Address:
1 Halleck Street
Bronx, NY 10474
Phone:
718-579-8341
The Vernon C. Bain Center 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 718-579-8341 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.
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 718-579-8341 for information or stay on top of developments by following stories in the media or by going to this page.
What items can inmates purchase in jail and prison?
How much money can an inmate spend on commissary each month?
How often can inmates purchase commissary?
How can a friend or family member deposit money for an inmate?
What companies do jails use to send money to inmates?
How do I send an inmate money by mail?
Can I send an inmate money using the internet?
How expensive are items on commissary?
How much money can an inmate have in his commissary account?
Can I send an inmate a package or care pack?
Can an inmate buy gifts on 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.
Commissary can be purchased directly by inmates using money deposited into the accounts, or purchased online by friends and family, which are then shipped to the inmate.
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
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 Vernon C. Bain Center can spend each month, call 718-579-8341 or review the commissay instructions.
Some jails allow the purchase of commissary 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 the Vernon C. Bain Center, call 718-579-8341.
Vernon C. Bain Center has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 718-579-8341 and asking, however most jails and prisons 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 Vernon C. Bain Center, this online deposit information will be outlined above.
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
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 718-579-8341 to confirm this address for the Vernon C. Bain Center:
Inmate Name, Inmate ID#
Vernon C. Bain Center
1 Halleck Street
Bronx, NY 10474
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 Vernon C. Bain Center contracts with for inmate deposits, go to the inmate money page or call them at 718-579-8341.
Items on commissary are no more expensive than they would be at a local Walmart store.
A commissary deposit is the money that a person on the outside deposits in an inmate’s trust account, so the inmate can have money to spend on commissary and communication services.
The limit that an inmate can have in their commissary account is usually about $300.00. To find out what the limit is for Vernon C. Bain Center, call the facility at 718-579-8341.
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 the Money Page or the Commissary Page for this information, or call the jail at 718-579-8341 to see which one that the Vernon C. Bain Center 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
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.
