This is Jiselle from Packages R Us, I have registered with Prison Talk to answer any question you may have about our company. We are not here to advertise our company. We are looking for any advise, suggestions, or questions we could answer. I was told that it was wrong of me to do this. Other Vendors do not respond to inmate letters. Personally I write back to all letters received. Is someone, anyone wants to respond please do so. I am here to help with all Quarterly Package questions for California.

OMG....You are a saint for registering!!! My friend is in Corcoran SATF....I want to send him a package but have heard through the grapevine that there are weight limits and cost limits...is this true?? There has been so many questions posted here about packages...I hope you can help everyone with their questions...anyway....Welcome to PTO.....

My husband is at Mule Creek and has been told that recently they changed some of the allowable amounts of hygiene items. Only two of any catagory (shampoo, soap, deodorant) Not two of each brand, two total. You might want to check with the facility before you start getting a bunch of stuff back.....

Jiselle, Bless your heart! I have to admit when I saw your first post that I thought "Oh, crass place to advertise!" but now that I understand WHY you're here, I apologize for my reaction....Welcome to PTO and thank you.

They are only allowed 30lbs per box, that includes the box and packaging material. We allow a total of 455oz of products. The rest is for the box weight. There is not a limit in the cost. You could send any amount as long as its no more then 30lbs. If you have any other question please let me know.



OMG....You are a saint for registering!!! My friend is in Corcoran SATF....I want to send him a package but have heard through the grapevine that there are weight limits and cost limits...is this true?? There has been so many questions posted here about packages...I hope you can help everyone with their questions...anyway....Welcome to PTO.....

The limit is on all cosmetic items. There is a limit of two per item. We made the adjustments in April. We are trying to change the limit with CDC. If you have any other question feel free to ask.

My husband is at Mule Creek and has been told that recently they changed some of the allowable amounts of hygiene items. Only two of any catagory (shampoo, soap, deodorant) Not two of each brand, two total. You might want to check with the facility before you start getting a bunch of stuff back.....

Thank you. I appreciate your support. If you have any questions please ask.

Jiselle, Bless your heart! I have to admit when I saw your first post that I thought "Oh, crass place to advertise!" but now that I understand WHY you're here, I apologize for my reaction....Welcome to PTO and thank you.

This is Jiselle from Packages R Us, I have registered with Prison Talk to answer any question you may have about our company. We are not here to advertise our company. We are looking for any advise, suggestions, or questions we could answer. I was told that it was wrong of me to do this. Other Vendors do not respond to inmate letters. Personally I write back to all letters received. Is someone, anyone wants to respond please do so. I am here to help with all Quarterly Package questions for California.
Hi Jiselle

I to wanted to stop by and welcome you to PTO, your assistance to the many members here is appreciated. In the CA forum we have a section all about inmate quarterly and special packages. Since the information there is all based on that which was released by the CDC, Title 15 and the DOM. It is nice to have an inside scoop from a service provider. If you would like to read through it and feel you have anything you would like to add. Please feel free to wirte up any valuable information PM it to me and I will add it to that section.

Inmate Quarterly and Special Packages (http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1125571&postcount=35)

Thanks

Richard

:help: This is a list of questions I get. I hope they answer your questions. If not please ask and I will answer.


:confused:


How much can my package weigh?


You are allowed to send 1 30lbs box per quarter. 455oz are for the product and the rest is used up by the weight of the box and the packing materials.




How many packages can I send?


You are allowed to send 1 package per quarter. A total of four packages a year.




When are the quarters?


January-March Quarter 1

April-June Quarter 2

July-September Quarter 3

October-December Quarter 4






What is IWF %10?


Inmate Welfare Fund, this only applies to the inmate who is paying with an institution check from the money he has on his books. They charge him 10% of the total price of his package. Packages R Us does not receive that money.

