Texas.gov Announces Online Commissary Purchases and Deposits for Texas Offenders

Texas.gov, in partnership with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), launched eCommDirect, a service that lets friends and family shop the TDCJ commissary online and purchase goods that offenders receive within three days of the online order. Offered in both English and Spanish, users can make instant Trust Fund account deposits through an affordable online service.

eCommDirect offers purchasers online convenience and the ability to buy specific commissary items for the offender. This service is quickly gaining popularity and has already processed more than 190,000 transactions since its release in the fall of 2012. The service is available to all eligible offenders at all units which include over 150,000 individuals in TDCJ facilities across Texas.

The service is simple to use (watch the demo) and users are not required to establish an account. They only need the Offender’s ID and Last Name and a credit card (Visa or MasterCard). Up to $50 of commissary items can be purchased per offender every calendar quarter. The top 100 selling commissary items are available for purchase, including food snacks, hygiene products, and correspondence supplies. The online purchase does not count against the total that offenders may spend on commissary items from their Trust Fund account.

In addition to eCommDirect, Texas.gov offers a quick, convenient, and fuel-efficient way for Texans to access more than 1,000 online government services, including Driver License Renewal and Change of Address, Driver Records, Birth Certificates orders, and more.

About Texas.gov

Texas.gov is the official website of the state of Texas (www.texas.gov) and is a collaborative public/private partnership managed by the Department of Information Resources (DIR). Texas.gov helps state and local government entities Web-enable their services and operates without tax funds through a partnership between the state and Texas NICUSA, LLC. Texas NICUSA builds, operates, maintains, and markets Texas.gov and is part of eGovernment firm NIC’s (NASDAQ: EGOV) family of companies. Since its launch in 2000, Texas.gov has securely processed more than 201 million financial transactions and collected more than $30 billion on behalf of participating entities.

About NIC

NIC Inc. is the nation’s leading provider of official government websites, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company’s innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. Our popular self-funded solution allows government to put in-demand services online without using taxpayer funds. The NIC family of companies currently provides cost-effective eGovernment solutions for more than 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies in the United States. Additional information is available at www.egov.com.