What Happens to an Inmate's Commissary Money When They Leave Lawrence County Jail
When your loved one leaves Lawrence County Jail, their commissary balance doesn't go to family or friends. Here's how the jail handles release money—and what to do if they're transferring or left without filling out the right form.
Lawrence County Jail only releases commissary funds directly to the inmate - and only after they're out. The jail won't send the balance to anyone else just because they ask. Getting money released to a third party requires a court order.
At release, one option is a MasterCard debit card available in Booking. If the inmate has more than $3.95 in their account, they can load that balance onto a debit card while processing out.
Fee alert: Lawrence County charges $3.95 per debit card funded at the booking kiosk.
There’s also a cap on how much can be loaded onto one card. The maximum balance allowed per MasterCard debit card is $9,500.
If the inmate would rather receive a check instead of a debit card, they need to complete a “Release Authorization Form” as they exit Booking. Those forms are processed and checks are mailed each Tuesday, and there’s a $2.00 check fee.
If your loved one is transferring to another facility, skip the debit card. Lawrence County specifically advises against it - not all facilities can transfer debit-card funds into a new trust account. The safer choice is the Release Authorization Form. That way, a check gets mailed instead of relying on a card that may not transfer smoothly.
- Write a request letter to Chilton Vending - Include the inmate’s name, date of birth, last four of their Social Security number, their ID number at the new facility, and the new facility’s name and address.
- Mail it to the correct address - Send the letter to: Chilton Vending, P O Box 31, Pleasant View TN 37146.
- If you’re sending a U.S. Postal money order, include full identifying info - Money orders with all necessary identifying information are deposited by 8:00 p.m. each Monday. If the identifying info is missing, the money order is returned to the sender.
- ✓ Call Commissary at 615-777-0977
- ✓ Provide the inmate’s name
- ✓ Provide the inmate’s date of birth
- ✓ Provide the last four digits of the inmate’s Social Security number
- ✓ Provide the inmate’s ID number at the new facility
- ✓ Provide the new facility name and address so funds can be mailed
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