Cook County Jail - Division 11, IL Inmate Commissary, Care Packs (2024)

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 Cook County Jail - Division 11 can spend each month, call 773-674-7100.

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 Cook County Jail - Division 11, call 773-674-7100.

How can a friend or family member deposit money for an inmate in jail or prison?

Cook County Jail - Division 11 has its own methods for receiving money for inmates, and that information can be found above or by calling 773-674-7100 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 Cook County Jail - Division 11, 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 773-674-7100.

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 Cook County Jail - Division 11 contracts with for inmate deposits, call them at 773-674-7100.

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 Cook County Jail - Division 11, call 773-674-7100.

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 773-674-7100 to see which one that the Cook County Jail - Division 11 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.

Cook County Jail - Division 11, IL Inmate Commissary, Care Packs (2024)

FAQs

What does division 11 mean in Cook County Jail? ›

The Cook County Jail – Division XI is a medium security facility located at 3015 South California Boulevard, Chicago, IL, 60608. The Cook County jail operates under the supervision of the Cook County Sheriffs Office / Cook County Department Of Corrections. The Cook County jail has a capacity of 1536 beds.

How to put money on commissary at Cook County Jail? ›

For your convenience, the Cook County Department of Corrections offers several ways in which to add funds to a individual in custody's “books”. Family and Friends have the option of using the Internet Online, Telephone, Money Exchange/Currency Exchange facilities, and jail on-site Lobby Kiosks.

What can I send to an inmate in Illinois? ›

Inmates are only permitted to have 10 photos in their possession at a time. Soft covered books (limited to three) can be sent to the inmate directly from the publisher but excludes p*rnographic, gang related, or inappropriate material. No other packages will be allowed.

What division is protective custody in Cook County Jail? ›

Division IX

The division also houses the Rehabilitation Units which house individuals in custody who have been found in violation of the rules and regulations of the facility, and Protective Custody for maximum security individuals in custody.

What is in Division 11? ›

Division 11 includes parking control, security, bank, laundry, office, food service, entertainment, health care, trash collection and recreational equipment, to name a few.

What are the three 3 general classifications of jail inmates? ›

INMATE PLACEMENT (SECURITY LEVEL)

(1) An inmate with a placement score of 0 through 18 shall be placed in a Level I facility. (2) An inmate with a placement score of 19 through 35 shall be placed in a Level II facility. (3) An inmate with a placement score of 36 through 59 shall be placed in a Level III facility.

How much is $20 worth in jail? ›

Many times $20 is more than enough to help an inmate with standard commissary items, such as food and postage. If they are saving for a whopper of an expense, it is still a step toward what they are saving for.

How much is ramen in jail? ›

You might expect to pay one or two dollars for a travel-sized hygiene product. But, if you're incarcerated in a California state prison, a single package of Top Ramen purchased from the canteen is almost $1, according to canteen price lists from San Quentin.

How long does it take for inmates to receive money through JPay? ›

JPay generally transmits payments within one to two business days, with the exception of lockbox money order payments, which are generally processed within ten business days of receipt of the money order by JPay.

Can you write inmates in colored ink? ›

Prisons seldom allow crayon, glitter, permanent marker, colored pencils, stickers, paint, or perfume in the letters they receive. It's best to stick to black or blue ink (typed or handwritten) on plain white paper, mailed in a plain white envelope. You can enclose photos or drawings that are 8 x 10 inches or smaller.

Can you send colored pencils to inmates? ›

In the inmate mail regulations, it says they will not accept envelopes that are addressed to inmates written in color: no colored pencils, markers, art designs or drawings.

How long do inmates stay in reception in Illinois? ›

Privileges and movement are limited at the reception center. The average length of stay is 3 weeks to 2 months; however, it may be longer due to court writ, medical hold, bed space availability, an early release date, or other considerations.

What is division 11 in Cook County jail? ›

The Cook County Jail – Division XI is a correctional facility for Adult offenders in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. This jail is physically situated at 3015 South California Boulevard, Chicago, IL, 60608. It is a 1536-bed facility.

Does Cook County jail have a commissary? ›

Commissary. Each individual in custody at the Cook County Department of Corrections has an individual in custody Trust Fund account, which allows an individual in custody to receive funds to use on commissary, among other items.

What type of inmate is most likely to request to be placed in protective custody? ›

Those who are at high risk of being harmed or killed by other prisoners either for their crime or their group (ethnic or otherwise), such as pedophiles, child murderers / child abusers, rapists, men who commit violence against women, people who have committed hate crimes, people who have committed crimes against the ...

What level is Division 5 in Cook County Jail? ›

The Cook County Jail – Division V is a medium security facility located at 2700 South California Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60608.

What are the 6 security classification of inmates? ›

A ranking to identify the specific degree of physical control and staff supervision that an inmate needs. It has eight levels: 1-minimum, 2-minimum, 3-minimum, 4- medium, 5-medium, 6-medium, 7-close, and 8-maximum.

What is division 8 RTU at Cook County Jail? ›

This is especially true for individuals in Division 8—the Residential Treatment Unit (RTU)—where detainees with injuries and medical conditions, making them especially vulnerable to infection, are housed.

How do jail numbers work? ›

Upon entry into the Federal Bureau of Prisons, each prisoner is assigned a unique inmate number (sometimes also called an inmate ID number, a DOC number, prisoner ID number, a BOP federal number, or a prison number.) This number is used for accountability, tracking, and DOC inmate search purposes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. An Powlowski

Last Updated:

Views: 6470

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. An Powlowski

Birthday: 1992-09-29

Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398

Phone: +26417467956738

Job: District Marketing Strategist

Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.