How to send money to inmates in Los Angeles County Jail

If you have a loved one being held in a Los Angeles County jail, you can send money to the inmate. This is commonly called “putting money on the inmate’s books.” The funds can be used to buy

• food,
• snacks,
• hygiene items, and even
• clothes from the jail commissary.

If you reside in California, you can send money to an inmate in the Los Angeles County jail by means of a certified bank cashier’s check or USPS money order. If you reside outside of California, you can only send a postal money order.¹

The check/money order must be payable to the inmate’s name and booking number. You can mail the check/order to one of the following addresses:

For mail inmates:

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
P.O. Box 86164 Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
Attn: Inmate Name, Booking Number

For female inmates:

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Century Regional Detention Facility
11705 S. Alameda Street
Lynwood, CA 90262
Attn: Inmate Name, Booking Number

You can also find these instructions on the website of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.²

1. Can you make a deposit in person?

Yes. You can deposit money in an inmate account in person at one of the following addresses:

Inmate Reception Center (IRC)
450 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

OR

Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF)
11705 S. Alameda Street
Lynwood, CA 90262

Note that you must bring a government-issued ID with a photo when making a deposit.³

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (or “LASD”) no longer accepts online deposits for inmates.⁴

2. Can you pick up money from an inmate’s bank account?

Yes. You must have the male or female inmate get a money release form (pink form) from the on-duty custody staff and submit it.⁵

If the inmate is located at Pitchess Detention Center (PDC), you can obtain the money release form from the PDC visiting area at the check in window.⁶

All withdrawals are processed at IRC/CRDF and are typically approved and available within 24-48 hours after submission to the person making the withdrawal.⁷

For questions, you can

• contact the IRC cashier’s office at the following phone number: (213) 893-5875.
• You can also make phone calls to the CRDF cashier’s line at: (323) 568-4535.

3. Why send an inmate money?

Loved ones or family members may wish to put money in an inmate’s account so that the inmate can purchase items from a jail store known as a “jail commissary.”

Incarcerated people usually must pay for key necessities like:

• stationary,
• stamps,
• soup,
• coffee,
• rice and beans, and
• hygiene items.

Note that the costs of these items will vary from one county correctional facility to another county correctional facility. The following are price ranges for certain jail commissary items in California:

• a bar of soap ranges from $0.60 to $2.25,
• a small tube of toothpaste ranges from $0.85 to $3.60,
• a packet of ramen ranges from $0.40 to $1.25, and
• a bag of chips ranges from $0.45 to $2.00.⁸

In some cases, you might have to send an inmate money so that the person can pay restitution in his/her criminal case.

4. Is jail the same as prison?

No. Jails and prisons are different types of facilities.

Jails are often run by sheriffs and/or counties. They are designed to hold people:

• awaiting the outcome of their criminal case,
• waiting for transportation to a state prison following a criminal conviction, or
• serving time after a misdemeanor or a minor felony.

In contrast, prisons are operated by the state. They also hold people who were found guilty of more severe crimes, like serious felonies involving:

• murder,
• rape,
• robbery, and
• lewd acts with a minor.

Note that federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). They are designed to hold people convicted of federal crimes, such as:

• tax evasion,
• bank robbery, or
• kidnapping.

Additional reading

For more in-depth information, refer to these scholarly articles:

• Taking an Interest in Inmate Trust Accounts – Vanderbilt Law Review En Banc.
• An Alternative Look at the Takings Clause and Inmate Trust Accounts – University of Toledo Law Review.
• The Company Store and the Literally Captive Market: Consumer Law in Prisons and Jails – Hastings Race & Poverty Law Journal.
• The Commissary Problem – Jail Association Journal.
• How States Can Take a Stand against Prison Banking Profiteers – George Washington Law Journal.

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