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 Mecklenburg Detention Center Central can spend each month, call 704-336-8100.
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 Mecklenburg Detention Center Central, call 704-336-8100.
How can a friend or family member deposit money for an inmate in jail or prison?
Mecklenburg Detention Center Central has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 704-336-8100 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 Mecklenburg Detention Center Central, 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 704-336-8100.
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 Mecklenburg Detention Center Central contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 704-336-8100.
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 Mecklenburg Detention Center Central, call 704-336-8100.
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 704-336-8100 to see which one that the Mecklenburg Detention Center Central 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.
TextBehind enables you to communicate with your incarcerated loved ones located inside the United States from anywhere in the world using text letters, kids' drawings, and custom greeting cards. Unlimited inmate reply letters are processed for electronic delivery to your smartphone and email at no extra charge.
The cost to send an electronic letter is approximately $1.00.
Here’s how it works for Mecklenburg Detention Center Central: IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. All offender mail (paper and electronic) is addressed and delivered to TextBehind. Electronic mail is sent through the apps (iphone, Google Play). Paper mail is sent to the address below:
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Mecklenburg Detention Center Central North Carolina (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
2. If it was sent via TextBehind's app (iphone, Google Play), TextBehind can process it within one business day.
3. An additional step is involved in processing mail that is sent using the U.S. Postal Service. TextBehind will use a scanner to make digital files of the contents of the mailing—including cards, photos or artwork.
4. All digital files are then forwarded to the offender’s assigned prison.
5. Mecklenburg Detention Center Central mailroom prints approved pages and delivers them to the inmate.
- TextBehind does not deliver any mail to the inmate directly, nor do they guarantee delivery of your letters to the inmates by the courier, jail or prison staff. Once theyprocess your mail and ship them out on your behalf, theyare out of the loop entirely. However, at times theymay offer to resend your letters under certain strict conditions as a courtesy.
- Inmates do not receive any invites when you add them, and neither do they need to accept the use of TextBehind service. Once you add the inmate, you can create letters for them.
Here’s what happens when TextBehind receives a letter from an inmate:
- Upon receiving, TextBehind staff open their letters, scan, and upload high-quality images to your TextBehind account as a complimentary service. You are not required to have any money or credits balance in your TextBehind account to receive inmate letters.
- Next, youwill receive a text and email alert to notify you of any new incoming reply letters. At that time, you can log into the TextBehind website or mobile app and view letters in your CONTACTS >> Click on Conversation Icon.
YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS...
- Inmates do require a stamp to send out their letters to TextBehind using Postal Service.
- The cash or credit balance from your TextBehind account will not be shared with inmates as a substitute for the stamps.
- All letters printed and shipped by TextBehind nationwide to virtually any jail or prison facility are delivered to the jails/prisons by couriers such as the USPS or FedEx as their standard process.
- After the shipments, TextBehind has no control over the process.
- The delivery of your letters dependson couriers and prison staff taking necessary action on time.
IMPORTANT TextBehind LINKS: ** Address to Mail letters using TextBehind **
Register / Log in with TextBehind
Contact TextBehind with Questions
Add an Inmate to your list of Contacts
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Mecklenburg Detention Center Central North Carolina (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Why is TextBehind used by Lockups?
Due to the problem of letters and postcards containing, or soaked in contraband (drugs), TextBehind electronic and physical letters is replacing the former policy of allowing mail to be sent directly from inmate’s friends and family members, and vice versa.
Mecklenburg Detention Center Central Inmate Mail Guidelines
Postcards Envelopes
The Mecklenburg Detention Center Central 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.
The Mecklenburg Detention Center Central also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.
Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & PID #
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, NC
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Legal Mail
Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & PID #
Mecklenburg County Jail
P.O. Box 31367
Charlotte, NC 28231
Newspapers Magazines Books
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.
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, p*rnography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.
The Mecklenburg Detention Center Central allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon,Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million.You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, p*rnographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Mecklenburg Detention Center Central 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.
Allnewspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & PID #
Mecklenburg County Jail
P.O. Box 31367
Charlotte, NC 28231
How Do Inmates in Mecklenburg Detention Center Central Make or Receive Phone Calls?
To receive phone calls from inmates in Mecklenburg County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:
1. Start by confirming that Mecklenburg Detention Center Central has the phone service you need to communicate with your inmate by the facility lookup here.
2. In the meantime, you cancreate an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account. This account can be controlled by just you, or by both you and your inmate.
