A new cash deposit machine in the Troup County Jail has drawn a lot of positive feedback, officials say.

JPay was installed at the beginning of May in the front lobby of the jail. It allows inmates’ family members and friends to deposit cash into their jail commerce accounts so they can purchase snack foods and personal hygiene items, Sgt. Chad Mann said.

“Everyone seems to really like it,” Mann said. “It’s a very convenient service that’s fast and easy to access. It will eventually eliminate the amount of money orders we have to process from friends and relatives of inmates. Beginning July 1, we will no longer accept money orders.”

In addition to depositing cash at the jail, friends and family members can access an inmate’s account on the Web site www.jpay.com to pay with a credit or debit card. Or they can call 800-574-5729 to use their cards to add funds to accounts.

“They can insert the inmate’s personal data to access his account,” Mann said. “It’s very convenient for those who are disabled or who don’t have transportation.”

The machine charges a flat rate of $3 for each transaction while the Web site charges various rates, depending on how much money is deposited.

Kenneth Thompson can be reached at kethompson@ lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 228.