If someone you love is locked up in Georgia, getting money into their account covers commissary - food, hygiene, phone time, writing supplies - and keeps the connection alive. Georgia is one of the largest state prison systems in the country, with nearly 60,000 incarcerated adults. The state prison deposit vendor is JPay, with MoneyGram as a cash retail option. County jails operate separately and use their own vendors.
Georgia splits adult custody into two systems: the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) for state prison sentences, and county jails operated by county sheriffs for pretrial detainees and shorter sentences. Both are present across Georgia's 159 counties - the largest county count of any state east of the Mississippi. Figure out which system your person is in before sending anything.
State prisons: GDC and JPay
If your person is in a GDC state prison facility, the deposit vendor is JPay. There are four ways to send money.
Online through JPay - online at jpay.com or through the JPay mobile app, using a credit or debit card. Fees apply. This is the fastest method for funds to reach the account.
By phone through JPay - call 1-800-574-5729 to speak with a live JPay agent, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Credit and debit cards accepted. Fees apply.
Cash through MoneyGram - send cash at MoneyGram locations including CVS and Walmart. Use the Georgia DOC Receiver Code 6857 when sending. This is the cash option for people who do not have a debit or credit card. If your person is on probation rather than incarcerated, use the separate Georgia Probation Receiver Code 6901.
Money order by mail - the lowest-fee option. This requires a money order voucher, which is free to generate and print from the GDC's Send Money page on their website. The voucher ties the payment to the correct inmate account. Without the voucher, the money order cannot be processed correctly.
Make the money order payable to JPay. Mail the completed voucher and money order together to:
JPay
P.O. Box 246570
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Allow up to two weeks total for mail transit and processing. Once JPay receives an approved money order, processing takes up to ten business days. A JPay account is not needed to send money by money order. JPay is not responsible for money orders lost in the mail - keep the receipt as your only proof of payment. If you initiate a stop payment after mailing, you are responsible for any resulting bank fees or insufficient fund charges.
The GDC number and account number format
The GDC number is the identification number assigned to every Georgia state prison inmate. You need it for all deposit methods. Find it using the GDC Offender Query tool on the Georgia DOC website.
For MoneyGram deposits, the inmate account number is formatted as the GDC number followed immediately by the inmate's last name with no space between them. For example, if the GDC number is 12345 and the last name is Smith, the account number is 12345Smith. Using the wrong format will prevent the deposit from reaching the correct account.
For JPay online and phone deposits, you enter the GDC number directly; JPay's system handles the rest.
What happens to the money at release
When an inmate is released from a GDC facility, the remaining balance in the trust account is loaded onto a JPay release card up to $500. If the balance exceeds $500, a check is issued for the remainder. If funds are added to an account after someone has already been released, GDC's Central Business Unit sends the funds by check to the address on file or loads them onto a JPay release card still in the person's possession. Inmates transferred to county facilities receive a check for their balance from the Central Business Unit.
County jails: vendor varies by county
Georgia has 159 counties, each with its own county jail or detention facility operated by the county sheriff. County jails are separate from the GDC state prison system. They set their own deposit vendors independently, and the vendor varies by county. The GDC's JPay and MoneyGram system does not apply to county jail inmates.
Some of Georgia's largest county jail systems - Fulton County (Atlanta), DeKalb County, Gwinnett County, and Cobb County - each handle deposits through their own contracted vendor. The only reliable way to find the correct vendor for a specific Georgia county jail is to check that county sheriff's website or call the facility directly.
Do not attempt to send money through JPay or the GDC's MoneyGram code for a county jail inmate - it will not reach the right account.
Accounts do not transfer between vendors. When your person moves from a county jail to a GDC state prison - or between different county jails - the account and balance stay with the original vendor. You set up a new account with the new provider using whatever ID number that facility requires.
County camps
Georgia also operates county correctional institutions - sometimes called county camps - which are state-owned but locally administered facilities. Inmates at county camps are considered GDC inmates and their deposits go through the GDC system (JPay/MoneyGram). However, inmates at county camps do not participate in the GOAL tablet device program and are not provided a GOAL device. If your person is at a county camp and transfers to a regular state facility, a device disposition form is completed for any GOAL device.
