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Finance

Hold

A hold in the correctional finance context refers to a restriction placed on an inmate's trust account funds. Holds can be placed for several reasons including outstanding court costs, restitution obligations, medical co-pay debts, or facility-specific fines. When a hold is placed, incoming deposits may be partially or fully applied to the hold before the inmate can access the funds for commissary or other expenses.

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What Is Hold?

Holds on inmate trust accounts mean that money deposited by family does not go directly to the inmate's available balance. Instead, some or all of the deposit is applied to the outstanding debt first. Families can be frustrated when they deposit money and the inmate reports not receiving the full amount.

Common types of holds include court-ordered restitution, victim fees, court costs, medical co-pay debts, and disciplinary fines. Some holds are mandatory while others can potentially be negotiated. Contact the facility's trust fund or business office for information about specific holds on an account.

People Also Ask

Related questions families often search for alongside this topic.

What is Inmate Trust Account?

An inmate trust account is the financial account maintained by the correctional facility on behalf of each incarcerated person.

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What is Commissary?

Commissary is an in-facility store available to incarcerated people where they can purchase food, hygiene items, clothing, stationery, and other approved goods using funds from their inmate account.

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What is Spending Limit?

A spending limit is the maximum amount an inmate can spend on commissary purchases within a given time period, typically per week or per month.

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