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 Brazos County Detention Center can spend each month, call 979-361-4811.
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 Brazos County Detention Center, call 979-361-4811.
How can a friend or family member deposit money for an inmate in jail or prison?
Brazos County Detention Center has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 979-361-4811 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 Brazos County Detention Center, 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 979-361-4811.
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 Brazos County Detention Center contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 979-361-4811.
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 Brazos County Detention Center, call 979-361-4811.
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 979-361-4811 to see which one that the Brazos County Detention 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
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.
How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Brazos County Detention Center
To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Brazos County do the following:
1. Enroll in an account with Securus Technologies.
2. Choose one of three account types, SecurusDebit, Advance Connect or Direct Bill.
3. Choose [facility_name_1}, then connect with your inmate.
4. If you have any questions, call Securus: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591.
To find out fees, how to's, calling times, limits on phone calls and other systems Securus has do that you can communicate with your Brazos County inmate, check out ourInmate PhonePage.
NOTE: All of your inmate's phone calls are recorded and stored. It is advised not to discuss their pending case.
Brazos County Detention Center Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?
For inmates receiving mail in the Brazos County Detention Center there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.
All mail is to be shipped to the Brazos County Detention Center:
Inmate's Full Name & SO#
Brazos County Jail
1835 Sandy Point Road
Bryan, TX 77807
For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmateand what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.
Brazos County Bail Bond Information
Because Brazos County and Texas can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Brazos County Detention Centerat 979-361-4811, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, and do this rightafter an arrestee has been booked.
Ask the staff at the Brazos County Detention Center or the Brazos County Court Clerk these specific questions:
- Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
- How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
- Where do I go to pay it?
- Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
- What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
- Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?
If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.
This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.
Brazos County Detention CenterGives Inmates Access to Tablets At No Cost for Communication, Research and Entertainment
They may not be directly connected to the internet, but inmates at Brazos County Detention Center are provided free tablets to use within the jail that allow them to have access to the following services and information:
- Phone Calls - Inmates may make calls directly from their tablet allowing for more privacy. The rates are the same as the phones in the unit, and the calls are still recorded and monitored.
- eMessaging - Communicate via a text based message or picture. Fee based system.
- Job Search - Using JobView, a secure job search application, inmates have the ability to see what jobs are available when they are released.
- Education - Free educational platform and course catalog that provides thousands of educational resources.
- Self Help -Inmates have daily access to mental health and addiction recovery programming.
- Music - Top-40, Hip-Hop, Country, Rock, Gospel, and more.
- Law Library - Legal research with up-to-date case information.
- eBooks - Thousands of available titles.
- Religion - Religious resources for spiritual guidance.
- Games - Inmates can playtheir favorite games. Available through monthlysubscriptions
- Facility Services - Digital access tosubmitted forms, requests, facility documents, and notifications from staff.
- Video Visitation - Visitation may not be allowed on the Tablets. Call Brazos County Detention Center at 979-361-4811 to confirm.
The availability of tablets may seem like something that inmates who are serving time do not deserve, but here are some of the benefits for inmates in Brazos County:
- Keeps inmatesbusy.
- The threat of losing access to tablets keeps them better behaved.
- Safer for the staff to keep inmates happy.
- Allows communication with family members.
- Educational programming.
- Legal research.
- Social programming such as anger management, substance abuse, etc.
For more information about Tablets and how your inmate can get one to use while he is in jail, chek out our Inmate Tablet page.
How to Deposit Money inan Inmate's Account in Brazos County Detention Center
To deposit money into the account of aBrazos County inmate, follow these instructions:
- To deposit money you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
- Once you open an account, you may search for the Brazos County inmate you want to send money.
- When you locate the Brazos County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them money.
- Brazos County Detention Center may need to approve the deposit, but more than likely, it will be approved.
For all the information you need to send money to aBrazos County Detention Center inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, what payment methods you can use, how much you can send, and more, check out ourSend MoneyPage.
How to Schedule & Visitwith an Inmate in Brazos County Detention Center
To schedule a visit and meet with an inmate in Brazos County, either at-the-jail or remotely by video, follow these instructions:
- To schedule and visit with an inmateyou MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
- Once you open an account, you may search for Brazos County inmateto visit with.
- When you locate the Brazos County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
- Brazos County Detention Center will then need to approve the request before you can send messages.
For all the information you need to schedule and visit with a Brazos County Detention Center inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, visitation usinga rented tablet, how often and when you can visit and more, check out ourVisit InmatePage.
NOTE: Your visits will be monitored, recorded and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case as anything discussed can be used against them in court.
How to Deposit Money in an Account for an Inmate in Brazos County Detention Center
To deposit money in an inmate's account in Brazos County follow these instructions:
- Go to Tiger Services Online.
- Choose Texas.
- Select Brazos County Detention Center.
- Click on Web Deposits.
- Select your inmate.
- Enter your billing information.
- Follow the rest of the instructions for Brazos County Detention Center to complete your transaction.
For more detailed information on Depositing Money, Ordering Commissary, Setting up Phone & Visitation Accounts;costs, fees, restrictions, rules and more with Tiger Commissary Services, check out ourSend MoneyPage.
How to Send and Receive Secure Text and Email Messages with an Inmate in Brazos County Detention Center
To communicate by text or email with an Brazos County inmate, follow these instructions:
- To send or receive a message you MUST first open a SmartJailMail.com account.
- Once you open an account, you may search for Brazos County inmates or detainees to connect with.
- When you locate the Brazos County inmate that you want to connect with, you can send them a connection request.
- Brazos County Detention Center will then need to approve the request before you can send messages.
For all the information you need to send and receive secure messages in the form of text or email with a Brazos County Detention Center inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, renting your inmate a tablet, how often you can communicate and more, check out ourText/Email an InmatePage.
NOTE: Your messages will be monitored and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case.
How to Purchase Commissary for an Inmate in Brazos County Detention Center
To purchase commissary for an inmatein Brazos County follow these instructions:
- Go to Tiger Services Online.
- Choose Texas.
- Select Brazos County Detention Center.
- Click on 'Order Commissary'.
- Select your inmate.
- Enter your billing information.
- Follow the rest of the instructions for Brazos County Detention Center to complete your transaction.
For more detailed information on Ordering Commissary, Depositing Money,Setting up Phone & Visitation Accounts;costs, fees, restrictions, rules and more with Tiger Commissary Services, check out ourCommissaryPage.
