Three Ways to Send Money and Buy Commissary Items for a Hilltop Unit Inmate

Mailing funds to a Hilltop Unit inmate? The money order or cashier's check needs to be written a specific way. Make it payable to

Mail the completed deposit slip along with the money order or cashier’s check to: Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 60, Huntsville, TX 77342-0060. That’s the mailing address used for these trust fund deposits.

• ✓ Get a deposit slip from the offender, or request slips by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 60, Huntsville, TX 77342-0060.
• ✓ Fill out the slip with the offender’s identifying details (including the offender name/number) so the deposit is applied to the right account.
• ✓ Mail the deposit slip and your money order/cashier’s check (made payable to “Inmate Trust Fund for Offender Name and Number”) to Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 60, Huntsville, TX 77342-0060.
• ✓ Keep your money order/cashier’s check receipt for your records.

If you want something predictable each month, TDCJ also offers a monthly checking account debit (ACH). It’s a free service that lets you choose a set amount that’s automatically debited from a personal checking account once each month and deposited to a specified offender.

For buying commissary items directly, eCommDirect is the approved online option. It’s the only acceptable online package program for TDCJ inmate purchases, and approved friends and family can use it to make commissary purchases for eligible inmates (up to the quarterly maximum).

• ✓ January–March: up to $70
• ✓ April–June: up to $70
• ✓ July–September: up to $70
• ✓ October–December: up to $95 (holiday spend)
• ✓ These are quarterly maximums for eCommDirect commissary purchases by approved friends and family for eligible inmates.

Before you send any money, check your eligibility as a sender. Effective September 1, 2020, only people on an inmate’s approved visitor list or on the Inmate Telephone List are allowed to deposit money to inmates.

Practical Tips Next Steps

• ✓ Confirm you’re on the inmate’s approved visitor list or the Inmate Telephone List before you try to deposit money.
• ✓ If you’re mailing funds, use a money order or cashier’s check made payable to “Inmate Trust Fund for Offender Name and Number.”
• ✓ Include the completed deposit slip with the deposit, and keep your receipt.
• ✓ If you need deposit slips, get one from the offender or request them by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 60, Huntsville, TX 77342-0060.
• ✓ If you plan to help every month, consider the free TDCJ ACH option so a set amount is automatically debited monthly from your checking account.
• ✓ For commissary packages, stick with eCommDirect (the only acceptable online package program) and plan around the quarterly spending limits.