In 1930 the Department of Justice authorized and established a Commissary at each Federal institution. The Commissary was created to provide a bank type account for inmate monies and for the procurement of articles not issued regularly as part of the institution administration. The purpose of individual inmate Commissary accounts is to allow the Bureau of Prisons to maintain inmates’ monies while they are incarcerated. Family, friends, or other sources may deposit funds into these accounts.

Funds may be sent to Federal inmates via the United States Postal Service or via the Western Union Quick Collect Program. In either case, the inmate must physically be housed at a Federal Bureau of Prisons’ facility before funds can be received and posted. If the inmate is not physically in a Federal Bureau of Prisons’ facility, the funds cannot be posted and will be returned or rejected.

Inmates’ families and friends choosing to send inmates funds through the mail must send those funds to the following address and in accordance with the directions provided below:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Insert Valid Committed Inmate Name
Insert Inmate Eight-Digit Register Number
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

The deposit must be in the form of a money order made out to the inmate’s full committed name and complete eight-digit register number. Effective December 1, 2007, all non-postal money orders and non-government checks processed through the National Lockbox will be placed on a 15-day hold. The Bureau of Prisons will return to the sender funds that do not have valid inmate information provided the envelope has an adequate return address. Personal checks and cash cannot be accepted for deposit.

The sender’s name and return address must appear on the upper left-hand corner of the envelope to ensure that the funds can be returned to the sender in the event that they cannot be posted to the inmate’s account. The deposit envelope must not contain any items intended for delivery to the inmate. The Bureau of Prisons shall dispose of all items included with the funds.

In the event funds have been mailed but have not been received in the inmate’s account and adequate time has passed for mail service to Des Moines, Iowa, the sender must initiate a tracer with the entity who sold them the money order to resolve any issues.

Inmates’ families and friends may also send inmates funds through Western Union’s Quick Collect Program. All funds sent via Western Union’s Quick Collect will be posted to the inmate’s account within two to four hours, when those funds are sent between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST (seven days per week, including holidays). Funds received after 9:00 pm EST will be posted by 7:00 am EST the following morning. Funds sent to an inmate through the Quick Collect Program may be sent via one of the following ways:

1) At an agent location with cash: The inmate’s family or friends must complete a Quick Collect Form. Click here to view a sample Quick Collect Form. To find the nearest agent, they may call 1-800-325-6000 or go to www.westernunion.com.

2) By phone using a credit/debit card: The inmate’s family or friends may simply call 1-800-634-3422 and press option 2.

For each Western Union Quick Collect transaction, the following information must be provided:

1) Valid Inmate Eight-Digit Register Number (entered with no spaces or dashes) followed immediately by Inmate’s Last Name
2) Committed Inmate Full Name entered on Attention Line 3) Code City: FBOP, DC
3) ONLINE using a credit/debit card: The inmate’s family and friends may go to www.westernunion.com and select “Quick Collect.”
For each Western Union Quick Collect transaction, the following information must be provided:

Please note that the inmate’s committed name and eight-digit register number must be entered correctly. If the sender does not provide the correct information, the transaction cannot be completed. The Code City is always FBOP, DC.

Each transaction is accepted or rejected at the point of sale. The sender has the sole responsibility of sending the funds to the correct inmate. If an incorrect register number and/or name are used and accepted and posted to that inmate, funds may not be returned.

Any questions or concerns regarding Western Union transfers should be directed to Western Union by the sender (general public). Questions or concerns should not be directed to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

For additional information concerning inmate Commissary account deposit procedures, please see the Bureau of Prisons Trust Fund/Warehouse/Laundry Manual (PS 4500.07) or 28 CFR Parts 506 and 540. For information concerning a specific deposit, please contact Federal Bureau of Prisons’ staff at 202-307-2712 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET.

All prices in the trust fund sales unit are subject to change without notice, as prices are based on vendor costs. All purchases are “as-is” with no guarantees or warranties expressed or implied. Questions regarding sales must be made prior to leaving the sales unit. After any item leaves the sales unit, no changes will be made. Inmate clerks may not add or substitute items on your shopping list. Each inmate is required to have a commissary bag and inmate account card in order to shop. An attempt to utilize another inmate’s account card to conduct financial transactions of any kind constitutes fraud, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. Once an inmate signs the receipt and leaves the sales window, the sale is final.

Inmates confined in the special housing unit will not be permitted to retain the inmate account card in their possession while in the SHU. The card will be maintained by SHU staff. Inmates in the general population are required to carry their account card on their person at all times.

Purchased radios, watches and padlocks will have the inmate’s number etched on them at the time of purchase. Items brought by an inmatefrom another institution will have their number etched by receiving and discharge staff upon verification with property records.

Normally, an inmate will need to purchase only one of the items noted above. However, if an additional purchase is needed due to breakage, theft, etc., a memo detailing the reason for the purchase must be received from unit staff before the sale is approved. Any of theabove items will be considered contraband in the possession of any inmate other than inmate whose number is etched on item.

Padlocks are sold in the sales unit for the purpose of locking individual lockers. When an inmate purchases a padlock, his number is etched on the back. The institution retains the right to break open any padlock that is altered or unserviceable.

Order amount limitations on certain items are noted on the approved trust fund shopping list. Each inmate is also responsible to adequately maintain all sales slips for verification of purchases and availability for staff review.

The institution trust fund sales unit hours of sales are:

Monday through Thursday:
6:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.
11:00 a.m. to 12:25 p.m.
1:55 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

The last shopping list of the day will be taken at 3:35 p.m.

Even-numbered shoppers (based on fifth number of inmate register number) will shop on Mondays and/or Wednesdays, while odd-numbered shoppers will shop on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.

The camp trust fund sales unit hours of sales are:
Tuesday and Thursday:
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Even-numbered shoppers (based on fifth number of inmate register number) will shop on Tuesdays, and odd-numbered shoppers will shop on Thursdays.

Inmates are allowed to have pictures made during approved time periods. Each photo voucher costs $1.00 and can be purchased in the sales unit during normal sales hours.

The sales period will be closed when the line has been served. When circumstances warrant, sales hours will be extended as deemed appropriate. On Wednesdays, trust fund staff will conduct sales inthe SHU. On Fridays, staff will conduct open house from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the institution clothing room. The trust fund sales unit will be closed on Saturday and Sunday and on major holidays under normal circumstances. Sales are limited to two per week per inmate. Inmates will purchase special purpose orders (SPO’s) during normal sales hours on their day to shop. Validation of spending limit is $145 on the 1st and again on the 15th of each month.

The institution trust fund committee will meet each quarter to review trust fund operations and inmate requests for additional or replacement items. The committee chairman is the associate warden of operations, and other members are the captain, health services administrator, supervisor of education, supervisor of recreation, trust fund supervisor, safety manager, and union representative. An automated inquiry machine (AIM) is located in front of the sales unit in the institution and also at the camp, in the main building by the officer’s station. The AIM machine allows inmates to obtain information regarding their accounts. A personal identification number (PIN) is needed to access the machine and can be obtained during open house.