Hello,

How can I find out if my son is eligible for me to send him a package? I would like to know before the end of the quarter. Also do you forward if he is transferred from one facility to another? I know packages are 30 lbs including box weight and packing. But is it true you can send one food and one personal in cali like nevada? thanks Susan ANn

You would have to call the prison for his privilege level. Also make sure he doesnt have one already. We do forward the package if he transfers. We do have to wait for the box to come back to us and then send it to where he is. You could only send him one box. When he is going to parole you could send him an additional box with clothing. Other then that only one is allowed per quarter.



Hello,

How can I find out if my son is eligible for me to send him a package? I would like to know before the end of the quarter. Also do you forward if he is transferred from one facility to another? I know packages are 30 lbs including box weight and packing. But is it true you can send one food and one personal in cali like nevada? thanks Susan ANn

Do you have a website?

Here's the website:

https://packagesrus.com/shop/

My husband is at Mule Creek. Can he get an order form of your company in there? We weren't too happy with the last company we ordered from.

When in March does the first quarter end?

First Quarter ends March 31st

Years ago inmates used to send you a package form and family would put the package together and mail it out them selfs.Are you saying that has changed or what?

Years ago inmates would send family a package form and familys would put the package together and mail it out them selfs. Are you saying that has changed?

Years ago inmates used to send family a package form and it would list cans and can'ts You would go to where ever you choose to creat your package with food and what ever else was aloud then you mailed it out your self. Are you saying in Cali. State prisons that has changed?

No california prison allows us to send any package in anymore. They have to be sent through these companies that were created and it is kind of cool. I know when i use to send packages it sucked because they always weighed more than what they were suppose and then the shipping would cost me 15.00 on top of the 200.00 for the whole package.

Years ago inmates used to send family a package form and it would list cans and can'ts You would go to where ever you choose to creat your package with food and what ever else was aloud then you mailed it out your self. Are you saying in Cali. State prisons that has changed?

So how many diffrent companies are there to use or does each prison have there own company. And what is the cost?

Try this site packagerus or packagesrus and choose the california prison he is in and go and mess with an order and you will see. The two i have sent averaged $100.00. That included cosmetics and food Also try secureaccesspak or accesssecurepak.com
I believe there is about 5 companies.


So how many diffrent companies are there to use or does each prison have there own company. And what is the cost?

i've used walkenhorsts and californiainmatepackage.com

i used californiainmatepackaging and it worked out pretty good.

Thanks every one for all your help.Now do you know any thing about people that take people to visit.

I have question. I ordered a package for my husband in around January 20th... here its is almost a month later and he STILL hasn't received it! I call over at Lancaster and the people in R&R tell me the package is in the system, but it hasn't been delivered! It's been at the storage or whatever they use for over 3 weeks! I used California Inmate Package and they got the package there qithin a week... but these stupid people at Lancaster are lagging! By the time my husband gets his package, it will be time for him to receive another one! What can I do about this? I feel helpless because they keep telling me, "oh, he'll get in next week". We all know how little they have to eat and my hubby is REALLY depending on this

Jiselle, your packages r us company is great! We ordered from you guys for the first time last quarter. I ordered around Christmas and you guys managed to get it to him before the end of the month!!! Plus when I called customer service, you guys told me the exact time it arrived at the prison and the person that signed for it!! Thanks for carrying the universal battery charger that takes all battery sizes. My bf was so happy coz no one else carries that.

Maybe you can carry chorizo and sqeezable cheese spreads?lol

Is it one package per inmate? Or one package sent per person? What if other family members send a package before I do? What if they use other websites? Will the packages be denied? Any help with this would be great. My husband has a lot of support and many people want to send him things, trying to make sure he gets what he needs, vs. what people want to send...want to know how i can control the situation.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks,
N

Is it one package per inmate? Or one package sent per person? What if other family members send a package before I do? What if they use other websites? Will the packages be denied? Any help with this would be great. My husband has a lot of support and many people want to send him things, trying to make sure he gets what he needs, vs. what people want to send...want to know how i can control the situation.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks,
N

One package per INMETA PER QUARTER. So only 4 packages per year for each inmate.

FROM A POST ABOVE::::

How much can my package weigh?

You are allowed to send 1 30lbs box per quarter. 455oz are for the product and the rest is used up by the weight of the box and the packing materials.




