Free Louisiana DOC Resources for Families (handbooks) and quick notes on canteen limits

If your loved one is connected to Tensas Parish Detention and you're trying to understand how Louisiana's prison system works, start with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections Informational Handbook for Friends & Families of People in Prison. It's free, written in plain language, and covers the basics that matter most to families - so you can get oriented before spending time or money heading down the wrong path.

Caring for a child while their parent is incarcerated? There's a separate DOC handbook made specifically for you. The DOC created it with partner organizations, and it's genuinely practical - helpful when you're juggling school, routines, and the questions kids ask that don't have easy answers.

Need help sending funds by money order? Call JPay's toll-free support line at 800-574-5729. They can walk you through completing the Louisiana DOC money order form correctly - worth doing before you mail anything out.

Make your money order payable to JPay and mail it to JPay, PO Box 531370, Miami Shores, FL 33153. The DOC money order deposit form lists a maximum of $999.99 per money order, so plan accordingly if you need to send more than that.

Prison Enterprises' canteen packaging program has statewide order limits. You'll see a $20.00 minimum and a $200.00 maximum product order per offender per institution/housing unit. Shipping fees and taxes don't count toward those limits.

Many day-to-day logistics - like communications or video visit access - run through outside vendors. Stuck on something? Can't find a schedule, can't log in, or unsure which option applies? Start with the vendor's own help resources and customer support, just like you would with JPay for money-order questions.

Next Steps Local

• ✓ Download the Louisiana DOC Informational Handbook for Friends & Families of People in Prison and read it once straight through.
• ✓ If you’re supporting a child, download the caregiver handbook for children with imprisoned parents and keep it handy.
• ✓ Review the DOC money order instructions before you buy a money order or mail anything.

For anything specific to Tensas Parish Detention - current procedures, timing, how commissary actually works - get confirmation directly from the facility before making plans. Statewide resources give you a foundation, but the details that affect your trip or your loved one's account often come down to what the facility is doing right now.