Approved package or meal
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Santa Rita money, commissary and packages
ConnectNetwork’s current Alameda page verifies Trust Fund deposits. Separate trust from PIN Debit, AdvancePay, video, iCare goods and court bail; preserve the published commissary-limit conflict.
Choose the payment typeJAIL411 / FAMILY FIELD GUIDE
Santa Rita money, commissary and packages
Sources reviewed
Adult Alameda County Sheriff custody at Santa Rita Jail. Glenn Dyer is closed; juvenile, state, federal and immigration custody are separate.
- Find the person
Use the official locator or call 925-551-6500; confirm PFN and housing.
- Book before travel
Use the Alameda reservation portal and obtain any required approval.
- Use the correct address/account
Ordinary mail goes to Pigeonly; legal/publications and account types differ.
- Plan the return
Check Wheels Route 1, actual release clearance and clinical follow-up.
PART 01
Stay in touch and send support
Separate accounts, phone, mail, books and trust.
Choose the account that matches the task
| Service | What the balance does | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| AdvancePay | Prepaid incoming calls to your specific telephone number. | ConnectNetwork Alameda; automated payment 800-483-8314. |
| PIN Debit | Resident-controlled calling funds for approved numbers; funds become the resident’s property. | Local Alameda provider page: 888-428-1845. Spanish facility page identifies Site ID 167. |
| Trust Fund | Resident commissary account, distinct from telephone funds. | Local Alameda provider page: 888-428-1845; choose Trust Fund, not PIN Debit. |
| Video | Appointment and video service through the Alameda reservation portal. | Visitor help 855-208-7349; confirm price and account before paying. |
| iCare package | Eligible goods from the selected facility catalog, not a cash deposit. | Select Alameda/Santa Rita and the current resident in the live iCare catalog. |
| Bail | Court/custody release security for a particular case. | Ask jail/court about the actual order and every hold; never put bail into commissary. |
Begin with the provider’s Alameda facility page, verify 5325 Broder Blvd. and the correct person/PFN, then review amount, fee and account type before confirming. The local payment numbers above differ from generic provider numbers. Customer support is 877-650-4249. Keep receipts and disable unwanted automatic reloads.
The April 21, 2026 Board minutes approved telephone and video contract extensions through April 30, 2028. A contract described as no cost to the county does not make every family call/video free. No current public Alameda rate table or free-session allotment was verified. Read the price displayed for the selected transaction; old temporary COVID offers are not a current entitlement.
Sources: ConnectNetwork: Alameda services and local payment contacts · ConnectNetwork: Alameda Spanish facility listing, Site ID 167 · ConnectNetwork: AdvancePay, pricing and refunds · ConnectNetwork: PIN Debit and release balance · ConnectNetwork: Trust Fund deposits and finality · ViaPath: Alameda reservation portal and desktop/professional notices · ConnectNetwork: support, visitor hours and call-quality complaints · Board: April 21, 2026 approved phone/video extensions to April 30, 2028 · County: July 23, 2024 commissary contract and iCare proposal · iCare: live facility and recipient package selection
Letter formats, photos, publications and approved packages
| Item | Current provider limit |
|---|---|
| Envelope / letter | Envelope no larger than 4 × 9.5 inches; letter paper no larger than 8.5 × 11 inches. |
| Greeting card / postcard | Greeting card no larger than 5 × 7 inches; provider specifies 5 × 7-inch postcards. |
| Photos | 4 × 6 inches; maximum 10 per parcel. Jail policy additionally states 10 per correspondence per day. No Polaroids or altered/covered images. |
| Paperback books and magazines | Jail policy: maximum 6 combined per day, directly from publisher or legitimate online bookstore that sells and ships itself. No hardcovers or third-party redirectors. |
| Newspapers | Approved publisher/distributor, direct jail address; policy specifies USPS delivery. |
Use plain paper and an ordinary envelope. Photos printed by third-party services such as Shutterfly are prohibited by the provider. Do not include cash, cards, identity documents, stamps, blank stationery, newspaper clippings, glitter, glue, stickers, waxed paper, objects, staples, perfume/stains, musical/pop-up/oversized cards, Express/Priority packaging or bubble mailers. Avoid crayon, marker and gel-pen drawings under jail policy. The older policy’s larger paper allowance predates scanning: use the newer provider format above. Prohibited sexual, threatening, gang or violence-promoting material can be rejected.
For books, require a professional shipping label, resident name/PFN and the direct jail address. A marketplace listing does not prove the seller itself is an approved shipper. Confirm eligibility before paying for a subscription or ordering to a person about to transfer. Mail for someone released/transferred is returned under the jail policy, not promised forwarding.
For food/hygiene gifts, use the live iCare facility catalog only after matching Alameda/Santa Rita and the resident. The county’s commissary contract describes iCare packages conditioned on eligibility/conduct; it does not authorize homemade or ordinary retail parcels. The current catalog controls available items, price, limits and delivery/refund terms. A current facility-specific order cutoff, spending cap and return policy were not verified publicly; save the receipt and contact the seller before replacing a delayed order.
Sources: Pigeonly: Santa Rita mail label and scanning formats · Sheriff policy 17.01, revised December 9, 2025 · Sheriff: June 1, 2026 notice, February 23 mail change · County: July 23, 2024 commissary contract and iCare proposal · iCare: live facility and recipient package selection
Deposit safely; understand indigent help and the balance
ConnectNetwork Alameda now provides a verified Trust Fund option. Create/sign into your account, select Alameda and the correct resident, choose Trust Fund, review the fee and submit once. The provider says automated deposits are transmitted within 1 business day; facility availability may differ. Trust deposits are final and not refunded to the sender. A pending deposit is a reason to check the receipt/support, not immediately pay twice.
