A complete guide to depositing money into an inmate trust or commissary account at any Idaho county jail or IDOC state prison. Covers every deposit method available in Idaho - online, by phone, by mail, and in person.
Idaho has two completely separate incarceration systems that use different deposit methods. Idaho county jails are operated by the 44 county sheriffs and each uses its own financial system for inmate deposits. Idaho state prisons (IDOC) are operated by the Idaho Department of Correction and use a unified, statewide deposit system. Using the wrong system for the wrong facility will result in your money being rejected and returned, which can take weeks.
The easiest way to confirm which system to use: if the inmate is in any of the 44 county jails covered on this site, contact that specific county's jail for their deposit instructions. If the inmate has been convicted and sentenced to more than one year and has been transferred to a state facility, they are in the IDOC system and you use Access Corrections.
A person who was recently arrested and is awaiting trial is almost certainly in a county jail, not a state prison. Most people search for deposit options when someone has just been arrested. Start with the county jail system for the county where the arrest occurred.
Regardless of the deposit method or facility, you will need specific information about the inmate to ensure your deposit reaches the correct account. Missing or incorrect information will result in the deposit being rejected or misapplied.
Always confirm the inmate is still at the facility before sending money. Transfers between facilities happen without advance notice to families. Money sent to the wrong facility is returned, but this process can take weeks.
The Idaho Department of Correction uses Access Corrections as its official deposit partner. All IDOC deposits go through this system.
The fastest method for IDOC deposits. Create a free account at accesscorrections.com, search for the inmate by name or IDOC number, and make a deposit using Mastercard or Visa. Available 24/7. Funds are typically available to the inmate the next business day. Transaction fees apply.
Call the Access Corrections 24/7 phone line to make a deposit using a Mastercard or Visa. Bilingual agents are available. This is useful if you prefer to speak with someone rather than using the website. Transaction fees apply and vary by deposit amount.
Register at cashpaytoday.com to receive a barcode, then make a cash deposit at participating retailers including CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, 7-Eleven, and Walgreens. This is the best option for those without a credit or debit card. Transaction fees apply.
Mail a money order made out to Access Corrections, along with a completed deposit slip, to the secure lockbox address provided on the IDOC website. Include the inmate's full name and IDOC number on the money order. No transaction fee applies to money order deposits, but allow 5-10 days for processing.
As of recent years, the Idaho Department of Correction transitioned away from GTL (ConnectNetwork/ViaPath) for deposit services. Do not use ConnectNetwork to send money to IDOC inmates - use Access Corrections instead. GTL may still be in use for phone calls at some IDOC facilities, but deposits specifically go through Access Corrections.
Each Idaho county jail manages deposits independently. Here is how the most common systems work across Idaho's 44 counties.
Ada County Jail uses Telemate for inmate deposits. You can deposit online at the Telemate website using a credit or debit card, or in person at the kiosk located at the Ada County Sheriff's Office. The kiosk accepts both cash and debit/Visa card. You need the inmate's full name and JID (jail ID) number, which can be found through the Ada County Sheriff's inmate roster. Note that under Ada County policy, inmates must maintain a minimum $15 balance in their personal account at all times, and commissary account funds are separate from the personal account.
Ada County also uses iCare for sending approved package items - not for depositing cash funds. Through iCare, you select approved food and hygiene packages that are delivered directly to the inmate. You access iCare by visiting their website, selecting Idaho from the facility list, and searching by inmate name.
Canyon County Jail has its own deposit system. Contact Canyon County Jail at (208) 454-7541 or visit their website to confirm the current method for inmate deposits. Many Canyon County residents also use commissary packages through Access SecurePak, the authorized vendor for package deposits throughout many Idaho jails. Access SecurePak allows you to order approved food and personal care items online at accesscatalog.com or by phone at 1-800-546-6283.
Access SecurePak (accesscatalog.com) is used by many Idaho county jails as their authorized vendor for package deposits. You select items from an approved catalog, enter the inmate's name and jail ID, and the package is shipped directly to the facility. Each order is limited to $160 in product value with a $7.95 processing fee. Orders typically arrive 10 to 14 days after processing. Note that SecurePak packages count separately from standard commissary allowances at most facilities.
Because Idaho's 44 county jails each operate independently, deposit methods vary widely. Small rural jails may only accept money orders sent by mail. Medium-sized jails may use lobby kiosks. Larger jails use online platforms. Here is the correct approach for any Idaho county jail:
Use our county directory to find the specific jail. Confirm the inmate is still at that facility before sending anything.
Call the jail's main number and ask specifically: "What is the process to deposit money into an inmate's account? What information do I need and what methods do you accept?"
Only send money through the jail's official approved channels. Attempting to bring cash during visitation or mailing cash directly to an inmate is strictly prohibited and considered contraband smuggling.
Not sure which jail or which system? Call (208) 991-4676 and we help you locate the inmate and get the right deposit information for that specific facility.
Processing times vary by method. Online and phone deposits through Access Corrections (for IDOC) or electronic jail systems are typically credited within one business day. Kiosk cash deposits at the jail facility are often credited immediately or within a few hours. Money orders sent by mail typically take 5 to 10 business days to process after the facility receives them. Packages through Access SecurePak take 10 to 14 days from order placement to delivery.
Commissary items available at Idaho county jails and IDOC facilities typically include snack foods and candy, beverages (often in powder or single-serve form), personal hygiene items (deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothpaste), writing materials (pens, paper, envelopes, stamps), and in some facilities, clothing items like socks or t-shirts. Inmates order from a printed or electronic catalog on a scheduled commissary day - typically once or twice per week. At many facilities, the commissary account is also used to pay for phone calls and video visits.
If an inmate is released, most Idaho county jails issue the remaining commissary balance as cash or a check at the time of release, or they mail it to the inmate's address on file within a few days. If an inmate is transferred to another facility, the process varies - some counties transfer the balance, others require the inmate to request a disbursement. Contact the specific facility if a transfer has occurred and you need to know the status of account funds. For IDOC transfers between state facilities, Access Corrections accounts typically move with the inmate.