How to Send Money to Facility

Never send money directly to FCI McDowell's address. If you're mailing funds, they need to go to a processing center in Des Moines, Iowa, not the institution itself.

This rule isn't specific to FCI McDowell. The Des Moines processing center handles mailed funds for all Federal inmates, regardless of where they're incarcerated. Double-check the address before you mail anything.

Once your deposit is received and credited, it goes into the inmate's commissary account. Think of it as a bank-type account maintained by the institution's commissary. Funds sent by family, friends, or other sources are stored there, and the inmate can use the balance to purchase items that aren't regularly issued.

Steps-to-follow

• ✓ Do not address mailed funds to FCI McDowell.
• ✓ Address all funds sent through the mail to the processing center in Des Moines, Iowa.
• ✓ Treat this as the default rule for Federal inmates, regardless of where they are incarcerated, and confirm you are using the current processing instructions before you send anything.

Once the money posts, it goes into the inmate's commissary account. This works like a bank-type account maintained by the institution's commissary.

Before mailing funds, verify that you have the correct processing-center address in Des Moines, Iowa. The rule against mailing to the facility address applies to all Federal inmates regardless of location, but you still want to confirm your mailing matches the most current instructions.

Also confirm what identifying information you need to include so the funds get credited to the right commissary account. That's the account where the institution stores deposits from family, friends, and other sources.