How to Send Money to the Cotulla Unit Inmate Trust Fund

Deposits for Cotulla are keyed to his TDCJ number and go to a Huntsville lockbox rather than to La Salle County, so a transfer out of this fast-moving unit will not strand the money. Send photos and letters too.

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Send Money to a Loved One in Cotulla Unit, TX

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Overview

Money follows the person, not the prison. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) runs one Inmate Trust Fund for every unit in the state, so a deposit is keyed to his TDCJ number rather than to Cotulla. That matters more here than at most units, because Cotulla holds people in Transient status and its own audit puts the average stay near five months.

Quick Facts

1 Mailed money orders go to the Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 60, Huntsville, TX 77342-0060. Never to the unit in Cotulla.
2 Only people on his Visitors List or his Inmate Telephone List are allowed to deposit money.
3 Deposits of $500 or more are held at least 14 days before he can spend them.
4 Cash, prepaid debit cards, foreign currency and personal checks are returned to sender.
5 The commissary spending limit is $105 every two weeks.
6 Deposit verification line: (936) 438-8990.

Mailing a Money Order

A money order or cashier’s check, made payable to Inmate Trust Fund for [his name and TDCJ number], with a deposit slip enclosed. He can supply a deposit slip, or you can request one by mailing a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Send it to:

Inmate Trust Fund
PO Box 60
Huntsville, TX 77342-0060

Do not send deposits to the Cotulla Unit’s street address on FM 624. That address is for legal mail, packages and publisher-direct books, and a money order sent there is misrouted rather than deposited.

Why the Huntsville Address Helps at Cotulla

Cotulla’s custody levels include Transient, meaning part of the population is between assignments, and the unit’s December 2020 PREA audit recorded an average stay near five months against two years and two months at nearby Briscoe.

Because the lockbox is statewide and the deposit is tied to his TDCJ number, a transfer does not strand the money or send it to the wrong prison. That is genuinely useful here, where a transfer is likely rather than unusual.

The Free Option

TDCJ offers a no-fee ACH arrangement. You send the ACH Agreement form with a voided check to:

Inmate Trust Fund
PO Box 629
Huntsville, TX 77342-0629

Debits come out around the 5th of the month and credits post around the 10th. It is the only route with no fee at all.

Approved Deposit Vendors

TDCJ accepts deposits through eCommDirect, Access Corrections, JPay, TouchPay Holdings and ACE. Only eCommDirect publishes its fees, so check the current charge with any other vendor before you pay rather than assuming it matches what a competitor’s page claims.

The Sender Rule Catches People Out

Only people on his approved Visitors List or his Inmate Telephone List may deposit money. A friend who is on neither list cannot send funds, however good the intention. If a deposit bounces back and you cannot work out why, that rule is the first thing to check.

What Is Not Accepted

Cash, prepaid debit cards, foreign currency and personal checks are all returned to sender. Do not put cash in a letter, and note that personal mail no longer even reaches the unit, since it is routed to a scanning center in Dallas.

Large Deposits and the 14-Day Hold

Anything of $500 or more is held for a minimum of 14 days before he can access it. If he needs money for commissary this week, several smaller deposits clear faster than one large one.

Families Also Ask

5 of 5 questions

Where do I mail a money order for someone at the Cotulla Unit?

To the Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 60, Huntsville, TX 77342-0060, made payable to 'Inmate Trust Fund for [his name and TDCJ number]' with a deposit slip enclosed. Not to the unit on FM 624 in Cotulla, which is only for legal mail, packages and publisher-direct books.

Sending Commissary

What happens to his money if he transfers out of Cotulla?

It follows him. The Inmate Trust Fund is statewide and the deposit is keyed to his TDCJ number, not to Cotulla. That matters here, because Cotulla holds people in Transient status and its own audit records an average stay near five months.

Sending Commissary

Why was my deposit rejected?

The most common reason is the sender rule: only people on his Visitors List or his Inmate Telephone List are allowed to deposit money. The other common causes are sending an instrument TDCJ returns, meaning cash, a prepaid debit card, foreign currency or a personal check. You can check on a deposit at (936) 438-8990.

Sending Commissary

Is there a way to send money without paying a fee?

Yes. TDCJ's ACH option has no fee. Send the ACH Agreement form with a voided check to Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 629, Huntsville, TX 77342-0629. Debits come out around the 5th and credits post around the 10th.

Sending Commissary

How much can he actually spend?

The commissary limit is $105 every two weeks, no matter how much is in the account. Deposits of $500 or more are also held at least 14 days before he can touch them.

Sending Commissary