Sending Packages to Pekin FCI: When to Use the Warehouse Address vs. Regular Mail
At Pekin FCI, the right address format depends on how your item ships. USPS mail to an inmate follows one format; freight and non-USPS deliveries going through the warehouse follow another.
Pekin FCI separates mail into a few lanes. The biggest mistake families make? Mixing them up. For regular correspondence or parcels through USPS, the address centers on the incarcerated person - their name followed by their register number. Freight and non-USPS parcels work differently. The facility's instructions show these shipments addressed to a staff member, with "ATTN: WAREHOUSE" on the ship-to line. (If the person is housed at the Federal Satellite Low, the wording changes slightly.) One more big exception: money shouldn't be mailed to Pekin's facility address at all. Funds sent through the mail must go to the processing center in Des Moines, Iowa.
Source: Pekin FCI’s “How to send things here” instructions show separate formats for USPS inmate mail (inmate name + register number) and freight/non‑USPS shipments addressed to a staff name with “ATTN: WAREHOUSE.”
Use warehouse-style addressing when your shipment is freight or a non-USPS parcel. In Pekin's own templates, these shipments don't start with the inmate's name - they start with a staff name and include "ATTN: WAREHOUSE" so the delivery routes correctly. The exact wording depends on housing location: the main institution template reads "STAFF NAME ATTN: WAREHOUSE," while the Federal Satellite Low (FSL) version adds "FEDERAL SATELLITE LOW" before "ATTN: WAREHOUSE."
- ✓ Freight & non‑USPS parcels (main institution): STAFF NAME ATTN: WAREHOUSE
- ✓ Freight & non‑USPS parcels (Federal Satellite Low / FSL): STAFF NAME FEDERAL SATELLITE LOW ATTN: WAREHOUSE
- ✓ Why the first line looks different: Pekin’s templates for shipments going to staff (including warehouse handling) begin with a staff name on the addressee line, not the inmate’s name.
Tip: If you’re using a Pekin staff/warehouse template, start the address exactly the way the facility shows it - beginning with the staff name - so it doesn’t get treated like regular inmate mail.
For regular correspondence and parcels sent through USPS, Pekin's format centers on the inmate. The key line includes the incarcerated person's name followed by their register number. If they're at the Pekin Satellite Camp, the facility's format adds "SATELLITE CAMP" after the name and register number - this helps route the mail to the right place.
- ✓ USPS (main institution): INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
- ✓ USPS (Satellite Camp): INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER SATELLITE CAMP
- ✓ Where the register number goes: directly after the inmate’s name on that same key line.
Practical Checklist
- ✓ Confirm how it’s shipping: USPS mail vs. freight/non‑USPS parcel.
- ✓ Use the USPS inmate format for regular correspondence/parcels: inmate name + register number (and add “SATELLITE CAMP” if that’s where they’re housed).
- ✓ Use the warehouse format for freight/non‑USPS parcels: staff name + “ATTN: WAREHOUSE” (and include “FEDERAL SATELLITE LOW” for FSL).
- ✓ Don’t mail money to Pekin’s facility address; funds sent through the mail must go to the processing center in Des Moines, Iowa.
- ✓ If you’re unsure which format applies, call the facility and confirm before you ship.
Money exception: Even if you're already mailing letters or packages to Pekin, don't send funds to the facility address. Pekin's guidance says mailed funds must go to the Des Moines, Iowa processing center.
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