The Complete Guide to Putting Money on an Inmate's Account at Sarasota County Jail

Sarasota County Jail offers three ways to add money to an inmate's account: mail a money order, use the lobby kiosk, or deposit by phone or online. For money orders, send them through Access Corrections - make it out to "Access Secure Deposits" and include the inmate's name and ID. If you're nearby, there's a 24-hour automated kiosk in the jail lobby at 2020 Main St that accepts cash or credit/debit cards. Prefer to handle it remotely? Phone deposits have a $3.95 service charge; online deposits cost $2.95. Either way, you'll need to work within these limits: $25 to $100 per transaction, $200 maximum per week, and only five transactions allowed per inmate and per credit card number.

The lobby kiosk at 2020 Main St is available around the clock. It accepts both cash and credit/debit cards - a good option if you need to make a deposit outside regular business hours.

• ✓ Accepts cash deposits
• ✓ Accepts credit/debit card deposits
• ✓ Does not accept money orders
• ✓ Does not accept $1 bills
• ✓ $4.00 service fee for cash deposits
• ✓ $4.00 service fee for credit/debit card deposits

1. Buy a money order and fill out the payee - Make it out to “Access Secure Deposits.”
2. Add the inmate’s details - Include the inmate’s name and ID on the money order.
3. Mail it to the correct processing address - Send it to: Access Corrections, P.O. Box 12486, St. Louis, MO 63132.

Online Phone Deposits

• ✓ Phone deposit service charge: $3.95
• ✓ Internet deposit service charge: $2.95

• ✓ Minimum deposit amount: $25
• ✓ Maximum deposit amount (per transaction): $100
• ✓ Weekly deposit limit: $200
• ✓ Transaction cap: only five transactions allowed per inmate and per credit card number

When depositing by phone or online, fees add up fast. Each transaction costs $3.95 by phone or $2.95 online, so multiple small deposits eat into your money more than one larger payment. You're also working within tight limits: $25 minimum, $100 maximum per transaction, and a $200 weekly cap. Keep the transaction limit in mind too - only five deposits are allowed per inmate and per credit card number. Frequent small deposits can burn through your allowed transactions quickly.

Deposits to inmate accounts are non-refundable, and commissary orders can't be returned. Plan accordingly. One exception: if the inmate is released before placing a commissary order, any remaining balance gets refunded by check.