Can You Set Up Commissary Money Before Going to Jail?

Yes. If you know you are heading to jail and do not have family or friends on the outside who can put money on your books, setting up funds for yourself ahead of time is absolutely something you can do and it is smart planning.

The process depends on which facility you are going to and which vendor they use for commissary deposits. Most jails and prisons use a third party provider like JPay, GTL, Access Corrections, or TouchPay to handle inmate account deposits. Once you know which facility you are reporting to, you can look up their commissary provider and set up an account in advance.

The catch is that the deposit needs to be linked to your inmate account, which technically does not exist until you are booked in and assigned an inmate identification number. The workaround is to make the deposit as soon as possible after booking, even if that means having someone you trust briefly handle the transfer on your behalf in the first day or two, or using a facility that allows deposits by mail which can be prepared in advance and sent immediately upon arrival.

Some people in this situation set aside cash specifically for commissary before surrendering and arrange for it to be deposited the moment they have their booking number. Having even a modest amount on your books in the first days makes a real difference in comfort and access to basic necessities that the facility does not always provide adequately.