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Why You Can't Mail Cash or Checks to a VADOC Facility (And What to Do Instead)

Mailing cash or a check to a Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) facility won't work. It simply won't be processed. Here's what VADOC actually accepts and how to send money the right way.

• 3 min read Verified from official sources

VADOC doesn't allow money to be mailed to facilities or headquarters. Cash, personal checks, items with monetary value: none of it gets through. Send it anyway and your mailing gets rejected, leaving you with delays and frustration when you were just trying to help.

Note: Facility staff cannot accept cash for deposit into an inmate's (or CCAP probationer/parolee's) Trust Account. If it can't be accepted at the facility, the mailroom can't fix it either.

Want to send funds by mail? The approved option is a money order sent to the JPay lockbox, not the prison itself. Mail money orders with a deposit slip to: JPay, P.O. Box 278170, Miramar, FL 33027.

Plan for processing time. Once JPay receives your money order, funds become available to the inmate within three business days.

VADOC's Operating Procedure 802.2 lists all approved ways to send funds. Your options: electronic transfer through JPay, money orders (or certified cashier's checks) mailed to the JPay lockbox, credit or debit card payments online or by phone through JPay, or cash deposits through MoneyGram.

Need the money there fast? Use JPay online. According to VADOC, an online credit or debit card payment through JPay is the quickest option.

If you’d rather handle it by phone, you can pay through JPay at 1-800-574-5729. VADOC allows phone payments at any time.

  • ✓ Make a cash deposit at a MoneyGram agent location
  • ✓ Use common MoneyGram locations like Walmart
  • ✓ Use common MoneyGram locations like CVS Pharmacy

Already mailed cash or a check to a VADOC facility? Expect it to be rejected. Staff cannot accept cash for Trust Account deposits, so there's no on-site fix. Your best move: follow up quickly with the facility mailroom and the postal service to find out how your mailing will be returned.

  1. Try to stop or recover the mailing - If you sent cash or a check to the facility, it will be rejected, so check with the mail carrier and the facility mailroom about return options.
  2. Mail a money order the approved way - Send a money order with a deposit slip to JPay, P.O. Box 278170, Miramar, FL 33027.
  3. Use JPay online if you need the fastest option - VADOC states online credit or debit card payments through JPay are the fastest way to send money.
  4. Use MoneyGram if you have cash in hand - Cash deposits can be made at MoneyGram agent locations, including Walmart and CVS Pharmacy.
  5. Use JPay phone payment if that’s easier - Call 1-800-574-5729 to make a payment over the phone at any time.

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