Policy 2.02, revised December 19, 2024, also describes lobby deposits: bring photo ID, resident name/PFN, check the cash-received voucher and sign only after checking the amount and person. It lists cash, cashier’s checks and money orders. No current public lobby money-counter hours, maximum or kiosk/card acceptance was verified; call 925-551-6500 before carrying funds there.
Mailed money orders/cashier’s checks in the published policy must be payable to “Alameda County Sheriff’s Office” for the resident’s name/PFN; personal checks are rejected. The February 2026 ordinary-mail change does not clearly restate where mailed funds must now go. Confirm the current money-order address with jail Accounting before mailing; do not put payment in Pigeonly ordinary mail.
Commissary schedule, indigent supplies and a published limit conflict
The December 19, 2024 commissary policy defines indigence as less than $9.75 on the regular commissary day and not receiving an online order. The resident requests the maintenance kit through the phone ordering process before 10 PM the night before delivery; disability-related ordering help goes to the ADA Coordinator. Kits include basic hygiene supplies and writing materials; security restrictions can affect razors. No money is required for the indigent kit.
The published delivery groups are Monday: housing units 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35; Friday: OPHU and units 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9. Holidays or the current posted unit schedule may change delivery. Report a shortage using a Commissary Message Request or discrepancy form.
The same policy gives $175 weekly in section D.3 and $150 in N.5. This review cannot choose between them. Ask Commissary/Reentry & Support Services through 925-551-6500 for the current limit before a large deposit. Separately, mail policy provides 4 postage-paid envelopes and 8 sheets weekly for indigent family correspondence and unlimited postage/paper for attorney/court correspondence, ordered at no charge.
Residents can ask housing staff for an account balance using a Message Request. To release money to someone outside, submit a Property Release Request, obtain ITR Sergeant approval and name the recipient; the money authorization is valid for 60 days under policy 2.02. The recipient needs government photo ID and signs the disbursement receipt. At discharge, Accounting pays the remaining jail balance after identification and signature. Vending tokens are not refunded on release/transfer under commissary policy; that restriction is not a forfeiture of the entire trust balance.
Sources: ConnectNetwork: Alameda services and local payment contacts · ConnectNetwork: Trust Fund deposits and finality · Sheriff policy 2.02, revised December 19, 2024 · Sheriff policy 18.06, revised December 19, 2024 · Sheriff policy 17.01, revised December 9, 2025 · Sheriff policy 17.05, revised January 8, 2025
Original directory record & nearby facilities Open preserved information
This section preserves the earlier Jail411 directory information, including historical figures and contacts. Use the dated, sourced family guide above for the instructions covered there. Other local facilities have their own rules.
One payment does not fund every service.Sending money to the wrong provider can leave it outside the account or purpose you intended.
What are you trying to pay for?
Use the row that matches the actual need.
Telephone calls
ConnectNetwork / ViaPath handles the calling account. Phone funds are not commissary funds.
Open the phone guide →Video visiting
GettingOut and GTL VisitMe handle video services separately from calls and packages.
Open the visiting guide →General jail funds
The Sheriff pages checked here do not publish a TouchPay or Access Corrections facility number.
Call Santa Rita: (925) 551-6500Check every field before the final payment.
Provider screens can look official even when the wrong facility, service, or person is selected. Slow down before submitting.
Do not guess a trust-fund vendor.
If the payment is meant for a general jail account, call Santa Rita for the current approved route.
01Match the exact booked name and PFN.
02Confirm Santa Rita is the current facility.
03Confirm the account type and what the balance can buy.
04Read the fees, delivery rules, and refund policy.
05Save the confirmation or order number.
After the payment.
Keep a useful record
- Provider name and selected service
- Facility and booked identity
- Amount, fees, and payment date
- Confirmation or order number
If something goes wrong
- Stop before sending a second payment.
- Confirm custody and the selected facility.
- Contact the provider shown on the receipt.
- Ask about account blocks, refunds, or delivery status.
Questions about money and packages.
How do I send a package or meal?
The Alameda County Sheriff partner-sites page points families to iCareGifts for approved packages and fresh meals. Confirm the person and facility before ordering.
Where do I add money for phone calls?
Use ConnectNetwork, the telephone service listed by the Sheriff. A phone balance is separate from packages and general jail funds.
Can I use ConnectNetwork for commissary?
Do not assume so. Money placed in a calling account pays for that provider’s service and is not automatically a general trust-fund or commissary deposit.
How do I make a general trust-fund deposit?
The Sheriff pages checked for this guide do not publish a TouchPay or Access Corrections facility number. Call Santa Rita at (925) 551-6500 for the current approved route rather than guessing.
What should I save after paying?
Keep the provider name, selected facility, booked identity, order or confirmation number, amount, fees, and payment date.
Jail411 is an independent directory. Alameda sources checked September 12, 2026: Sheriff partner sites ↗ · iCareGifts ↗ · ConnectNetwork ↗. Confirm the service, fees, and account before paying.
YOUR FAMILY REFERENCE
Open family guidesPlan the next step.
Practical guides for calls, visits, mail, money and release.
Jail411 source information preserved on 2026-09-25.Official sources appear alongside the relevant information.