# Trust Fund / Deposit Fund Manual

PS 4500.13 (5/7/2026) · [Official PDF on bop.gov →](https://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/4500_013.pdf)

Money: how it gets in, spending limits, commissary (the prison store), and the phone account. The current TRULINCS (the inmate email/phone/money system, all monitored) chapter lives in here too. This 2026 revision is the one with the $460 monthly cap. The passages below cover the stuff families actually get wrong: the LockBox address, the committed-name rule, why personal checks bounce, and why the letter you tucked in with the money order gets thrown away.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES (EXCERPT)

Chapter 3 ■ Removes the term “MP3 Player”; changed to “Secured Media Device”. ■ Revises the Warden’s note on postage stamp envelope and removes the Union Representative as an authorized person to open the envelope. ■ Increases spending limit from $360 to $460 per month. ■ Revises the mark-up for standard items/SPOs purchased; Selling price is cost plus a 30% mark-up (base), adjusted annually by the national Consumer Price Index (CPI). ■ Added verbiage for a standardized female specific commissary list ■ Updates items approved to sale at the institution to include mattresses and nicotine pouches for other than the Smoking Cessation Program. ■ Revises the spending limitation exclusion list including nicotine lozenges, sneakers, mattresses, and secured media devices. ■ Increases maximum selling price for athletic specialty shoes, work shoes, and watches sold in the Commissary from $100 to $150. ■ Replace suntan lotion with sunscreen from the miscellaneous products list. ■ Increases maximum dollar amount for Special Purpose Orders (SPO) from $300 to $600 including markup and shipping per quarter. Added, exceptions to one SPO per month must be approved by Warden.

> The 2026 numbers you'll actually use: an inmate can spend up to $460 a month at commissary (up from $360), and Special Purpose Orders, the way you buy bigger approved items like religious articles or educational materials, now cap at $600 per quarter. These figures change every few years, so if you see an older number floating around online, this is the current one.

3.2 SPENDING LIMITATION (EXCERPT)

Inmates are given the opportunity to purchase goods from Commissary. To lessen the disparity between affluent inmates and inmates with few resources, the Bureau implements a spending limitation of $460 per month.

> That $460 monthly cap is deliberate, it's meant to keep wealthy inmates from dominating the commissary. During the November/December holidays it bumps up by $50 for one shopping period. So budget around $460 most months, a bit more at the holidays. Family loading money onto the books beyond that won't let someone spend faster; the cap is the cap.

The spending limitation is the maximum amount an inmate is allowed to spend per month on sales items not excluded from the monthly spending limitation, described in paragraph b. below.

The spending limitation will be increased by $50 during the November/December holiday period. The increased spending limitation for each inmate is in effect for no more than one validation period.

a. Limitations. To enable institution management to control or restrict gambling and other illicit activities involving payoffs, local controls, including quantity limitations, may be set to restrict trafficking of Commissary items.

b. Exclusions from the Spending Limitation. The only items excluded from the spending limitation are: ■ Postage stamps. ■ Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) patches or lozenges. ■ Over-the-counter medications, medical products, and vitamins/mineral supplements as defined in Section 3.3.f(15). ■ Kosher/Halal shelf-stable entrees for inmates who are IFRP Refusal status. ■ Copy cards and copy paper. ■ Footwear to include sneakers and safety shoes ■ Mattresses ■ Secured media device

> A handful of things don't count against the $460 cap: stamps, nicotine patches/lozenges, over-the-counter meds and vitamins, copy cards and paper, shoes, mattresses, and the media device (the MP3-type player). So buying a big-ticket item like shoes or a media player doesn't eat your whole month's food budget. Everything else, food, hygiene, does count.

c. Revalidation of Spending Limitation. The spending limitation is automatically revalidated once per month for each inmate except where weekly or bi-weekly validation is used.

3.3 ITEMS TO BE SOLD IN THE COMMISSARY (EXCERPT)

a. Item Determination. Within the following guidelines, the Warden and designated staff decide, based on the security, programs, climate, character, and composition of the inmate population, as well as Trust Fund infrastructure limitations, what items to sell in the Commissary. Consumable items and medical items sold must complement, not supplement, diet and medical care provided to the inmate population.

Institutions are encouraged to offer Commissary goods acceptable for inmates with religious dietary restrictions. To expand the availability of foods for Islamic and Jewish adherents, when costs are comparable and products meet the needs of the institution, products should be selected from a variety of name-brand foods which have a reliable kosher/halal certification or are free of pork and pork by-products. Kosher or halal certification will be annotated on the shopping list.

In addition, during the week of Passover each year (early spring), inmate requests for certified kosher-for-Passover food items will be accommodated using normal Trust Fund procedures. Information about the products and certifications is available from the institution Chaplain or the Chaplaincy Services Branch, Central Office.

