Most inmates need somewhere between $100 and $300 per month to live decently inside, and that is a useful planning range for how much money an inmate needs per month from family or friends. Someone who only wants soap and a couple of phone calls a week can get by on less. Someone who calls home daily, buys supplemental food, and downloads music or games on a tablet can hit $300 without trying hard.
The right number for your person depends on three things: how often they want to talk to you, whether the facility provides adequate basics, and whether any of the money coming in gets redirected toward court debts or jail fees before they can spend it.
Where the Money Actually Goes
Inmates cannot hold cash. Every dollar sits in a trust fund account run by the facility, and the inmate draws from it for purchases and services.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual Four categories consume nearly all of it.
Commissary
The commissary is where inmates buy anything the institution doesn’t hand out: snacks, instant meals, coffee, better hygiene products, writing supplies, stamps, over-the-counter medications, and sometimes headphones or a personal fan. Prices run noticeably higher than retail. A pack of ramen that costs 30 to 35 cents at a grocery store might sell for 50 cents to over a dollar inside. Markups of 20 to 50 percent on food are common, and specialty items go higher.
A basic weekly basket of snacks, coffee, hygiene supplies, and stamps runs $25 to $40, which puts the monthly floor for regular commissary use around $100. The federal Bureau of Prisons caps commissary spending at $360 per month, with a $50 increase allowed during November and December.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual Individual facilities can set lower limits within that ceiling.
Phone and Video Calls
For inmates with family on the outside, calls are usually the second biggest expense and sometimes the biggest. The FCC has capped calling rates under the Martha Wright-Reed Act. Audio calls run roughly 8 to 17 cents per minute depending on facility type and size, and video calls run 17 to 42 cents per minute on the same scale. Facilities may add another 2 cents per minute on top.2Federal Register. Incarcerated Peoples Communication Services Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services
At those rates, a 15-minute audio call from a prison runs about $1.35, so daily calls come to around $40 a month. Add some video and the total climbs to $60 or more. An inmate who calls every day and mixes in video can spend $50 to $100 a month on communication alone.
Electronic messaging through a facility tablet adds another layer. Charges of 25 to 50 cents per message are common in state systems, and time-based messaging typically runs 5 to 25 cents per minute of compose time. For inmates who message more than they call, this becomes the main expense.
Medical Co-Pays
Federal prisons charge $2 for each non-emergency healthcare visit.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement P6031.02 – Inmate Copayment Program Most state prisons fall between $2 and $5 per visit. Some states charge nothing; others pair medical co-pays with separate dental or prescription fees. Emergency care, chronic care follow-ups, and mental health crisis visits are generally exempt.
A healthy inmate spends almost nothing here. Someone managing a chronic condition or dental problem might rack up $10 to $20 in co-pays across a month. Facilities cannot deny treatment for inability to pay, but unpaid co-pays can be deducted from later deposits.
Tablet Content
Many facilities now hand out tablets, often with no charge for the hardware. The content is where the money goes. Songs run around $1.99, games up to $7.99, and movies around $5.99. An inmate building a modest music library or buying a few games a month can spend $20 to $50 on entertainment. Educational content is sometimes free or reduced; entertainment almost never is.
Realistic Monthly Budgets
- Bare minimum, $50 to $75. Hygiene items beyond what the facility provides, a few snacks, and a handful of calls per week. Communication is tight at this level.
- Moderate, $100 to $200. Regular commissary shopping including supplemental food, hygiene, and stamps, plus daily or near-daily phone calls and some electronic messaging. Enough to eat beyond institutional meals and stay in steady contact.
- Comfortable, $200 to $300 or more. Full commissary access, daily phone and video calls, messaging, music or game downloads, and a cushion for medical visits and unexpected needs.
These ranges assume no mandatory deductions. Where those apply, plan on another $25 to $100 per month on top.
Deductions That Shrink the Balance
Not every dollar you send stays available for the inmate to spend. Federal inmates with court-ordered restitution, fines, or special assessments are enrolled in the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program, which pulls regular payments from the trust fund. For inmates in regular institutional jobs, the minimum is $25 per quarter. For inmates working higher-paying UNICOR factory jobs, the Bureau expects at least 50 percent of monthly pay to go toward these obligations, with $75 per month excluded from the calculation to preserve phone access.4eCFR. 28 CFR Part 545 Subpart B – Inmate Financial Responsibility Program Deposits from family can be partially redirected before the inmate touches them.
Some county jails add daily room-and-board charges, sometimes called “pay-to-stay” fees. These vary widely, from about $1 per day at the low end to $60 or more per day in some jurisdictions. Not every facility charges them and enforcement varies, but where they exist they drain accounts fast. If you’re sending money to someone in a county jail, confirm whether the facility bills for room and board before you decide how much to deposit.
How Deposits Work and What Fees Cost
The most common way to send money is an online portal run by a third-party vendor like JPay or ConnectNetwork. These accept credit cards, debit cards, and sometimes prepaid cards, and money usually posts within a day or two. The catch is fees. Most vendors charge a flat fee per transaction that runs roughly $3 to $12 depending on the amount and payment method. Sending small amounts frequently burns more on fees than sending one larger deposit each month.
Money orders are also widely accepted and sometimes carry lower fees, though they take longer because they have to be mailed to a specific processing address with the inmate’s name and ID number. Personal checks and cash sent through the mail are almost universally rejected. Some facilities accept wire transfers or in-person lobby kiosks.
One planning tip: if you can afford it, one $150 deposit a month costs less in fees than three $50 deposits, and it lands the inmate a more usable balance.
Why the Inmate’s Own Wages Won’t Cover It
Outside deposits matter because prison wages barely register. Federal inmates in regular institutional jobs earn between 12 and 40 cents per hour.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. Work Programs UNICOR pays more but still falls well short of minimum wage. State systems vary widely; several states pay nothing at all for institutional labor, and among those that do, rates typically run from a few cents to about $1.00 per hour, with only a handful exceeding $2.00.
At 12 cents an hour, a full workday earns an inmate less than a dollar, and a month of labor comes to about $19. That’s roughly a week of commissary basics or a handful of phone calls, not both. Outside deposits are what let most inmates maintain any regular contact with family.
What Happens if the Account Is Empty
Inmates classified as indigent, generally meaning the account balance has stayed below a small threshold (often $5 to $25) for a set period, receive limited free provisions. In the federal system, indigent inmates are not charged the $2 medical co-pay and receive basic oral hygiene supplies.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement P6031.02 – Inmate Copayment Program Many state systems provide a small kit with soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and sometimes writing materials and postage for a few letters per week.
The provisions meet basic constitutional standards and not much more. An indigent inmate usually cannot make paid phone calls, cannot shop the commissary, and has no access to paid tablet content. A few states provide a token monthly stipend of a few dollars. Being broke inside doesn’t mean going without food or medical care. It does mean going without nearly everything that makes incarceration bearable.
Confirm the Rules at the Specific Facility
Federal prisons, state systems, and county jails operate under different rules for deposits, spending limits, and approved vendors. Some restrict deposits to pre-approved senders. Others cap deposits per week or per transaction, with common limits ranging from a few hundred dollars to around $1,000. Approved vendors, fee structures, and processing times all differ.
Before you send anything, check the facility’s website or call its administrative office. You want to know which vendor handles deposits, what the fees are, whether there is a deposit cap, and whether the inmate has mandatory deductions that will reduce the usable balance. Getting this wrong means delays, returned payments, and lost fees.