers Island - West Facility, or Rikers Island or NYC DOC Inmates

To understand the Mail Policies for Rikers Island - West Facility requires a lot of time and attention as NYC DOC Jails are some of the most permissive in America.

1. Rikers Island - West Facility allows unlimited mail.
2. They allow packages to be sent in to inmates.
3. They allow magazines, newspapers and books to be sent direct from friends and family.
4. They allow clothing, jewelry, art supplies and all kinds of stuff to be sent to inmates.

In short, to fully understand the Rikers Island - West Facility and see the full list of things you can mail to an inmate, check out our Inmate Mail Page.


 

How to Look Up an Inmate in Rikers Island - West Facility, Rikers Island or the NYC DOC Jail System.

To look up an inmate in Rikers Island - West Facility or any of the New York City Department of Correction follow these instructions:

1. Proceed to the NYC DOC Inmate Locator Page.
2. Type in the inmate's first name, last name or case and book number.
3. If you just type in the first name or last name, you will see a list of every inmate that uses that name.
4. Select your inmate from that list.

For full instructions on how to interpret the information on the Inmate Search Locator including criminal charges, bail, court dates and more, check out our Mugshots Page.


 

How to Order Commissary for Rikers Island - West Facility, Rikers Island or NYC Jails

Instructions for ordering commissary for Rikers Island - West Facility will soon be announced.
The New York City Department of Correction is rolling out a new commissary system in the Spring of 2022. Inmates will be able to order commissary directly and have it delivered from an outside vendor. Stay tuned for updates.

This jailhouse 'Uber Eats' system will be replacing the current commissary system.

Stay tuned by checking out our Commissary Page for Rikers Island - West Facility


 

How to Bail out an Inmate in Rikers Island - West Facility or any NYC or Rikers Island Jail

To Bail out an inmate in Rikers Island - West Facility or a New York City Jail follow these instructions:

1. You can post bail either online or in person.
2. To post bail online or in person you need the exact name your inmate used when arrested, and their book and case number. You can find this information here.
3. You can use one of multiple payment systems online.... Western Union, Moneygram or Jpay.
4. In person bail payments must be made in Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx.
5. Personal checks or Money Orders exceeding $1,000 will NOT be accepted for bail.

For the complete information on how to bail out someone from Rikers Island - West Facility or any Rikers island or NYC Jail, check out our Inmate Bail Page.


 

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