How to Send Money to Facility

Don't send money to the facility's physical address. If you're mailing funds, they need to go to a centralized processing center in Des Moines, Iowa. This trips people up all the time. Mail sent to the institution address can be delayed or never credited at all.

Once deposited, the money goes into the institution's commissary account system. Think of it like a bank account: the Commissary maintains an individual account for each person, and funds from family, friends, or other sources are stored there for commissary purchases.

Steps to Follow

• ✓ Do not mail money to the facility’s street address. If you are sending funds by mail, address it to the centralized processing center in Des Moines, Iowa.
• ✓ Make sure your deposit is routed through the required process so the money is stored in the inmate’s commissary account maintained by the institution.

Before sending anything, confirm the correct mailing instructions for the Des Moines processing center. Addressing requirements can change, and small errors (like using the institution address out of habit) can cause real problems.

You'll also want to verify how deposits get credited. Since the Commissary maintains the account where funds are stored, make sure you have the exact information required to apply the money to the right person. That usually means the person's full name and any identifiers the facility uses.