If someone you love is locked up in Michigan, getting money into their account covers commissary - food, hygiene, phone time, writing supplies - and keeps the connection alive. Michigan's state prison deposit vendor is GTL Financial Services - not JPay. JPay handles messaging and tablets for MDOC prisoners, but trust fund deposits go through GTL. This distinction trips up a lot of families. There is also a hard cap: no single deposit to a Michigan state prison account can exceed $300.
Michigan splits adult custody into two systems: the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) for state prison sentences, and county jails operated by county sheriffs. MDOC Central Office is in Lansing; county jails set their own vendor arrangements independently.
State prisons: MDOC and GTL Financial Services
If your person is in an MDOC state prison facility, all trust fund deposits go through GTL Financial Services regardless of which deposit method you use. There are four ways to deposit.
Online through ConnectNetwork - go to connectnetwork.com, set up an account, find your person by prisoner number, and deposit using a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card. Available 24 hours a day. Fees apply by deposit amount tier.
By phone - call GTL Financial Services at 888-988-4768. Have the prisoner's name and number ready. Fees apply by tier. For money order questions call 877-650-4249.
By kiosk at select MDOC facilities - GTL operates cash and card deposit kiosks at select state facilities. Cash deposits at the kiosk are $4.00 flat per transaction; one dollar of each cash transaction fee is credited to the prisoner benefit fund. Card deposits at the kiosk use the same fee structure as online deposits. Visit connectnetwork.com for current kiosk locations.
By money order through the mail (no fee) - the only no-fee option. Fill out the GTL money order deposit form - available in English and Spanish from the MDOC website. Include the prisoner's name and ID number in the memo field. Include your own full name and mailing address as the remitter. Make the money order payable to "GTL Financial Services." Mail the completed form and money order to:
GTL Financial Services
10005 Technology Blvd. West, Suite 130
Dallas, TX 75220
Do not include any letters, cards, or other correspondence with the deposit. Any mail that accompanies a deposit will not be processed and will be discarded. Send correspondence directly to the prisoner at the facility.
The $300 per deposit maximum
No single deposit to an MDOC prisoner account may exceed $300.00. This is a hard cap and applies to every deposit method - online, phone, kiosk, and mail. Plan accordingly if you need to send more over time.
Scam warning: Cash App and peer-to-peer payment apps
The MDOC explicitly warns on its official page: if you receive a request to send money to a prisoner through Cash App, Apple Pay, Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, or any service other than GTL Financial Services, it is likely a scam and will not result in the money being deposited into a prisoner's account. The only legitimate platform for MDOC trust fund deposits is GTL Financial Services. Do not use any other payment app regardless of what the person in custody tells you.
JPay is for messaging and tablets - not deposits
In Michigan, JPay handles electronic messaging (emails to prisoners), the JP6 tablet program, and electronic stamps. It does not handle trust fund deposits for MDOC prisoners. If you search for JPay and Michigan DOC, you will find JPay's Michigan page - but JPay no longer manages MDOC trust fund deposits. GTL Financial Services has handled those since 2017. Families who previously used JPay for MDOC deposits should switch to GTL/ConnectNetwork.
The prisoner number is required
The MDOC prisoner number is the identification number assigned to every MDOC incarcerated person. Required for all GTL deposit methods. Find it using the MDOC Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) at michigan.gov/corrections.
Funds subject to collection
Deposited funds are subject to collection by MDOC to pay for obligations imposed by the sentencing court or the department in accordance with policy. Outstanding court costs, fines, or MDOC-imposed obligations may be deducted from deposits before the balance is available for spending.
County jails: vendor varies by county
Michigan has 83 counties, each with its own jail or detention facility operated by the county sheriff. County jails set their own deposit vendors independently of MDOC. The vendor that works for Wayne County will not work for Oakland County or Kent County.
Wayne County Jail (Detroit) uses TouchPay for online deposits at touchpayonline.com (facility number 248211). Phone support: 866-204-1603. Call the jail at 313-224-0797 for current instructions.