4. Last, select Mecklenburg Detention Center Central, and then theinmate you wish to communicate with.
Mecklenburg County Services that are provided by GettingOut, a GTL company:
- Phone Calls &Voicemail
- Video Visits (from home orjail lobby)
- Email & Photo Sharing
- Tablet Rental
-Deposits
Phone & VoicemailFees
1. GettingOut charges $0.25 per minute for all phone calls, prepaid or collect, within North Carolina.
2. Prepaid calls between North Carolina and other states costs $0.21 per minute. International calls are $0.95 per minute.
3. There is a fee of $3.00 every time you add money to your account online, and it costs $5.95 if you add funds over the phone with a live agent.
4. You can also leave an inmate a short voice message for a flat fee of $1.25.
Note: Rates are subject to change.
Types of Phone Calls
Collect Calls
Collect calls allow you to accept and pay for calls to your land line (only) phone account. This means that if you accept your call from your inmate, all the charges for that call will then be billed to your land line phone account and will show up and be listed on your next local phone bill. Additional fees, costs, restrictions may apply.
Prepaid calls (Direct Calls)
With Prepaid Calls you can set up your account so that the inmate can only call you and/or you can just deposit money in their account and they can purchase prepaid phone cards through their commissary and call whoever they choose, provided the Mecklenburg Detention Center Central approves of the phone number.
Quick Connect
Quick connect is an alternative to collect calls. It allows you to quickly pay for a phone call with your credit card.When your inmate calls you, follow the instructions from the automated voice system to pay for that one phone call, directly billed to your card.
Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Mecklenburg Detention Center Central GettingOut phone services, you can call them at 866-516-0115.
* All the information you need to understand making and receiving phone calls with inmatesin Mecklenburg County, can be found on ourInmate Phone Page.
How to Arrange Video Visitation with Mecklenburg Detention Center CentralInmates
Follow these instructions to schedule and then visit an inmate using GTL.
- Register yourself and all visitors.
- Select Mecklenburg Detention Center Central
- Select your inmate.
- Schedule your preferred time for the visit.
For all the information you need to know regarding scheduling, cost, rules, tips and guidelines of inmate visits at the Mecklenburg Detention Center Central, check out ourVisit InmatePage.
How Inmates Can Use aTablet to Access Services at Mecklenburg Detention Center Central
To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:
1. First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL
2. Purchase the services you want for your Mecklenburg Detention Center Central inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.
To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out ourTablet RentalPage.
How to Communicate with an Mecklenburg Detention Center Central Inmate by Mail and by Email
To mail or email an inmate in Mecklenburg County follow these steps:
When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:
- All mail sent to an inmate at the Mecklenburg Detention Center Central must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
- All mail must include the facility's address, as well as the inmate's name and assigned number.
- Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
- The Mecklenburg Detention Center Central has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations.
- All the information you need to understand mail and email policies can be found on ourInmate MailPage and ourText/Email an InmatePage.
Emailing Messages & Photos
Facility_name_1} contracts with GTLGettingOut, the same servicethat handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, forsending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.
Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select Mecklenburg Detention Center Central,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.
- Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.
- After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
- You can also send your Mecklenburg County inmate photos and videos.
Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115
Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.
All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Mecklenburg County can be found on ourInmate Mail Page and ourText/Email an InmatePage.
How to Deposit Money into an Inmate's Account in Mecklenburg Detention Center Central
To deposit money into the account of an inmate in Mecklenburg County, follow these instructions:
- Create an account with Touchpay Services, a GTL company.
- Select North Carolina.
- Select Mecklenburg Detention Center Central
- Enter the Inmate ID of your inmate. This can be found by calling 704-336-8100or by looking up the inmate's name in the Inmate Search link.
- Enter your billing information and send money.
- You can also deposit cash using the kiosk at the Mecklenburg Detention Center Central. To do this you need the Inmate's ID Number and the Facility Locator Number for Mecklenburg County.
For all the information you need regarding making an inmate deposit, what it costs, how much you can send, how long it takes for your inmate to receive funds and more, and to get the Facility Locator Number, check out ourSend MoneyPage.
How to Send aCarepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Mecklenburg County
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Mecklenburg Detention Center Central follow these steps:
- Register hereto create an account with icaregiftsfor Mecklenburg County.
- Choose North Carolina, then Mecklenburg Detention Center Central,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 Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg Countyrange 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 shippingCommissarypackages to an inmate inMecklenburg Detention Center Central, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions PageforMecklenburg County.
