The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office continues innovating new ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Back in December, the sheriff’s office began using solar power to help power the jail. Now, the facility is streamlining its commissary operations.
SCSO recently switched to an online commissary aimed at making money handling and purchases easier for inmates and their families, and the process more cost-efficient for the jail.
The new company, The Store Call by Hard Time Products, will be available online and through the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office app. This will make it easier for inmates and their families to request items like hygiene products, snacks, and other basic necessities.
Hard Time Products provides supplies and services for correctional and detention facilities throughout the United States. They primarily service facilities in the state of Georgia alone. They are also affiliated with 18 law enforcement industries and 13 non-profit organizations to support local and state initiatives and re-entry and rehabilitative efforts.
The decision to transition to The Store Call’s commissary is largely based on the ease of accounting it will provide to inmates, their families, and jail staff. Until this transition, the Stephens County jail has used a local vendor who has been instrumental in providing inmates with commissary items.
However, jail staff have only been able to accept valid money orders on certain dates and times to place in inmate accounts. With the new commissary vendor, inmates will be able to receive commissary funds directly into their accounts through debit or credit card transactions. Families can deposit money into inmate accounts at any time, which is used weekly. They can also make card purchases on behalf of inmates.
“By transitioning to The Store Call, we will be able to streamline the process for inmates, their families, and jail staff. This change also removes our jail staff from the process and creates a more transparent and accountable system,” said Sheriff Rusty Fulbright.