Federal custody
If your person is in federal Bureau of Prisons custody in Georgia - including FCI Jesup, USP Atlanta, or other BOP facilities - deposits go through the BOP Trust Fund via Western Union, MoneyGram at retail (different receiver code from GDC), or online at bop.gov. You need the eight-digit BOP register number. Do not use GDC's JPay or MoneyGram receiver code 6857 for federal inmates.
What to know before you send anything
Get the GDC number first. All deposit methods require it. Find it using the GDC Offender Query on the Georgia DOC website.
Use the correct MoneyGram receiver code. For GDC state prison inmates: 6857. For Georgia Probation: 6901. Using the probation code for a prison inmate, or vice versa, will misdirect the payment.
Format the account number correctly for MoneyGram. The format is GDC number immediately followed by last name with no space - for example, 12345Smith. A space or wrong format will prevent proper crediting.
Print the voucher before mailing a money order. The GDC money order voucher is required. Generate it from the GDC Send Money page using the GDC number before mailing anything. A money order sent without a voucher will not be processed correctly.
Do not use the GDC system for county jail inmates. JPay and MoneyGram receiver code 6857 are for GDC state prisons and county camps only.
Funds can be reduced by debts and fees. GDC may deduct outstanding fines or restitution from the trust account. A $100 administrative fee may also be charged for disciplinary infractions.
Related pages:
/prisons/georgia
How to write a letter to someone in a Georgia facility
Send mail and photos through InmateAid
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
What vendor does Georgia DOC use for inmate deposits?
JPay, with MoneyGram as a cash retail option. All GDC state prison deposit methods - online, mobile app, phone, and money order by mail - go through JPay. Cash deposits at CVS and Walmart go through MoneyGram using Georgia DOC Receiver Code 6857.
What is the MoneyGram receiver code for Georgia state prisons?
6857. Use this code at CVS, Walmart, and other MoneyGram locations for GDC state prison inmate deposits. The Georgia Probation receiver code is 6901 - a different code for a different purpose.
What is the GDC number and where do I find it?
The GDC number is the identification number assigned to every Georgia DOC inmate. Required for all deposit methods. Find it using the GDC Offender Query tool on the Georgia Department of Corrections website.
How do I format the account number for a MoneyGram deposit?
The account number is the GDC number followed immediately by the inmate's last name with no space. For example, GDC number 12345 and last name Smith = 12345Smith.
How do I send a money order to a Georgia state prison inmate?
Generate and print a free money order voucher from the GDC's Send Money page (enter the GDC number). Make the money order payable to JPay. Mail the voucher and money order together to JPay, P.O. Box 246570, Pembroke Pines FL 33024. Allow up to two weeks total. Do not initiate a stop payment after mailing.
Do I need a JPay account to send a money order?
No. A JPay account is not needed for money order deposits. You do need the GDC number to generate the required voucher.
How long does a money order take to process for Georgia DOC?
Up to ten business days after JPay receives it, plus mail transit time. Allow up to two weeks total.
What happens to money in the account at release?
The balance is loaded onto a JPay release card up to $500. Any amount over $500 is paid by check. Inmates transferred to county facilities receive a check from GDC's Central Business Unit.
What vendor do Georgia county jails use?
It varies by county. Georgia's 159 county jails each pick their own vendor independently of the GDC system. Check the specific county sheriff's website or call the jail.
Can I use JPay or MoneyGram code 6857 for a county jail inmate?
No. Those are GDC state prison and county camp tools only. County jail inmates have their own deposit system through their county's vendor.
How do I send money to someone in federal prison in Georgia?
Use the BOP Trust Fund - Western Union, MoneyGram (different receiver code), or bop.gov online. You need the eight-digit BOP register number. Federal facilities in Georgia include FCI Jesup and USP Atlanta. ====================================================================
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