> Commissary is supposed to stock kosher and halal options, and kosher-for-Passover items are accommodated during Passover week. If religious diet matters to someone inside, the chaplain is the point of contact, and the shopping list flags certified items. Worth knowing this exists rather than assuming there's nothing.

Additional religious holidays and approved dietary requirements are available on the Chaplaincy Services intranet page.

6.4 TRUFONE RATES (EXCERPT)

a. Direct Dial Rates. Direct dial TRUFONE rates are set to encourage financial responsibility and family ties, and to ensure the Trust Fund program remains financially solvent. The Chief, Trust Fund Branch, with the Assistant Director for Administration’s concurrence, sets telephone rates. The Assistant Director for Administration approves any significant modifications to direct dial rates (other than those required by routine cost variances).

■ Rates for domestic and international calls are set at a standard per minute flat rate for each type of service. Rates are standard throughout the Bureau regardless of location. ■ Wardens ensure information concerning direct dial rates is kept on file in the institution (e.g., Law Library, inmate library, units).

> Phone calls are charged at a flat per-minute rate that's the same at every federal facility, paid from the inmate's account. Family can also set up prepaid collect so they can receive calls. The rate is standardized nationwide, so nobody's getting a special deal or a special gouging based on the prison. Phone minutes come out of the same account money as commissary, so it's all one budget.

b. Collect Call Rates. Collect rates are charged in accordance with TRUFONE contract requirements. The called party may be given collect rates before accepting a collect call. The billed party may obtain collect rates by contacting the service provider.

c. Prepaid Collect Call Rates. Prepaid collect calls are available to provide the called party the opportunity to receive collect calls when normal collect calls are not available. Prepaid service is extended to all recipients to reduce the cost of receiving collect calls. Prepaid collect rates are charged in accordance with TRUFONE contract requirements.

8.7 MANAGEMENT OF DECEASED INMATES’ FUNDS (EXCERPT)

If an inmate dies with funds remaining in their Inmate Deposit account, that money should be distributed in accordance with the laws of descent and distribution in the relevant state. If the inmate dies with monies due from the United States, payment is not authorized except to a legal representative of the estate or in accordance with the laws of descent and distribution of the state of domicile (most recent legal residence).

> A hard subject, but families ask: if someone dies in custody with money on their books, that money doesn't vanish, it goes to the estate or next of kin under the inheritance laws of their home state. Small balances under $100 can be released faster with approval. Larger amounts go through the estate process, so you may need documentation like a death certificate and proof you're the legal representative. This is a sensitive topic; if you're facing it, a probate attorney in the deceased's home state can walk you through claiming it.

a. Claims for Funds of Deceased Inmates. Claims received against funds of deceased inmates are handled at the institution level. Institutions should submit claims to the Trust Fund Branch Deposit Fund Section for settlement only when doubt exists as to:

■ The amount or validity of the claim. ■ The person(s) properly entitled to payment under the laws of the domicile of the descendent.

In such cases, the institution transmittal must explain that doubt exists, and is accompanied by a Claim Against the United States for Amounts Due in the SF-1055, Case of A Deceased Creditor and/or the BP-A0408, Acknowledgment of Inmate, Part 3 & 4 and a copy of the death certificate.

If there is urgent need for payment of a balance under $100 in a deceased inmate’s account, and if conditions as outlined in the paragraph above are satisfied, the amount may be disbursed from TRUFACS with the Chief, Trust Fund Branch written approval. Copies of the BP-A0408 are attached to such vouchers in lieu of the usual withdrawal request. Documentation is attached to the payment in TRUFACS through the document imaging process.

9.1 AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT FUNDS (EXCERPT)

c. Acknowledgment of Inmate. The BP-A0407, Acknowledgment of Inmate, Part 1 & 2 contains a power of attorney assignment that gives the Bureau authority to endorse negotiable instruments for deposit to the Inmate Deposit Fund account. If an inmate refuses to sign the BP-A0407, staff flag the inmate’s account as no power of attorney and scan the unsigned form.

Funds received through the LockBox for an inmate with no power of attorney authorized are not deposited but returned to sender if an address is available. If an address is not available, the original instrument is returned to the financial institution which issued it. Only cash upon commitment may be deposited for inmates flagged no power of attorney.

> A catch worth knowing: at intake, inmates sign a form (the power-of-attorney authorization) that lets the Bureau handle deposits into their account. If someone refuses to sign it, they can't receive mailed deposits OR Western Union/MoneyGram, only cash brought in at commitment. If money you send keeps bouncing back, this unsigned form could be why. It's fixable, but the inmate has to sign.

