FCI Mendota Inmate Search and Prison Information
559-274-4000 
FCI Mendota - General Information
| Facility Name: | FCI Mendota |
| Facility Type: | Federal Prison |
| Address: | 33500 WEST CALIFORNIA AVENUE MENDOTA, CA, 93640 |
| Phone: | 559-274-4000 |
| Email: | MEN/[email protected] |
| Capacity: | 904 |
| Date Established: | 2012 |
| Offender Gender: | Male Offenders |
| Security Level: | FCI – Medium, Camp – Minimum |
| BOP Region: | Western Region |
| Judicial District: | Eastern District of California |
| City: | Mendota |
| Postal Code: | 93640 |
| State: | California |
| County: | Fresno |
| Official Website: | https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/men/ |
FCI Mendota is commonly known as the Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota. The facility is a medium-security prison in California. It houses male inmates. The prison is operated and managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Adjacent to the Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota is a minimum-security satellite prison camp.
FCI Mendota opened their doors in the beginning of 2012. Before the facility was even opened, it had to endure years upon years of funding delays. The final cost of the facility came in around $235 million. The mayor of Mendota, Robert Silva was happy with the opening of the new prison. It was going to bring the local businesses revenue and new jobs for the community.
How to Find Someone in FCI Mendota
FCI Mendota is a federal prison. The easiest way to lookup an inmate in federal prisons is going to the BOP website.
They have a database where you can search all federal inmates.
Sending a Mail/Care Package
Inmates can receive letters from their family and friends back home. In order to send a letter to the correct place, you will need to verify if they are in the main campus or the satellite prison camp.
The mailing address for the main campus is:
Inmate Name and Registration Number
FCI Mendota
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 9
Mendota, CA 93640
The mailing address for the satellite prison camp is:
Inmate Name and Registration Number
FCI Mendota
Satellite Prison Camp
P.O. Box 9
Mendota, CA 93640
Sending Money
You can put money into your inmate's commissary account by Western Union or MoneyGram. Each option you can do online or in person.
You will need to the following information
- Inmate Name
- Register Number (inmate number)
- City (always will be FBOP)
- State (always will be DC)
If you can’t get down to either Western Union or MoneyGram, you can send money directly to their PO box. That information is:
INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
P.O. Box 474702
Des Moines, Iowa 50947
Do NOT send money to an inmate using the FCI Mendota address. All funds sent through the mail must be addressed to a processing center in Des Moines, Iowa. This applies to all Federal inmates, regardless of where they are incarcerated.
The last way to stay in touch with an inmate at FCI Mendota is through email. Email is also through Trulincs.
The email program is funded by the inmate trust fund, which is kept up with purchases from the commissary, the telephone service, and fees paid directly to Trulincs.
Emails are monitored and screened for content not suitable for them.
Admissions and Orientation Handbook
Your first day in prison, you are bombarded with a ton of information. One booklet you will be giving is the Admissions and Orientation (A&O) Handbook.
This handbook will supply you with general information about the prison itself alongside the prison’s rules, programs, and regulations you will have to follow while you are serving out your sentence.
It will be in your best interest to familiarize yourself with handbook as it is your responsibility to transition smoothly to prison life.
The handbook is in English and in Spanish.
Commissary
The commissary was founded in 1930 by the Department of Justice. The Commissary was placed in all Federal Institutions.
The commissary allows inmates to shop for “luxury” items while they are in prison. Funds are typically deposited by their friends, families, and their prison jobs.
Inmates have a spending limit of $360 per month. The commissary is only open on a designated day of the week where they can utilize the shop.
All federal prisons have their commissary list with prices available to the public.
Legal Activities
Even when in prison, you may still need legal counsel. There are strict procedures one will have to follow to obtain legal reference materials alongside their legal counsel.
There are also many opportunities to be taken advantage of to afford the proposal of legal documents when behind bars.
All procedures for legal activities can be located here.
Visitation
Inmates are permitted to receive visitors. Visiting hours are the same for the main campus and the satellite prison camp. The visiting times are held on Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays between the hours of 8:15am to 3pm.
Visitors must be on the inmates approved visitor list. Any visitor over the age of 16 must supply a proper photo identification card to be permitted into the visitation area. Visitors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by their legal guardian. All children must behave, or you may be asked to leave before the visitation time is up.
Visitors must adhere to a strict dress code. There will be no tank tops, mini-skirts, see-through clothing, or offensive clothing. If you are in any clothing that goes against the dress code, you will not be permitted to visit.
How Often Can I Visit?
This will depend on what rank the inmate is. There are three ranks:
- LSCI – 12 points
- FCI – 5 points
- USP – 9 points
Here is the point schedule for visitations:
FCI
- Each visit is one point regardless of the day.
LSCI
- 2 points for weekend visits
- 2 points for federal holidays visits
- 1 point for weekday visits
USP
- 2 points for weekend visits
- 0 points for federal holiday visits
- 1 point for weekday visits.
Visiting Hours
| Monday | |
| Tuesday | |
| Wednesday | |
| Thursday | |
| Friday | |
| Saturday | 8:15 AM - 3:00 PM;8:15 AM - 3:00 PM |
| Sunday | 8:15 AM - 3:00 PM;8:15 AM - 3:00 PM |
| Holiday | 8:15 AM - 3:00 PM;8:15 AM - 3:00 PM |
The visiting starts in first in, first out type of fashion. No new visitors will be allowed in 45 minutes before the end of the visit day. 45 minutes before the end of the visit day officers start escorting those who were first in out of the visitor room.
Directions
Refer the map below to find the driving directions
Prison Life
FCI Mendota is situated on 960 acres of land. The prison premises are surrounded with a 12-foot-high razor wire fence.
The FCI Mendota offers their inmates a variety of educational programs. These programs include the following:
- GED Prep
- English-as-a-Second Language Programs
- Vocational Training
While serving time out in the FCI Mendota, inmates also are required to have a work assignment. These work assignments can include kitchen duty, laundry duty, to maintenance work.
FCI Mendota also has a recreational yard for inmates to use. The recreational yard comes equipped with a soccer field, basketball courts, and even a running track.
Inmates cells are seven by twelve feet. In their cells, they have a bunk bed, along with a sink and a toilet. Inmates also have use of their common area where they can watch television, shower, and even exercise.
Inmates are counted 5 times a day. The count times are 12:05am, 3am, 5am, 4pm, and 10pm. The last two counts of the day are the only counts where inmates are required to stand up to be counted.