How to Send Money to USP Big Sandy

Option 1: MoneyGram (Fastest)

MoneyGram is the fastest way to send money to USP Big Sandy. You can send it in person at any MoneyGram location (Walmart, CVS, and thousands of other retailers), online at moneygram.com, or by phone at 1-800-926-9400.

What you need:

• MoneyGram Receive Code: 7932
• Company name: Federal Bureau of Prisons
• City and state: Washington, DC
• Inmate’s 8-digit register number (no dashes), immediately followed by their last name (example: 12345678SMITH)
• Inmate’s full committed name on the Beneficiary line

Posting time: Funds sent between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM EST post within 2 to 4 hours. Funds sent after 9:00 PM EST post by 7:00 AM the next morning, seven days a week.

Online limit: MoneyGram online allows up to $300 per transaction. Visit a MoneyGram location for larger amounts.

Option 2: Western Union

Western Union is available at Western Union agent locations, online at westernunion.com or send2corrections.com, or by phone at 1-800-634-3422.

What you need:

• Code City: FBOP, DC
• Inmate’s 8-digit register number (no dashes), immediately followed by their last name
• Inmate’s full committed name on the Attention line

Posting time: Same as MoneyGram, within 2 to 4 hours during business hours (7:00 AM to 9:00 PM EST).

Option 3: Money Order by Mail

Mail a money order to the BOP lockbox in Des Moines. Do not mail it to the USP Big Sandy address in Inez.

Mailing address:

Federal Bureau of Prisons [Inmate’s Full Committed Name] [Inmate’s 8-Digit Register Number] Post Office Box 474701 Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

Accepted instruments: U.S. Postal Service money orders, U.S. government checks, certified checks, and cashier’s checks. No personal checks. No cash. Do not include anything else in the envelope.

Non-U.S. Postal Service money orders are held for 15 days before posting. Foreign negotiable instruments are held for 45 days.

Important Rules

• Always include the 8-digit register number. Enter it with no dashes, immediately followed by the last name. This is how the BOP finance system routes funds to the correct inmate account.
• Monthly limit is $320. This is the BOP-wide monthly commissary spending limit. Funds can accumulate in the inmate’s account beyond $320, but they can only spend $320 at commissary per month.
• JPay does not apply. JPay is not an accepted payment method for BOP federal facilities.
• Access Corrections does not apply. That service is for state prisons, not federal BOP facilities.
• Do not bring cash to the facility. Cash is not accepted for inmate accounts.

What Commissary Funds Cover

Once funds post to the inmate’s account, they can spend them at commissary on food, hygiene items, clothing, postage stamps, and phone credits through TRUFONE. Commissary access is one of the most meaningful ways to support someone inside, especially at a high-security facility where outside packages are not permitted.