FCI Mendota: How to Add to Commissary, Find Inmate Information, and More

FCI Mendota is a medium-security federal correctional institution for men in Fresno County, with an adjacent minimum-security camp. Population changes over time; a headcount does not establish an individual’s housing unit or visiting eligibility.

The address for FCI Mendota is:

33500 West California Avenue, Mendota, CA 93640

Phone: 559-274-4000

Driving directions: Google Maps

How to look up an inmate

Use the BOP inmate locator with the person’s name or register number. Visiting instructions are a different resource; the public locator does not arrange a visit or show every court event.

How to visit an inmate

The facility’s posted visiting supplement lists ordinary general-population visits on Saturdays, Sundays and federal holidays from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Special housing has different arrangements, and restrictions may cancel a visit. Confirm current approval and the schedule with the facility before departure.

There are a series of rules and regulations when visiting inmates that dictate who, when and how visits take place. It is very important that you read their Visiting Scheduling and Procedures prior to visiting your loved one. 

How to contact an Inmate at FCI Mendota

If you would like to contact someone at FCI Mendota, you may send an inmate a letter with the following address information:

For Inmates at the FCI

Inmate Name & Register Number

FCI Mendota

Federal Correctional Institution

P.O. Box 9

Mendota, CA 93640

For Inmates at the Camp

Inmate Name & Register Number

FCI Mendota

Federal Correctional Institution

Satellite Camp 

P.O. Box 9

Mendota, CA 93640

The other contact details for FCI Mendota are as follows

Email:	[email protected]
Phone:	559-274-4000

There are other forms of communications outlined at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, for more information please check. https://www.bop.gov/inmates/communications.jsp#mail

How to add money to an inmate’s commissary

If you would like to add money to an inmate’s commissary account there are a few ways to do so. This account gives your loved one credit to use at the FCI Mendota Commissary  as well as catering for co-payment of healthcare services. 

1. Money Gram: You may visit a local branch or do an online payment.

You will need the following information:

Account Number: Inmate’s eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate’s last name (example: 12345678DOE).

Company Name: Federal Bureau of Prisons

City & State: Washington, DC

Receive Code is always: 7932

Beneficiary: Inmate’s full committed name

2. Western Union: You may transact via phone, online or at a local branch.

You will need the following information:

Account Number: Inmate’s eight-digit register number with no spaces or dashes, followed immediately by the inmate’s last name (example: 12345678DOE)

Attention Line: Inmate’s full committed name

Code City is always: FBOP, DC

Mailed trust funds through USPS

You will need to include: The inmate’s full committed name (no nicknames). The eight-digit register number must be printed legibly on all negotiable instruments and on the outside of the envelope that contains the negotiable instrument.

You can send it to:

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Insert Valid Committed Inmate Name

Insert Inmate Eight-Digit Register Number

Post Office Box 474701

Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

For more information on sending money to an inmate’s commissary account, please visit bop.gov

How to get help for someone who has been arrested

A federal defense lawyer can distinguish the pending prosecution from sentencing, appeal or postconviction issues. Bring the charging papers, judgment and current court orders to a consultation.

Robert M. Helfend has practiced criminal defense since 1984. His active State Bar record and Super Lawyers selection for 2020 through 2023 provide independently checkable professional information. Call 800-834-6434 for a free consultation.

Published November 18, 2024.

Mailed trust funds must follow BOP’s current national processing-center instructions. Use the full committed name and eight-digit register number, and verify the acceptable payment instrument and sender information before mailing. Personal correspondence should not be enclosed with a deposit.

Keep Mendota mail, deposits and legal visits separate

Purpose	Instruction
Personal mail	The posted handbook uses the committed name, register number and unit at P.O. Box 9, Mendota, CA 93640. Confirm FCI versus camp designation.
Trust funds	Use BOP’s national deposit process; a letter mailed to P.O. Box 9 is not a trust-account deposit.
Legal visit	Counsel should arrange the appointment with the unit team and confirm current access rules; a social visitor approval does not arrange an attorney meeting.
Health or urgent family issue	Contact institutional staff through the official facility number, 559-274-4000, and separately notify counsel of any case deadline.

Ordinary correspondence and electronic messages are monitored. Arrange protected attorney communication through the appropriate institutional procedure instead of discussing defense strategy in a general family message.

Sources and legal standards

• FCI Mendota
• Mendota visiting supplement
• Mendota posted handbook
• BOP communication and deposits

Legal information checked October 10, 2026. The charge, evidence and applicable version of the law control the analysis of an individual case.

References

1. 18 U.S.C. 1341 (2025). https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1341.
2. 21 U.S.C. 841 (2025). https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/841.
3. Cal. Health & Safety Code, 11352 (2025). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=11352.
4. Cal. Penal Code, 261 (2025). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=261.