Every prison and jail has a commissary. It is the facility's internal store where inmates can purchase food, hygiene items, clothing basics, and other approved products using funds in their trust account. Think of it as a small convenience store with a limited and often overpriced selection, but one that makes a meaningful difference in daily quality of life. Keeping money on your person's books so they can shop the commissary is one of the most practical ways to support them.
Beyond money, the most powerful thing you can do is stay connected through consistent communication. Inmates who have regular outside contact do better inside, full stop. It is not just emotional. Research on recidivism consistently shows that maintained family and community ties during incarceration lead to better outcomes after release. Staying present matters in ways that go far beyond making someone feel good on a given day.
The ways to stay connected are more varied and convenient than most people realize. InmateAid was built specifically to make all of it easy from your phone or computer. Letters and photos go out as physical mail that your person holds at mail call. Postcards are quick and personal. Greeting cards mark occasions that might otherwise pass without acknowledgment. Magazine subscriptions keep something arriving every month without ongoing effort. Discount phone lines reduce what calls cost so you can afford to talk more often. All of it adds up to a presence that reaches through the walls in ways that money alone cannot.
Whatever combination works for your situation, the message that gets through consistently is the one that matters most. Letters, Pictures, Postcards, Greeting Cards, Magazines, Books, Calls (at a discount). Check them out...