Oakland County Jail (Pontiac), at 1200 N. Telegraph Road, uses Smart Communications (smartinmate.com) for trust account deposits. In-person cash or money order deposits can also be made at the visitation area. Call 248-858-5000 for current instructions.
Macomb County Jail (Mt. Clemens) accepts deposits through TouchPay (online or 866-232-1899), JPay (jpay.com or 800-574-5729), or a lobby kiosk accepting cash and card.
The vendor is county-specific. The only reliable way to find the current vendor for a specific Michigan county jail is to check that county sheriff's website or call the facility directly.
Accounts do not transfer between vendors. When your person moves from a county jail to an MDOC state prison, the county jail account stays with that vendor. You set up a new account with GTL Financial Services using the MDOC prisoner number.
Federal custody in Michigan
If your person is in federal Bureau of Prisons custody in Michigan - including FCI Milan, FMC Rochester, or other BOP facilities - deposits go through the BOP Trust Fund via Western Union, MoneyGram at retail, or online at bop.gov. You need the eight-digit BOP register number. Do not use GTL/ConnectNetwork or MDOC deposit methods for federal inmates.
MDOC contact
Grandview Plaza
206 E. Michigan Avenue, PO Box 30003
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-1426 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
What to know before you send anything
GTL Financial Services handles trust fund deposits - not JPay. ConnectNetwork.com is the online portal. JPay is for messaging only.
The $300 cap applies to every single deposit. No exceptions. Plan deposits over multiple transactions if needed.
Cash App, Zelle, Venmo, and similar apps are not legitimate deposit methods. Any request to use them is likely a scam.
Do not include correspondence with a mailed money order. Enclosures are discarded and will not reach the prisoner.
Get the prisoner number first. Required for all deposit methods. Find it via MDOC OTIS at michigan.gov/corrections.
Related pages:
/prisons/michigan
How to write a letter to someone in a Michigan facility
Send mail and photos through InmateAid
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
What vendor does Michigan DOC use for trust fund deposits?
GTL Financial Services. All MDOC state prison deposits go through GTL - online at connectnetwork.com, by phone at 888-988-4768, by facility kiosk, or by money order mail to GTL's Dallas lockbox.
Does JPay handle deposits for Michigan state prisons?
No. JPay handles messaging, email, and tablets for MDOC prisoners, but trust fund deposits have been processed by GTL Financial Services since February 2017. Use connectnetwork.com for deposits.
What is the maximum deposit for a Michigan state prison account?
$300 per single deposit. This cap applies to every deposit method.
What is the money order mailing address for Michigan DOC?
GTL Financial Services, 10005 Technology Blvd. West, Suite 130, Dallas TX 75220. Make payable to "GTL Financial Services." Include the deposit form and the prisoner's name and number. No fee for money orders.
What information goes on the money order?
Prisoner's name and ID number in the memo field. Your full name and mailing address as the remitter. Complete the deposit form (English or Spanish, available at michigan.gov/corrections).
Can I send money through Cash App for a Michigan prison deposit?
No. MDOC explicitly warns that Cash App, Apple Pay, Zelle, PayPal, and Venmo are not accepted deposit methods. Using them likely constitutes a scam and the money will not reach the prisoner's account.
What is the cash kiosk fee at Michigan state prisons?
$4.00 flat per transaction. $1 of each cash fee is credited to the prisoner benefit fund.
What vendor does Wayne County Jail use?
TouchPay at touchpayonline.com (facility #248211). Phone: 866-204-1603. Call 313-224-0797 for current instructions.
What vendor does Oakland County Jail use?
Smart Communications at smartinmate.com, plus in-person cash or money order at the visitation area. Call 248-858-5000.
What vendor does Macomb County Jail use?
TouchPay (online or 866-232-1899), JPay (jpay.com or 800-574-5729), or lobby kiosk.
Do accounts transfer between county jail and state prison?
No. You set up a new GTL account with the MDOC prisoner number when your person moves to state prison.
How do I send money to someone in federal prison in Michigan?
Use the BOP Trust Fund - Western Union, MoneyGram, or bop.gov. Michigan federal facilities include FCI Milan. You need the eight-digit BOP register number. ====================================================================
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