Sending Money in Mississippi (MDOC)

The Cashless System

A person in MDOC custody cannot receive money by mail — money, money orders, and even copies or receipts of them are contraband. Funds are held in inmate banking, and a deposit is how a family member adds to the person’s spending account for the canteen. This is separate from funding phone calls, which runs through the phone vendor — see Phone & Video Calls.

Two Ways to Deposit

Since late 2016, MDOC accepts deposits through only two channels:

• Premier Services — online at premier.services or by phone at (601) 326-2590, the faster of the two. Online, place a zero before the person’s MDOC ID number. The phone line’s published hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Friday
• Western Union — in person at an agent location, using the Quick Collect service with the person’s MDOC number and name

A pension or retirement check approved for deposit can be mailed to Premier Services at P.O. Box 97538, Pearl, MS 39288, with the person’s name and number on the check — but if a letter is enclosed, the whole thing is returned.

Fees

Premier Services charges a flat fee per deposit, by amount:

• Up to $25: $3.35
• $25.01 to $100: $5.95
• $100.01 to $200: $7.95
• Over $200: $9.95

Because fees rise in steps, a single larger deposit costs less than several small ones. Confirm the current fee in the Premier Services system at deposit time, since vendor pricing can change.

Commissary

Each prison runs a canteen where the person buys hygiene items, food, stamps, and writing supplies from their account — which is why stamps and paper cannot be mailed in. What is available is reviewed periodically, and what a person can buy depends on their classification and conduct: someone still in classification may be limited to hygiene items, and rule violations can restrict purchasing. Spending limits are set by MDOC.

What Comes Out of the Account

Published deductions:

• A $6 medical co-pay for a resident-initiated medical, dental, or mental-health request — with a long list of exemptions covered in Medical & Mental Health
• Postage advanced to an indigent person for legal mail, carried as a negative balance
• For a person who sues MDOC over prison conditions without paying the filing fee up front, 20 percent of the account per month until the court costs are paid, under state law

MDOC publishes no percentage schedule for routine deductions from family deposits toward restitution or court costs, and no published cap on an account balance — the facility’s resident-services office is the source for how a specific account is handled. A person can send money out of their account only with approval from the Corrections Investigation Division, no more than once a month.

Confirming a Deposit

A Premier Services account shows deposit history, which is the practical way to confirm a deposit posted; MDOC publishes no separate confirmation step. Money left on an account after release is recovered by contacting Premier Services at (601) 326-2590.

Regional and Private Facilities

This is MDOC’s system for its state prisons. The privately operated prisons and the fifteen county-run regional facilities may use different deposit vendors — MDOC’s guidance is to contact the facility, as it may use a different service. People held for other states at the CoreCivic facility in Tutwiler use that facility’s vendor.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Sending Money.