How many packages can I send?

You are allowed to send 1 package per quarter. A total of four packages a year.




When are the quarters?

January-March Quarter 1

April-June Quarter 2

July-September Quarter 3

October-December Quarter 4

Im so confused about these Quarterly package orders...

I just order my husband his first package (hygene supplies, cloths and etc) truw californiagq
but he wanted a cd player with his order and I really tried to include it in his package but it wouldnt let me :( ... it said that electronics are order truw "special orders"....
I don't understand????

does that mean that if i order electronics it would count as one quarterly package???

have any of you ladies order your love ones their supplies plus electronics ??? or do you ladies order the electronics separately???:confused::confused::confused:
:(:(:(:(:(
damn, i even bought him cd's but now he wont have a cd player 2 play them on....
:(:(:(:(:(

I havent been able to do the packages yet since ad-seg doesnt allow it, but what i have read on here is that you can send them a quarterly package and a 'special order' package in the same quarter. The special order one is for TV's, CD/tape players etc. I think I have seen on the designated websites links for quarterly packages and special order packages that are separate. hope that helps a little :)

My guy sends me the purchase orders first then I send them in to what ever company. That way I know he can have what I am sending. One quarter package up to a certain size and weight limit. I'm not sure how often they can have the special packages, but yea those are used to send electronics or instruments.

I heard from a homegurl that had her man there not too long ago that she was able to send her man packages of her own is true. She said that because they are so far away that they get more privileges than the other prisons I just wanted to check with you guys to see if that was a true statement.

They only get 1 package a quarter. Electronics are considered special packages and don't count as a quarterly package, you wouldn't want to include it in quarterly package anyways takes up weight that can be used to order more food and hygene. You should be able to go back on californiap and order the cd player.

As far as I understand you can order one quarterly package and a "special order" in the same quarter, you should be fine to send both!

I heard from a homegurl that had her man there not too long ago that she was able to send her man packages of her own is true. She said that because they are so far away that they get more privileges than the other prisons I just wanted to check with you guys to see if that was a true statement.


No- All quarterly packages and special purchase items must come from an approved vendor and it's been that way for many years. This is a State regulation and individual prisons may not deviate from it.
Packages from home are not permitted at ANY CDC facility.

i just ordered a cd player for my man yesterday as a special order. I already did the his orig. package in January.

Not sure where this should go, but just an FYI for those who order packages for there loved ones, I was at Walkenhorsts today and was told that we can only order ONE quarter package (knew that) but also just ONE special package EACH Quarter. I read up in the Prison Information/approved vendors thread up top:
:) Special Packages:

Special Packages allow for the purchase of Electronics, Accessories, Musical Instruments, Under Garments and Clothing, Correspondence Courses, Legal Material and Faith Based Items. That would otherwise crowd a quarterly package beyond its allowed weight or dimensions. There is no limit to the amount of special packages allowed in a calendar year.

But I was corrected today. I had two different orders for special package going through one my husbands mom was putting through and one I was, and was told we had to put them together b/c only ONE special pacakge PER QUARTER.

So just an FYI that with Walkenhorsts they wont allow more than one per quarter. If someone knows different please let me know, but from today that is what I was told.

Walkenhorst seems to make up rules as they go along. They gave me crap about ordering an 11" TV for my son, it was on their website, so I ordered it and waited 3 weeks, they never sent it- I called them and they said that it wasn't allowed and did i want to send an 8" TV. I told them to put my money back on my credit card and ordered an 11" from Access

Is there a way to find out if an inmate has gotten a package this quarter or not? Ryan has a lot of pride and wont tell me when he needs anything so I wanted to suprise him with a package. I just know he wont answer me if I ask him if he's gotten on!

Thanks

Is there a way to find out if an inmate has gotten a package this quarter or not? Ryan has a lot of pride and wont tell me when he needs anything so I wanted to suprise him with a package. I just know he wont answer me if I ask him if he's gotten on!

