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Send Money

Friends and family of an inmate may send money to inmate to be placed in their trust account. Inmates may make their community corrections and restitution payments with funds from their trust account. The Department of Corrections (DOC) provides the following three options to send money:

Mandatory Deductions

When funds are received they are subject to mandatory deductions as required by RCW 72.09.480, unless exempt (i.e, funds specifically designated for postage, education or qualified medical expenses). See the Deduction Matrix (Attachment 2) (pdf) for detailed information about deductions and exemptions on deposits into an inmate's trust account.

Sending Money to Multiple Inmates

Family, friends, and/or other individuals may not deposit to more than one inmate's trust account without the Superintendent's prior approval (DOC Policy 200.000 (pdf)). Contraband funds end up being deposited in the Offender Welfare Betterment fund.

Western Union

You may use Western Union to send money to inmates. Western Union offers the ability to send money online, over the phone, or in person. Funds sent through Western Union are deposited into an inmate's Spendable sub-account only.

Sending Money

Go to the Send Money to an Inmate page. Select "Washington Dept Corrections" from the facility drop-down list. Input the amount you would like to send and click Get Started. Choose the method you want to send money (online, in person, by phone, or mobile app). To complete a transaction with Western Union you will need to have the following pieces of information ready:

  • City Code: WA DOC
  • State: WA
  • Account Number: Account Number is the inmate's DOC number + (Example: 123456Doe)

    The last name must match the DOC database exactly. For example, if the inmate was booked in our system under 'Hanson', the name must be spelled as 'Hanson' (even if the inmate's name is actually spelled 'Hansen').

    Use Inmate Search to verify the spelling of an inmate's last name as recorded in the DOC databases.

If you are sending money over the phone, ask to use "Quick Collect" to receive the more inexpensive money-sending service.

Rates

Service Amount Rate
Send Money $0.01 to $30.00 $5.95
Send Money $30.01 to $75.00 $6.95
Send Money $75.01 to $200.00 $8.95
Send Money $200.01 to $5,000.00 $9.95

Help & Questions

Any questions or concerns regarding transfers should be directed to Western Union, not the Department of Corrections. See the following resources for information about Western Union's services:

Western Union's website has experienced periods of unstability. If you are having difficulty accessing some of the resources linked to above, please access their website through their main page.

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Cashier's Check or Money Order

You may send money to inmates through a cashier's check or money order (least expensive way to send money to an inmate). Do not send cash, personal checks, or stamps. The mail will be rejected and returned to you at the inmate's expense.

As part of our agency’s COVID-19 response, DOC business offices are implementing social distancing practices by having staff telework as much as possible. The processing of physical money orders must occur on-site. Teleworking limits the amount of time staff are physically in the office to process money orders. Deposit of money orders may be delayed. The State Treasurer’s Office has issued guidance suspending normal timeframes to deposit money and are allowing state agencies up to two weeks between bank deposits. The reason for the Treasurer’s Office guidance is due to banks limiting patrons’ to drive-up traffic or requiring an appointment for social distancing protocols.

The Business Office is recommending to family and friends to use an electronic deposit method if possible. Using JPay or Western Union will allow staff to access money entries while teleworking and post more quickly. You may still send in a money order, but please allow up to two weeks for posting to the incarcerated individual’s account. Thank you.

Inmate Sub-Accounts

A cashier's check or money order can be deposited into four kinds of sub-accounts. The available sub-accounts include:

  1. Spendable: Unrestricted and available for the offender’s use. Money orders⁄cashiers checks not designated to another sub–account will be posted to this sub–account.
  2. Postage: Use restricted to postage charges. The money order⁄cashiers check must be clearly marked “postage.”
  3. Medical: Use restricted to health care copays, over–the–counter (OTC) medications, and eyeglasses. The money order⁄cashiers check must be clearly marked as “medical.”
  4. Education: Use restricted for payment of education tuition⁄fees and⁄or expenses ancillary to participation in an approved education program. The money order⁄cashier’s check must be clearly marked as “education.”

Sending Money

  1. The Cashier's Check or Money Order
    The sub-account you will be depositing money into for the inmate must be written on the cashier's check or money order. Include both the inmate's full name and six-digit DOC number on the payee line.
  2. The Letter/Document(s)
    The letter/document(s) inside the envelope accompanying the funds must have the inmate's full name and six-digit DOC number, and must be addressed to the same inmate written on the outside of the envelope.
  3. Mailing Requirements
    The outside envelope must be addressed with the 1) inmate's full name, 2) the inmate's six-digit DOC number, 3) the correct facility address where the inmate is incarcerated, and 4) a return address (as defined by USPS), including the sender's first and last name. We request including the inmate's living unit, but it is not required for delivery. For example:

    John B. Hancock
    1024 S. Bee St
    Olympia, WA 98506-4321

    Jack J. Doe, DOC 123456
    Stafford Creek Corrections Center, H2
    191 Constantine Way
    Aberdeen, WA 98520
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