Address:
2500 Alexander Street
Owatonna, MN 55060
Phone:
507-446-7000
There are several methods for depositing money on an inmate's account:
1. To send money online to an inmate in the Steele County Detention Center use Inmate Canteen.
2. If you prefer to use your credit or debit card and deposit money over the phone, unfortunately Inmate Canteen does not accept phone calls, but you can ask questions using the chat box on their home page.
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 Steele County Detention Center.
4. The Steele County Detention Center 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 Steele 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 507-446-7000.
*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 Steele County Detention Center has a reception desk that may accept cash, money orders or cashier checks. Call 507-446-7000 to find out the specific hours for drop off times.
NOTE: Steele County Detention Center may only allow online deposits for local commissary purchasing.
For best results use google chrome as your browser for accessing Inmate Canteen.
Instructions on Making a Deposit into an inmate's commissary account:
Inmate Canteen Pricing
Emails: $.25/email.
Texts: $.13/per 160 characters.
Video Visitation: $.49/minute.
There is an $8.95 credit card processing fee for all deposits.
**Prices are subject to change.
Inmate Canteen also runs promotions where they unlimited texting and emails for a week for as low as approximnately $10.00.
How do I send money to an inmate in the Steele County Detention Center?
Who are the companies that jails use to send money to inmates?
How do I send money by mail to an inmate in the Steele County Detention Center?
Can I send an inmate money using the internet?
What are considered ‘inmate funds’?
How much money can an inmate have in their account while in the Steele County Detention Center?
How much money can I send an inmate at one time?
Is it illegal for an inmate in the Steele County Detention Center 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 kind of food can an inmate purchase on Commissary in the Steele County Detention Center?
What items can inmates purchase in the Steele County Detention Center?
Important tips about sending money to an inmate in the Steele County Detention Center
Steele County Detention Center has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 507-446-7000 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 Steele County Detention Center.
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 Steele County Detention Center, 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 507-446-7000 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 Steele County Detention Center contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 507-446-7000 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 Steele County Detention Center allows, call the jail at 507-446-7000.
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 Steele County Detention Center works with.
It is not illegal for an inmate to have cash, but it is considered contraband and will be confiscated by the Steele County Detention Center 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 Steele County Detention Center 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.
Instructions on purchasing commissary items for an inmate:
NOTE: Steele County Detention Center may only allow online deposits for local commissary purchasing.
1. Register or Log in to your account at Inmate Canteen.
2. Select the facility where the inmate is located and the inmate you wish to purchase commissary items for.
3. Select the "Purchase Items" option.
4. Follow the prompts on screen to purchase items for an inmate.
Instructions on purchasing commissary items for an inmate:
1. Register or Log in to your account at Inmate Canteen.
2. Select Minnesota, then Steele County Detention Center, and then the inmate you wish to purchase commissary items for.
3. Select the "Purchase Commissary Items" option.
4. Follow the prompts on screen to purchase items for an inmate.
5. Maximum spend is $125.00.
Inmate Canteen has a selection of hundreds of items available to purchase for inmates in Steele County.
The items range from candy, snacks, coffee and other drinks, undergarments, stationary supplies and more.
There are fees for each deposit amount but you may make as many deposits as you wish. Keep in mind that no matter how much you deposit, the inmate is restricted by spending limits and the number of items possessed at any one time.
Call Steele County Detention Center at 507-446-7000 to learn the Inmate Account deposit limits and other rules regarding depositing money on an inmate's books.
Inmate Canteen has hundreds of items that you can purchase online and have sent directly to your inmate. This includes all types of candy, chips, food, clothing, stationary and personal hygeine products. NOTE: Steele County Detention Center may only allow online deposits for local commissary purchasing.
Anybody can contribute to an inmate's books or commissary fund as long as there isn't a no-contact order in place.
Because of the ability for family members and friends to deposit money online or purchase commissary at Inmate Canteen using a credit or debit card, jail inmates can now receive funds from anywhere in the world. NOTE: Steele County Detention Center may only allow online deposits for local commissary purchasing.
