Jails contain stores called commissaries which typically sell items like snack food, clothing, writing supplies, and health care products like toiletries and medication. However, jail inmates are not allowed to have money in their possession while they are incarcerated. If your loved one is in custody at the Cape May County Jail, you will have to send them money before they can make purchases from the commissary. In this article, our criminal defense lawyers in Cape May, NJ will explain how to load a commissary account at the Cape May County Jail, and cover some of the jail’s commissary policies.
How Often Can I Deposit Funds to a Commissary Account?
In the past, the Cape May County Jail used to accept money orders. Unfortunately, this policy has been discontinued. As a result, loved ones of inmates must electronically deposit funds into the inmate’s commissary account. As long as you have access to a computer with an internet connection, depositing funds should be fairly simple.
Commissary account deposits are not processed by the jail itself. Instead, the jail’s accounting system is handled by a third party service known as the Keefe Commissary Network, which is based out of St. Louis in Missouri.
Fortunately, the commissary deposit system is very flexible. You can choose to make deposits on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis, as long as you stick to the deposit limit of $300 per day (or $300 per inmate, if you are adding funds to multiple accounts). Once the transfer is processed, the funds will go from your bank account into the inmate’s commissary account.
How to Add Money to an Inmate’s Account Online
Before you can make a deposit, you’ll need to get your loved one’s inmate number. This information is easy to find, because the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office posts a full alphabetical list of Cape May County Jail inmates. The inmate ID number is listed in the third column from the left, between age and commit date. (The list also includes each inmate’s bail amount, which can be useful information if you’re trying to post bail. Depending on the offense, bail can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.)
If you don’t know and can’t find the right inmate number, you can start by using the inmate’s full name instead. However, the more information you can supply, the less likely it becomes that mix-ups and delays will occur. This is especially true of inmates who have common last names.
Once you’re ready with all the information you need, it’s time to send money. There are three steps to making a deposit online:
- Step 1 – Navigate to the Access Corrections website.
- Step 2 – Create a new account, or log in with your existing account.
- Step 3 – Follow the prompts to make your deposit.
- There’s a help button at the top of the page if you have any questions about using the site.
Just to reiterate once more, as of August 15, 2011, the jail no longer accepts money orders.
If an inmate still has funds left in their account when they are released from the jail, the inmate will receive a pre-paid debit card in the appropriate amount. The pre-paid debit card has a PIN and can be used to withdraw cash from ATMs, or to make purchases.
Resources for Relatives: Cape May County Jail Contact Information
If you’re the family member, spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend of an inmate and have questions about the jail or its policies, you may find the following contact information useful.
The Cape May County Jail is located at the following address:
Crest Haven Complex
125 Crest Haven Rd.
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
You can also call the jail directly at:
- (609) 465-1233 for the Correctional Center.
- (609) 465-1240 for bail records and information about bail.
If you’re looking for information about your loved one’s court date or other legal information, you should call the Cape May County Courthouse at (609) 463-6588 or (609) 463-6500. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Unfortunately, the court does not have weekend hours.
If you need to visit in person, the Cape May County Courthouse is located at the following address:
9 North Main St.
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
Sending money is an excellent way to keep an inmate’s jail stay a little more comfortable, but the real goal is to get your loved one out of jail as soon as possible. Our Cape May criminal defense attorneys can help.
At the Law Offices of John J. Zarych, our legal team has more than 45 years of experience handling a wide variety of disorderly persons offenses (misdemeanors) and indictable crimes (felonies), including but not limited to sexual assault, child molestation charges, drug charges, and weapons crimes. We can help you understand bail, defend your loved one’s Constitutional rights, and guide you through the New Jersey criminal justice system.
To set up a free and completely private legal consultation, call an Atlantic City criminal defense lawyer at (609) 616-4956 today. Se habla español.
