Money for someone at Five Points goes to a lockbox in Miami rather than to the prison, which is the single fact that trips families up here. Send photos and letters too.
Send photos and letters too
New York runs deposits centrally, so nothing about this is specific to Romulus. One company handles the money for every state prison, the free route takes a form you have to get first, and the address on the envelope is in Florida. Work out which route suits you before you send anything.
Before anything else, get a JPay deposit slip. DOCCS publishes them in English and Spanish.
A money order arriving without one is a payment with nothing attached to say who it belongs to. The slip is what ties the money to a DIN, and the DIN is what ties it to a person. Names alone do not do it, because two people can share one.
So the order of operations is: get the DIN from the lookup, get the slip, then send the money.
| Route | Where | Cost | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money order or cheque by post | JPay lockbox, PO Box 531190, Miami, FL 33153 | Free | $999.99 per transaction |
| Lockbox at the prison | Visitor deposit lockbox, on a visit day | Free | $50 cash per person per day |
| Online | JPay, through the DOCCS account deposits page | Fee applies | $999.99 per transaction |
| Phone | JPay, 1-800-574-5729 | Fee applies | $999.99 per transaction |
The two free routes are slower. The paid ones post faster. That trade is the whole decision.
If you are visiting anyway, this is the simplest thing on the page.
Every DOCCS facility has a visitor deposit lockbox. It takes cash up to $50 per person per day, and it takes money orders and cheques as well. There is no fee.
One thing worth understanding: it is not processed at the prison. DOCCS forwards what goes into the lockbox to JPay like everything else, so the money follows the same path and the same timing.
Money does not go in a letter to Five Points, and it is not a technicality.
Incoming mail is opened and inspected specifically for cash, cheques and money orders. Enclosing money does not get it to your person faster, it gets it intercepted, and it slows the letter down as well.
The mail goes to Caller Box 119 in Romulus. The money goes to a lockbox in Miami. Two different addresses, two different systems, and mixing them helps nobody.
The account pays for commissary, which is where someone buys food, coffee, hygiene items, stationery, stamps and over-the-counter basics.
It also covers secure messaging stamps through JPay’s kiosk service, which is how electronic messages are paid for at the terminals and tablets.
What it does not need to cover any more is telephone calls. New York made those free to families in August 2025, so nobody needs a balance to hear from someone.
Different system, and worth keeping separate in your head.
Packages have to come directly from an approved vendor, shipped by USPS, FedEx or UPS. Families cannot post or carry one in. The allowance is two non-food packages a year and three food packages a month up to a combined 40 pounds.
So money on the account and a package from a vendor are two separate decisions about two separate budgets.
New York transfers people between prisons, and a transfer does not change any of this. JPay holds the account against the DIN and not against the building, so a deposit follows them.
What does change is the letter address. Check the lookup before you post anything to Caller Box 119.
Money covers the commissary. It does not cover hearing from you. Pigeonly sends letters and photos to Five Points from your phone, addressed to the right caller box, which is the part of staying in touch a deposit cannot do.
6 of 9 questions
To the JPay lockbox at PO Box 531190, Miami, Florida 33153, with a JPay deposit slip enclosed. Not to the prison. Posting it costs nothing and the limit is $999.99 per transaction.
Send MoneyBecause New York handles deposits for every state prison centrally through JPay, and JPay processes them at a lockbox in Miami. Nothing about it is specific to Five Points.
Send MoneyIt is the form that ties your payment to a person's DIN. DOCCS publishes deposit slips in English and Spanish through its account deposits page. A money order arriving without one has nothing attached to say whose it is.
Send MoneyTwo. A money order or cheque posted to the Miami lockbox is free, and the visitor deposit lockbox inside the prison is free. Both are slower than paying a fee online or by phone.
Send MoneyYes, up to $50 per person per day, and there is no fee. It also takes money orders and cheques. DOCCS forwards lockbox deposits to JPay for processing rather than handling them at the prison.
Send Money$999.99 per transaction is the JPay limit, whether you post it, do it online or do it by phone. The lobby lockbox has its own separate cash limit of $50 per person per day.
Send MoneyNo. Incoming mail is opened and inspected specifically for cash, cheques and money orders, so enclosing one gets it intercepted and delays your letter as well. Mail goes to Caller Box 119 in Romulus, money goes to Miami.
Send MoneyCommissary, which covers food, coffee, hygiene items, stationery, stamps and over-the-counter basics, plus secure messaging stamps through the JPay kiosk service. It no longer needs to cover phone calls, which have been free to families since August 2025.
Send MoneyIt follows them. JPay holds the account against the DIN, not the facility. The thing that does change is the mailing address, so check the lookup before posting a letter.
Send MoneyThe deposit is matched to the DIN, not the name.
View ArticleLetters and money go to two different addresses.
View ArticleThe lobby lockbox is free on a visit day.
View ArticleCalls no longer need a balance at all.
View ArticleSearch for your loved one and start sending photos, letters, and messages today.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified September 23, 2026. Official source: doccs.ny.gov/account-deposits ›