How to Send Money and Buy Commissary Items for Someone at Hamilton Unit

Hamilton Unit uses the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Inmate Trust Fund system for all deposits. You can add money to an inmate's account through traditional paper methods (Money Orders or Cashier's Checks) or through a monthly checking account debit (ACH) using the ACH authorization process. TDCJ also accepts deposits through several third-party services: Access Corrections (Secure Deposits), ACE (America's Cash Express), JPay, and the TouchPay payment system. If you'd rather buy commissary-type items for delivery instead of depositing cash, eCommDirect (provided by Texas.gov) lets you do that.

Before you send money, confirm you're eligible. As of September 1, 2020, only people on the inmate's approved visitor list or the Inmate Telephone (approved phone) List can deposit funds. If you're not on one of those lists, your deposit can be blocked, even if you use an accepted payment method.

For paper deposits, use a Money Order or Cashier's Check. Cash and personal checks are not accepted for Trust Fund deposits and will be returned to the sender. Every Money Order or Cashier's Check needs to include a deposit slip. The inmate can get that slip for you, so ask them to send it (or the information from it) before you mail anything.

If you plan to buy items through eCommDirect (provided by Texas.gov), two timing rules catch people off guard. First, newly received inmates can't get eCommDirect purchases until the next calendar quarter after their entry. Second, the system only allows one eCommDirect purchase per inmate per day. If you place an order and realize you forgot something, you'll have to wait until the next day to submit another one.

You only need to be on one list to become an approved sender. Either have the inmate add you to their Approved Visitation List, or get your phone registered on the Approved Phone List. This matters because the September 1, 2020 rule restricts deposits to people on the approved visitor list or the Inmate Telephone List. Once you're on either one, you're cleared to deposit funds.