Address:
5325 Broder Blvd.
Dublin, CA 94568
Phone:
925-551-6500
There are several methods for depositing money on an inmate's account:
1. To send money online to an inmate in the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention use GTL/Viapath.
2. If you prefer to use your credit or debit card and deposit money over the phone, you can call them at 877-650-4249.
3. 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 Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention.
4. The Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention may also allow you to *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 Alameda County Sheriff's Office, with the inmate’s name and ID# on the memo line of the check. To confirm this option call the facility at 925-551-6500.
*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.
5. The Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention has a reception desk that may accept cash, money orders or cashier checks. Call 925-551-6500 to find out the specific hours for drop off times.
Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention 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 Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention kiosk.
There are multiple ways to add money to an inmate's account at Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention, using Access Corrections Secure Deposits
1. Online - Making a deposit using a verified Visa or Mastercard online, or using their Apple or Android App.
2. By phone - Dial 866.345.1884 to reach their 24/7 Access Corrections domestic call centers.
3. Jail Lobby Kiosk - Kiosks accept cash, credit cards, and debit cards.
4. Mail-in Lockbox - Friends or Family who do not have a credit or debit card can mail money orders to their secure lockbox to make deposits to an inmate’s account. Depositors use a customized form that captures all needed information. Upon receipt, they process and post the deposits to the inmate's trust fund in approximately 48 hours.
Keefe Commissary Network LLC
10880 Lin Page Place
St. Louis, MO 63132
5. Walk-in Cash Deposits - Go to any Cash Pay Today location to deposit cash to your inmate's account.
Secure Deposits - Frequently Asked Questions
Secure Deposits - Video Tutorial on How it Works
Secure Deposits - Help Pages
Customer Service Contacts:
Phone: 866-345-1884
Email: customerservice@accesscorrections.com
Online Chat - Look for 'bubble' on bottom right of the page linked here.
How do I send money to an inmate in the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention?
Who are the companies that jails use to send money to inmates?
How do I send money by mail to an inmate in the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention?
Can I send an inmate money using the internet?
What are considered ‘inmate funds’?
How much money can I send an inmate at one time?
Is it illegal for an inmate in the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention to have cash?
If an inmate can’t have cash in jail, how do they purchase contraband or gamble?
What are things inmates use or trade in lieu of cash?
What items can inmates purchase in the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention?
Important tips about sending money to an inmate in the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention
Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 925-551-6500 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 located in the lobby or visitation area of the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention.
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 Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention, this information will be outlined at the top of this page.
There are many companies competing for the accounts of jail and prison inmates. Their intention is to alleviate the staffing and financial responsibility of the jail 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
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 925-551-6500 or check out the money deposit instructions above.
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 Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 925-551-6500 or go to the top of this page for deposit instructions.
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’.
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 Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention allows, call the jail at 925-551-6500.
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 that the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention works with.
It is not illegal for an inmate to have cash, but it is considered contraband and will be confiscated by the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention if it is discovered. There could be additional punishment such as the inmate having their phone use or visitation limited. It is unlikely that criminal charges will be levied though.
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.
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.).
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.
Besides the food products mentioned above, inmates can purchase on commissary:
• 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
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 Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention 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.
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.
4. Cash 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.
Access Securepak carries over 1,000 different items in the following categories:
- Food and Snacks
- Personal Hygiene Products
- Electronics
- Apparel
Registration Process:
1. Register here.
2. Select California.
3. Select Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention.
4. Find your Inmate.
5. Deposit Funds.
6. Order Commissary Items.
Once you are logged in, you will receive instructions on how much (and what products) you can send your inmate.
Contact Information:
* If you have any questions, you can call Access Securepak at 800-546-6283.
* You can email My Care Pack at customerservice@securepak.net.
* You can write them at:
Access Securepak
10880 Linpage Place
St. Louis, MO 63132
* You can Live Chat with a Representative online: (bottom left corner of page)
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m. CST,
and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. CST.
*Note* Access Securepak will issue a refund for or replace broken, damaged, or missing products reported by Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention staff. They will not honor reports of discrepancies from inmate's families or friends.
My CarePack is the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention's outside vendor for Commissary Items. They have a very good mix of Chips, Snacks, Candy, Meat, Seafood, Hygiene products, Letter writing materials, Electronics and Apparel items for sale on their website.
*NOTE* -- Once you are fully registered and have selected the inmate you wish to send commissary to, you will receive instructions on how much you can deposit, how much (and what) you can purchase for your inmate, and how often you can send commissary.
All Jails have limits on how much money an inmate can have on the books at any one time.
They also have limits on how much you can deposit for an inmate at a time.
The standard monthly limit an inmate can spend is between $300 and $400. After signing up for Access Corrections Secure Deposits, and choosing your inmate, you will be instructed on what the maximum deposit and frequency is for your inmate and Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention.
Access Securepak carries over 1,000 different items in the following categories:
- Food and Snacks
- Personal Hygiene Products
- Electronics
- Apparel
Registration Process:
1. Register here.
2. Select California.
3. Select Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention.
4. Find your Inmate.
5. Deposit Funds.
6. Order Commissary Items.
Once you are logged in, you will receive instructions on how much (and what products) you can send your inmate.
Contact Information:
* If you have any questions, you can call Access Securepak at 800-546-6283.
* You can email My Care Pack at customerservice@securepak.net.
* You can write them at:
Access Securepak
10880 Linpage Place
St. Louis, MO 63132
* You can Live Chat with a Representative online: (bottom left corner of page)
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m. CST,
and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. CST.
*Note* Access Securepak will issue a refund for or replace broken, damaged, or missing products reported by Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention staff. They will not honor reports of discrepancies from inmate's families or friends.
Access Securepak is the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention's outside vendor for Commissary Items. They have a very good mix of Chips, Snacks, Candy, Meat, Seafood, Hygiene products, Letter writing materials, Electronics and Apparel items for sale on their website.
Here is a sample of what you can purchase for your inmate:
Food
Hygiene
Apparel
Electronics
*NOTE* -- Once you are fully registered and have selected the inmate you wish to send commissary to, you will receive instructions on how much you can deposit, how much (and what) you can purchase for your inmate, and how often you can send commissary.
Anybody can purchase commissary for your inmate as long as there isn't a no-contact order in place, as this might get them in further trouble.
Because of the ability for family members and friends to purchase commissary online from Access Securepak using a credit or debit card, you and your inmate have more options.
Since inmates are not allowed to possess cash money while in custody, the Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention allows the inmate's family and/or friends to purchase products online from Access Secure Pak.
This allows them to obtain items such as personal hygiene products, snacks, apparel, electronics and stationery supplies. Otherwise they go without, and you don't want them to be obligated to others for their basic needs.
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 Santa Rita Jail - Alameda County Detention and ask to investigate. If an inmate is being targeted, they 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.