Thanks
You can check with the vendor to see if it was delivered to the facility, but I would think that once Ryan knows you sent him a package he would be willing to tell you if he received it. My son did that too, said don't send him anything, but I did, and AFTER I sent it I asked him to tell me when he got it so that I could get my money back if he didn't get it-he let me know right away and was delighted that he got a quarterly package

Check with the vendors and see who will give refunds if the inmate's package is returned. You could try calling R&R at the prison he is at. Like so many other things... it will depend on the CO who answers the phone.

thanks for the replies! I will read over the vender pages and see who has a good refund policy. I don't know if his family has sent him anything so just in case they have and his package gets returned ya know?

Do you know how I can find out what privilage group he is in without asking him? Will the prison tell me if he's eligible for a package or not?

I do know on at least one site, they will tell you........you plug in his name, and cdc number and it will pop up
for the life of me, I cant remember which one it is.
(access or walkenhorts)

thank you. i will check them both out and see.

What can you include in a quarterly package - what is the weight thing about?

I found the time frames for the quarters - a what point in the quarter can you send? Do they just keep track of what the received?

You can send it anytime during the time frame. You can include food, clothes, hygiene products, stationary. Some of the companies separate their stuff by what the package is for, so it's relatively easy. They also have a weight counter on there so that you can figure out the weight and either get more of this or less of that. The weight limit is set so that you can't send more than that.

That is pretty much what I know so far about packages.

The quarters are; 1st qtr is Jan 1 -March 31
2nd qtr is April 1 - June 30
3rd qtr is July 1 - Sept 31
4th qtr is Oct 1- - Dec 31

The inmate can receive 1 quarterly package during each period.

Hello thank you for the hit back.

Is it the approved vendors list that I have seen on here the one which I can use to send stuff?

Is there a scale thru them that tells me how to order or how much to order when and I have reached a limit?
Where would I begin?

Where would I end?

Aren't they suppose to order their own stuff - like going to store or canteen?

Does restitution affect anything I order?

Do I use various vendors at a time?

How much am I going to typically spend? I am sure it varies ?

What is the most important stuff to send- food?

Help! is there a way i can find out if he has recieved a quarterly package before i send it.

Help! is there a way i can find out if he has recieved a quarterly package before i send it.


You can try your lucky with the R&R department. Maybe they can be of help to you. R&R = Recieving& Release

If you use access they have an answer to this in the FAQ on their pages. I think they check before they process your order. If the inmate recieves one after they check but before they send theirs then I believe they refund your money.

This is from the access (californiaqp.com) website

Q: What happens if more than one person orders a package for an incarcerated family member or friend?
A: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation only allows one package per quarter. If an additional order is received for an incarcerated family member or friend that has already received a package within the quarter the order will not be processed.


Q: What happens if the person I am sending my order to changes privilege groups and is no longer allowed a package?
A: If you place an order for an incarcerated family member or friend and his/her privilege group changes while the order is being processed or shipped we will pay to have the order returned from the facility. Once we receive the order back we will issue a refund to you. There are not any restocking fees.

All you can do is ask the inmate, unless you try caling the companies and see if one is under the inamtes name. UNder access if one has been sent under his name it will automatically get cancelled.

Help! is there a way i can find out if he has recieved a quarterly package before i send it.

Thanks to everyone who answered he just wrote on his letter the items he wanted from walkenhorst's and his privilege group. He did not tell me his grade or housing unit and they would not allow me to send it without this information.I sent him a letter back asking his grade and housing unit but because i'm in U.K. the mail takes around a month to hear from him.I just thought because he knew of the trouble I was having he may have asked someone else to send it.I did however find this information after someone suggested I try union supply direct and all the information was there.So I finally ordered it I was just in a panic incase it was refused.If it is refused will he be told a package was send for him.Sorry to keep asking it's just this is the first time i've done this and don't want to let him down or have him thinking i let him down.

I belive that in MOST prisons, if it gets there in the begining of the next quarter, It will count as a QP for that quaerter. Example This quarter ends Sept 30. So if it gets there on OCT 1 or later it will count as 4th quarter QP.

