Reviewed on: May 01,2026

Can I Send Snacks and Toiletries From Amazon to an Inmate?

My friend is in Monroe IL County Jail. Can I send via Amazon some chocolates, cookies and snacks? Or toiletry items, also via Amazon? I am in Europe and cannot call the facility to inquire. Thank you very much for an answer!

Asked: October 08, 2019
Author: Corina
Ask the inmate answer
1

Food and toiletry items cannot be sent directly to inmates at most county jails through Amazon or any other outside retailer, and Monroe County Jail in Illinois is no exception to that general rule.

Correctional facilities restrict outside food shipments primarily for security reasons. Packages arriving from outside sources are difficult to screen thoroughly and have historically been used to introduce contraband. Unless a facility has a specific arrangement with an approved commissary package vendor, outside food simply does not get through regardless of where it was ordered from or how it was packaged.

Amazon does work for one category that is widely accepted at county jails: paperback books. Most facilities allow books shipped directly from a recognized retailer like Amazon as long as they arrive new and in paperback format. That is a meaningful option if your friend enjoys reading, and a book arriving from Amazon is a genuinely welcome thing to receive inside.

For the snacks, chocolates, and toiletry items you want to send, the most effective approach from Europe is to put money directly on your friend's commissary account. Monroe County Jail uses a deposit system that can typically be funded online through a platform like Access Corrections or a similar service. With money on their books, your friend can purchase snacks, hygiene products, and other commissary items themselves on their regular shopping day.

A letter sent through InmateAid is another meaningful way to stay connected from Europe without your personal address appearing on the envelope.

https://www.inmateaid.com/ask-the-inmate/can-i-send-snacks-and-toiletries-from-amazon-to-an-inmate#answer
Accepted Answer Date Created: October 09,2019
Comments
Many thanks for your answer! Amazon would have been great to get around money transfer fees which are significant on international bank cards.