Inmates with no power of attorney authorized are not allowed to receive Western Union or MoneyGram funds.

d. Endorsement. The Accounting Technician/cashier and the LockBox agent are authorized to endorse negotiable instruments only for the purpose of depositing negotiable instruments in the U.S. Treasury for the personal credit of the inmates. Refer to Section 9.4.b for joint-payee procedures.

e. New Commitments. New commitments are instructed, during the institution’s Admission and Orientation (A&O) Program, to notify their family and friends of the following procedures:

(1) LockBox Procedures

■ Acceptable negotiable instruments (see Section 9.2.a) are sent to the LockBox processing center identified in Section 9.5. ■ The inmate’s committed name and eight digit register number are identified as part of the address on the outside of the envelope and on all negotiable instruments. ■ Personal checks, cash, and any negotiable instrument not payable in U.S. dollars cannot be accepted. ■ Any enclosures received with the negotiable instruments (letters, pictures, etc.) will be discarded.

> Two hard rules on mailed deposits. First, no personal checks and no cash, they'll be rejected. Use a money order or cashier's check. Second, don't tuck a letter or photo in with the money order; the deposit envelope goes to a processing center, not to the inmate, and anything extra gets thrown away. Letters and photos go through regular mail to the prison, money goes to the LockBox. Keep them separate.

(2) Western Union/MoneyGram. Inmates are given Western Union, Quick Collect, and MoneyGram Express Payment Program procedures to forward to family and friends upon arrival at the designated institution or during A&O.

> The fast way to send money is Western Union or MoneyGram, which post to the account much quicker than mailing a money order. The inmate gets the specific procedure codes during intake (A&O) and passes them to family. Despite what paid consultants imply, this is genuinely simple once you have the facility's code and the register number. Nobody needs to charge you to explain it.

9.2 ACCEPTABLE/UNACCEPTABLE NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS (EXCERPT)

a. Acceptable Negotiable Instruments. ■ Money orders. ■ U.S. government checks (federal, state, county, municipal). ■ Foreign negotiable instruments payable in U.S. dollars only with a U.S. correspondent bank and routing number on the instrument. ■ Business checks. ■ Cashier’s checks/certified checks/bank drafts

> What works for a mailed deposit: money orders, cashier's checks, certified checks, government checks, business checks. What doesn't: personal checks, cash, anything missing the inmate's exact name and register number, or anything expired or altered. Simplest reliable option is a money order with the name and register number printed right on it.

The inmate’s committed name and register number must be printed legibly on all negotiable instruments and on the outside of the envelope containing the negotiable instrument.

b. Unacceptable Negotiable Instruments. The following items will not be accepted and will be returned to sender or the issuing agency, or deposited into the U.S. Treasury Miscellaneous Receipts Account: ■ Negotiable instruments not containing both a valid committed name and eight digit register number. ■ Negotiable instruments with expired dates. ■ Negotiable instruments that appear suspicious in nature or appear to have been altered. ■ Personal checks. ■ Foreign funds and other negotiable instruments not payable in U.S. dollars and/or lacking a U.S. correspondent bank and routing number on the instrument. ■ Cash received through the mail. ■ Mailings not containing sender information. ■ Mailings to the LockBox not containing valid inmate committed names and eight digit register numbers on the envelope. ■ Counter checks.

9.5 RECEIPT OF FUNDS – LOCKBOX (EXCERPT)

The Bureau has an Interagency Agreement with the U.S. Treasury to operate a LockBox Program.

a. Receipt of Inmate Funds. Funds for deposit to inmate accounts (Inmate Deposit Fund) are sent to the LockBox. The address can be found on the Trust Fund Branch intranet page.

> This is how you put money on someone's books by mail. It goes to a central Treasury 'LockBox,' not to the prison, and both the envelope AND the money order have to show the inmate's committed name (their real legal name, no nicknames) and eight-digit register number. Get the name or number wrong and it bounces. This is the number one thing families mess up, so double-check both before you send.

Note: The only exceptions to this procedure are in Sections 9.6 and 9.7.

The inmate’s committed name (no nicknames) and register number must be printed on all Bureau-approved negotiable instruments (a list of these is in Section 9.2.a.), and on the outside of the envelope.

Negotiable instruments or mailing envelopes that do not have the inmate’s committed name and eight digit register number are returned to the sender if an address is available. If an address is not available, funds are deposited into the U.S. Treasury Miscellaneous Receipts Account.

b. LockBox Procedures. Inmates’ family and friends send negotiable instruments to the LockBox. The LockBox receives mail seven days a week, excluding federal holidays, and processes negotiable instruments the same day they are received.

> Once your money order reaches the LockBox, it posts overnight and is available to the inmate the next day. The lag families feel is almost entirely the mail time to get there, not the processing. If you want money available faster, that's what Western Union/MoneyGram are for (below).

Negotiable instruments are verified to ensure they have proper inmate names, register numbers, and are Bureau-approved.

The Bureau receives electronic funds and scanned images of negotiable instruments/envelopes to facilitate staff monitoring of inmate funds.

TRUFACS distributes funds to each inmate’s account after the nightly process. Funds are available to the inmate the following day.

Source: PS 4500.13 (5/7/2026), [bop.gov/policy/progstat/4500\_013.pdf](https://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/4500_013.pdf). U.S. government work, public domain. Excerpts only; the official PDF controls.

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