When Does Commissary Arrive? Western Tidewater Jail's Canteen Schedule
Trying to time a canteen order at Western Tidewater Jail? Two different jail pages list different day-of-week schedules. Here's what each one says—and what the weekly limits and delivery window mean for your planning.
Inmates at Western Tidewater Jail can order up to $200 worth of commissary items per week for themselves. That's the ceiling - so if your loved one is stretching basics like hygiene products and snacks across the week, they'll need to work within that cap.
Family and friends can also send up to $200 per week in commissary orders. This limit is separate from what the inmate orders themselves - but it still means prioritizing the most-needed items if you're helping from the outside.
Need to add money for canteen purchases? You can deposit funds to an inmate's Canteen Fund using the kiosk in the jail lobby. It's often the quickest option if you're local.
According to the jail's Oasis commissary information page, inmates can place canteen orders any day except Mondays. So if your loved one asks "what day can I order?" - that's one published answer from the facility.
The same Oasis page says canteen is delivered on Wednesday each week, though the jail has until Friday to complete all deliveries. Think of it as a mid-week target with a buffer built in.
But here's where it gets confusing: the jail's inmate FAQ describes a different rhythm - canteen ordered on Tuesday, delivered on Thursday. That doesn't match the Oasis page's Wednesday delivery language, which explains why families sometimes get mixed messages when planning around commissary.
Note: Western Tidewater Jail publishes conflicting canteen timing on different pages (Oasis commissary info vs. the inmate FAQ). If you're trying to time an order around a court date, visit, or release, call the jail to verify the current schedule before relying on a specific day.
Even on the Oasis schedule, "Wednesday delivery" doesn't mean everything arrives that day. The page says the jail has until Friday to complete deliveries. Plan for a Wednesday-to-Friday window rather than expecting a single guaranteed drop time.
One policy that catches people off guard: the jail won't hold canteen orders for inmates who are released. If someone leaves, their order goes back to Oasis and the money gets credited - but that credit doesn't happen at the same time as receiving the balance of inmate funds on release day. Worth knowing if release is coming up soon.
Tip: If release might be soon, think twice before placing a canteen order close to that date. Western Tidewater Jail won't hold orders for released inmates, and the Oasis credit process may not line up with release-day account payouts.
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