Send Money to Penobscot County Jail. TouchPay Deposits & Account Rules

Eligibility Before You Can Deposit

Before any money can be placed on an inmate’s account, they must have either made an initial court appearance or be sentenced to more than 48 hours. If someone was recently booked and hasn’t yet appeared in court, a deposit attempt may not be accepted until that happens. Check the inmate search guide if you’re unsure of someone’s current status.

How to Send Money to Penobscot County Jail

You have a few confirmed options:

• TouchPay online. Deposit through TouchPay’s website using a credit or debit card.
• TouchPay by phone. Call 1-866-232-1899 to make a deposit.
• In person at the lobby. Friends and family can bring money directly to the jail’s lobby to deposit into an inmate’s account.
• By mail. Money orders can be mailed directly to the jail at 85 Hammond Street, Bangor, ME 04401, made out to the inmate. Money orders received before 8 a.m. are placed on the account that same day.

You’ll need the inmate’s full name to complete any deposit. Call (207) 947-4585 to confirm the current fee structure and whether cash is accepted at the lobby window, since policies and limits can change.

Lobby Rules: One Visitor, One Inmate

If you bring money to the lobby in person, it can only go to the account of the inmate you’re there to visit, not any other inmate.

Funds Cannot Move Between Accounts

Money cannot be transferred from one inmate’s account to another under any circumstance. This includes checks: a check drawn from one inmate’s account that’s made payable to another inmate, that inmate’s family member, or that inmate’s visitor is not allowed.

What Happens to Personal Checks

Personal checks mailed or brought in are not deposited to the account. They’re placed in the inmate’s property and returned to them at release.

Getting Your Balance at Release

Inmates who want their account balance available the day they’re released must submit a written request at least 2 business days before release. The balance becomes available as a check at 1 p.m. the next business day after release. To have the balance mailed instead, the inmate must submit a written request with their correct mailing address. All other balance checks are held by jail clerical staff and can be picked up during office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. If a stop payment is placed on a balance check, a $15 fee applies.

If the Inmate Transfers

If an inmate is transferred to another facility, such as the Maine Correctional Center, Maine State Prison, or another county jail, their account balance check is mailed to the new facility the next business day. Balance checks aren’t made available while an inmate is being transported.

Restrictions After Release

Anyone who was incarcerated at Penobscot County Jail cannot drop off money for other inmates there for 30 days following their own release.

Watch Out for Release-Fee Scams

The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office has publicly warned families about phone scams that specifically target this kind of transaction. No jail official, sheriff’s deputy, or state police officer will ever call you asking for money over the phone to release someone or resolve a warrant, and none will ask you to pay through gift cards, Venmo, or PayPal. If you get a call like this, don’t give out any personal or payment information. Hang up and call the jail directly at (207) 947-4585 to verify before doing anything.

What the Money Is For

Deposited funds go toward commissary purchases and other authorized account uses. See the phone calls guide for how Securus calling and its own separate funding work at Penobscot County Jail.