Who Can Send Money to an Inmate at Alfred D. Hughes Unit — rules and safe methods
Sending money is one of the most practical ways to support someone at the Alfred D. Hughes Unit. But there's a strict rule about who can actually make deposits. Here's what you need to know to stay within the rules and use approved methods.
The rule is straightforward: since September 1, 2020, only people on the inmate's approved visitor list or Inmate Telephone (phone) list can deposit money. If you're not on one of those lists, your deposit won't go through. Confirm your status before you send anything.
You can't add yourself to these lists from the outside. The inmate has to add you to their approved visitation list, and that list determines who can deposit funds. If your deposit keeps getting rejected, the fix usually starts with the inmate updating their list.
Being on the Inmate Telephone (phone) list also qualifies you to send deposits under the same September 1, 2020 policy. Bottom line: make sure you're on at least one list - approved visitors or phone - before trying any deposit method.
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- ✓ Money orders or cashier’s checks
- ✓ Monthly checking account debit (ACH)
- ✓ Access Corrections (Secure Deposits)
- ✓ ACE (America’s Cash Express)
- ✓ eCommDirect (provided by Texas.gov)
- ✓ JPay
- ✓ TouchPay Payment System
- ✓ Use the Inmate Trust Fund’s printed instructions for the method you choose (they provide step-by-step deposit instructions for the options above).
Warning: Don’t send trust fund deposits to the inmate’s facility of assignment. Follow the Inmate Trust Fund’s deposit instructions instead.
Cash and personal checks aren't accepted. The Inmate Trust Fund will return them to the sender.
Sending a larger amount? Any deposit of $500 or more gets held for 14 days before the inmate can access it. The same hold applies to insurance, company, payroll, and estate checks.
Want to confirm your money arrived? Trust Fund staff can tell you whether a deposit was received. But they won't share any account details - no balances, no transaction history. Only the inmate can access that information.
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- ✓ Confirm you’re an allowed sender first: you must be on the inmate’s approved visitor list or on the inmate’s phone list (effective September 1, 2020).
- ✓ Use one of the Inmate Trust Fund’s approved deposit options (like money orders/cashier’s checks, ACH, Access Corrections, ACE, eCommDirect, JPay, or TouchPay).
- ✓ Never send cash or a personal check - they aren’t accepted and will be returned.
If your deposit doesn't show up right away, timing could be the issue. Deposits of $500 or more - plus insurance, payroll, company, and estate checks - are held for 14 days. And remember the privacy rule when troubleshooting: staff can confirm receipt, but they can't tell you what's in the account or how it's being spent. Only the inmate has access to that.
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