When my husband was in Sierra Conservation Camp, the R&R department would say along it was post marked before the end of that quarter that's what it would count as. Some prisons don't care. They say whenever it will ARRIVE is when they say what quarter it's from. It just depends of the person who is in R&R (Recieve & Release)

Cubana, this is true and this is ont right.

I belive that in MOST prisons, if it gets there in the begining of the next quarter, It will count as a QP for that quaerter. Example This quarter ends Sept 30. So if it gets there on OCT 1 or later it will count as 4th quarter QP.

When my husband was in Sierra Conservation Camp, the R&R department would say along it was post marked before the end of that quarter that's what it would count as. Some prisons don't care. They say whenever it will ARRIVE is when they say what quarter it's from. It just depends of the person who is in R&R (Recieve & Release)

You have the housing unit informaiton on his letters when he writes to you. It's part of his address. It'll usually be some form of number like, D-4 123U. And his package group determines if he can get the max items. If he is in the SHU which is the hole, then he is package group D. As long as he is normal prgoram he will be package Group A/B and Union Supply is not always correct because it goes by the last person who sent him a package. So if he was group A/B that last time but got in toruble he would be package group D and they would not know this unless someone put the information in.:thumbsup:

Thanks to everyone who answered he just wrote on his letter the items he wanted from walkenhorst's and his privilege group. He did not tell me his grade or housing unit and they would not allow me to send it without this information.I sent him a letter back asking his grade and housing unit but because i'm in U.K. the mail takes around a month to hear from him.I just thought because he knew of the trouble I was having he may have asked someone else to send it.I did however find this information after someone suggested I try union supply direct and all the information was there.So I finally ordered it I was just in a panic incase it was refused.If it is refused will he be told a package was send for him.Sorry to keep asking it's just this is the first time i've done this and don't want to let him down or have him thinking i let him down.

Thanks to everyone who answered he just wrote on his letter the items he wanted from walkenhorst's and his privilege group.

I'm sorry you had so much trouble with this. If you write him letters, you have his address (housing) for the package - you've learned that since you did order the package. ;) It looks like he told you to order it - so there should be no worries about it being a second package in the quarter.

Just write him and let him know you ordered it and when. As long as he's not in Ad Seg or SHU, he can have another package anytime after October 1st. :thumbsup:

Hello thank you for the hit back.

Is it the approved vendors list that I have seen on here the one which I can use to send stuff? YES, it is the approved vendors list you want to use. The most popular vendors are: Union Supply, Access and Walkenhorsts. Walkenhorsts is the most expensive but have the largest selection. Have your loved one check what he wants and he may know which vendor he would have you use. :)

Is there a scale thru them that tells me how to order or how much to order when and I have reached a limit? On the Vendor's site, they have a digital weight in your "cart" listing of items ordered. Each item ordered has a weight that is displayed and that weight is added up along with your total cost. So you will know when you have reached your limit.

Where would I begin? By checking out each vendor first or having your loved one select the vendor he wants you to use.

Where would I end? ??????

Aren't they suppose to order their own stuff - like going to store or canteen? Going to store/canteen is separate. Canteen doesn't have everything they want. Going to store is fine, but there may be a pair of tennis shoes he may want, or cd's too, or certain food and you can't get all of what they want thru store.

Does restitution affect anything I order? NO, but putting money on his books does... they will take a percentage of any money you put on his books. Sometimes the guys will ask you to put money on someone elses books that they trust that isn't paying restitution and work it that way.

Do I use various vendors at a time? NO. Since you can only send one package per quarter, you have to use ONE vendor per order.

How much am I going to typically spend? I am sure it varies. It depends... if you go the full weight limit and what you buy. If you include tennis shoes, then of course the costs will be higher. But if you do regular food & toiletries (shampoos, razors, etc) then I would say an AVERAGE is @ $150 - $200. It just depends which vendor you go with too.

What is the most important stuff to send- food? FOOD. because the food can be pretty cr*ppy in there at times, so they rather make their own burritos, soup, rice, beans, or whatever.


I hope this has helped you or anyone else wanting to send a package. ;)