How to Send Money to an Inmate at Pekin FCI (and Why You should never mail cash to the prison)

Pekin FCI is clear about this: don't send money to an inmate using the facility's address. No cash tucked into letters. No money orders in envelopes. Nothing that's "money through the mail" sent directly to Pekin.

Mailed funds for someone in federal custody don't go to Pekin at all. The BOP requires that they be addressed to a processing center in Des Moines, Iowa - that's the routing Pekin's page directs you to follow.

This rule isn't unique to Pekin - it's how federal inmate funds work across the entire system. The BOP requires all mailed funds to go to the Des Moines processing center, regardless of which facility holds your loved one. If they transfer later, the routing stays the same: mailed funds go to the processing center, never to the institution's address.

Alternatives

• ✓ Follow the BOP instructions for “sending funds to an inmate” (the Pekin page directs you to that official guidance).
• ✓ Use the BOP-approved electronic deposit option(s) listed in the BOP’s sending-funds instructions, instead of mailing anything to the prison.
• ✓ If you’re sending funds through the mail, make sure they’re addressed to the BOP processing center in Des Moines, Iowa - not to Pekin FCI’s facility address.

1. Start on Pekin FCI’s “How to send things here” page - this is where the facility spells out that you should not send money using the institution’s address.
2. Use the “Learn more about sending funds to an inmate” reference from that page - it takes you to the BOP’s official instructions for the correct method(s) and where mail-in funds must be addressed.
3. Confirm you’re using the right facility contact details - if you still have a question about Pekin-specific procedures, use the contact information posted on Pekin’s page in the BOP “Locations” area and reach out to the facility directly.

Already mailed money to Pekin's facility address? Don't panic - but don't send another payment the same way. Contact the facility using the phone number or address listed on Pekin's page in the BOP "Locations" area and ask what to do next.