New York
Phone & Messaging
Phone and video access in New York depends on which agency runs the facility and which vendor they contract with. Suffolk County Correctional Facility, for...
Read guideSending Money
How you add money depends on the jail or prison, but online and phone deposits are common at county facilities. Suffolk County describes deposits to Keefe...
Read guideMail & Photos
For people in New York State DOCCS prisons, package rules are strict. Packages and articles are only allowed if they arrive directly from vendors through...
Read guideVisitation
Start with the facility's current visitation schedule, then read any special rules affecting which days your loved one can receive visitors. Five Points,...
Read guideFacility Info
For NYC jail and construction-program questions, the City lists community construction liaison contacts. One example: the Manhattan Borough-Based Jails...
Read guideFind an Inmate
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Common Questions
Q
Can I send packages or photos directly from home to someone in a New York DOCCS facility?
Packages and articles cannot be brought during visits or mailed directly from family or friends to a New York DOCCS facility. DOCCS says packages and articles are only allowed when they are received directly from vendors using carriers like USPS, FedEx, or UPS, and it points to Department Directive #4911 as the policy document behind these changes.
Q
How can I send money to someone in custody and are there limits or fees I should expect?
Common options include online or phone deposits through the facility’s chosen service, and some locations also accept money orders. One New York example (Suffolk County) describes Access Corrections deposits with a $100 per-deposit limit and a service fee that reduces the amount credited, and another example (Erie County) requires money orders payable to “ACCESS SECURE DEPOSITS.” Always follow the instructions for the specific facility so your deposit is not delayed or rejected.
Q
Are calls with incarcerated people monitored or recorded, and how long are recordings kept?
In some facilities, yes. Nassau County’s Correctional Center states that calls (other than properly registered attorney calls) are subject to monitoring and/or recording, and it also warns that three-way calling, call forwarding, or conference calling violates phone rules and can trigger discipline and other consequences. Recording retention depends on the system used, one documented example is TRUFONE call recordings being deleted after 180 days unless required longer for legal or administrative purposes.
Q
How do I find a specific facility's visitation schedule and rules?
Start on the facility’s official page, which may direct you to the DOCCS Visitors Page for additional visitation information. Some DOCCS facilities use special schedules, for example Five Points uses an odd/even schedule based on the last digit of the DIN, and facility pages can also list an “effective” date for visitation information (Woodbourne’s page shows visitation information effective 01/01/2026).