Federal prisons: mail, money, email and visiting

Sending money

• Wait until the person has physically arrived at a BOP-run facility. Deposits go to their commissary account, not to the prison's address.
• MoneyGram (ExpressPayment): account number is the 8-digit register number followed by the last name (e.g. 12345678DOE), company "Federal Bureau of Prisons", receive code 7932, up to $300 online.
• Western Union (Quick Collect): same account number format, code city "FBOP, DC". Pay at an agent, online at send2corrections.com, in the Send2Corrections app, or by phone at 1-800-634-3422 (option 2).
• By mail: money orders, U.S. government checks, or cashier's/certified checks only (no cash or personal checks) to Federal Bureau of Prisons, [full committed name], [8-digit register number], P.O. Box 474701, Des Moines, IA 50947-0001. Put your return address on the envelope.
• Questions about a deposit: BOP at 202-307-2712, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ET. Private contract facilities have their own rules.

MoneyGram and Western Union charge their own fees. Check the official BOP page (opens in new tab) before you send.

Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons (official) (opens in new tab) · Last checked 2026-10-20

Phone calls and email (TRULINCS)

• People in BOP custody place calls; usually they pay, sometimes the receiving party does. Calls are monitored, and third-party or forwarded calls aren't allowed.
• Email runs through TRULINCS. The person adds you to their contact list; after staff approve it, CorrLinks emails you an invitation. Accept within 10 days or they'll need to re-add you.
• Messages are text only, no attachments, up to 13,000 characters, and are monitored. Contract facilities don't have TRULINCS.

Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons (official) (opens in new tab) · Last checked 2026-10-20

Visiting

• Visits usually happen on weekends and holidays, sometimes weekdays. Hours differ by facility and by person; check the facility's visiting regulations on bop.gov and call ahead.
• By law, people get at least four hours of visiting a month. No conjugal visits. No government help with travel costs.
• Dress code: no revealing clothes, hats, sleeveless tops, short skirts, or khaki or green clothing that looks like inmate clothing. The facility's policy has the full list.

Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons (official) (opens in new tab) · Last checked 2026-10-20

Becoming an approved visitor

• You can only visit if the person puts you on their visiting list and BOP clears you. They mail you a Visitor Information Form; fill in your part and mail it back to the address on the form.
• BOP may run a background check. If you're not approved, the person is told and has to let you know.
• Up to 10 friends can be on a list, plus family. Right after arrival or a transfer, verified immediate family may be allowed to visit before the list exists.

Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons (official) (opens in new tab) · Last checked 2026-10-20

Mail and packages

• Address letters to the person's full committed name and 8-digit register number at the facility's inmate mail address (below). Never send money to the facility address.
• General mail is opened and inspected. Marked special (legal) mail is opened only in the person's presence.
• No packages from home without prior written approval; release clothing and approved medical devices only. Books and magazines must come straight from the publisher.

Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons (official) (opens in new tab) · Last checked 2026-10-20