r/FreeLuigi • u/AshleyWilliams78 • 7d ago
Resources More detailed info on sending letters, packages, money (this is not just a repost)
I know a bunch of people have already posted the new address for sending letters. I looked up info on sending packages and money, and found more detail from the Bureau of Prisons website. So here's what I found. And in case this gets deleted by Reddit, I have this information saved in an Evernote page, along with other info, here.
Last updated: Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024
How to send letters to Luigi:
Luigi is being held at MDC Brooklyn (Metropolitan Detention Center). Mail must have his name and register number, which is 52503-511. You can verify this is correct by looking up his name on the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) website.
You can send letters to this address:
Luigi Nicholas Mangione 52503-511
MDC Brooklyn
P.O. Box 329002
Brooklyn, NY 11232
\**Some people have commented that you must include a return address* on the letter, or it will not be accepted.
How to send packages to Luigi:
\**Note:* Some Redditors posted that their orders weren't delivered, and have a status message saying it's held for pickup at the post office. At least one commenter on that thread said that their Amazon order did get delivered.
A commenter in a different thread wrote:
"Also, when I was in prison, we were only allowed to have so much property before it was confiscated. For instance, I was only allowed to have 10 books, 5 pair of underwear, one pair of work books, etc. and anything over that amount was confiscated and I had to either mail it home, donate it or destroy it. The number allowed is different for every facility but they may have started refusing packages for him due to the overwhelming amount, is my best guess. My Amazon book was delivered at like 6:30am just fine but theres a lot of us and only one of him. We might have quickly turned into a hassle when we're only trying to be helpful."
Directions for sending packages:
From https://www.bop.gov/inmates/communications.jsp#money:
"Inmates are not allowed to receive packages from home without prior written approval from the inmate's unit team or authorized staff member at the institution...However, inmates may receive magazines, hard and paperback books directly from the publisher."
More information from https://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/5266_011.pdf:
"At all Bureau institutions, an inmate may receive hardcover publications and newspapers only from the publisher, from a book club, or from a bookstore...At medium security, high security, and administrative institutions, an inmate may receive softcover publications (for example, paperback books, newspaper clippings, magazines, and other similar items) only from the publisher, from a book club, or from a bookstore."
The gist:
So you can order a book from Amazon, for example, and have it sent directly to Luigi, but you can not mail him the book yourself. Use the same address as the one for sending letters.
How to send money to Luigi's prison commissary account:
\**Note: Are your payments being denied?* One Redditor commented that there is a limit to how much money a prisoner can have on their commissary account. If you are unable to make a payment, it may be that he has reached his limit.
There are many options for sending money. For all of them, you will need Luigi's register number, which is 52503-511. More detailed directions are available at https://www.bop.gov/inmates/communications.jsp#money
By mail:
You can send a money order or cashier's check (no personal checks). Do not use the general mail address that's listed above. Instead, you send it to a FBOP (Federal Bureau of Prisons) processing center:
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Luigi Nicholas Mangione
52503-511
PO Box 474701
Des Moines, IA 50947-0001
Western Union:
You can do this in person from a Western Union location, over the phone by calling 1-800-634-3422 (option 2), on the web at www.send2corrections.com, or using the Send2Corrections app.
MoneyGram:
You can do this in person from a MoneyGram location, or online at https://www.moneygram.com/mgo/us/en/paybills - enter the receive code 7932 or Federal Bureau of Prisons.
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u/c0ntr0lled_cha05 7d ago
Just want to add on, you have to use his full name when writing out the address apparently so Luigi Nicholas Mangione.
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u/TrudiestK 7d ago
Great info! He is probably going to get books in duplicates or more. Maybe a list of books people have already sent could be useful?
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u/c0ntr0lled_cha05 7d ago
I agree - someone did make a post a few days ago but later took it down. There should definitely be a new post for it tho.
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u/yowhatupmom 16h ago
Hi! If you sent a book to LM, can you please go read the books to LM tracking thread? thank you!!
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u/yowhatupmom 16h ago
Hi! If you sent a book to LM, can you please go read the books to LM tracking thread? thank you!!
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u/MurkDiesel 7d ago
just sent him a book, here's the phone number to use for the order: 718-840-4200
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u/corgigirl97 7d ago
Which book?
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u/MurkDiesel 6d ago
The Seven And A Half Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle, it's a time loop thriller with a big twist, it's one of the best fiction books i've read and the only book i've ever re-read a month later, it's one of those stories that's still exciting the second time because you know what's going on and have a different perspective of the events, hopefully it'll give him a bit of an escape from the stress
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u/Objective-Bluebird60 6d ago
We can send him books from his good reads list, the ones he didn’t get a chance to read yet.
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u/princesslazer 7d ago
I think this could also be a great conversation starter for sending mail to other inmates as well. At the end of the day prisons are for profit and control, and people disappear into them and themselves. A lot of people have been saying Luigi has given a voice to, or shed a light on, prisoners. And I think that’s something to think about.
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u/Objective-Bluebird60 6d ago
Amazing insight. It’s so true, I didn’t really know much about the prison system in the US until now. This situation has shed light on so much. Maybe we can send books and letters to other inmates as well. Maybe there are others in there wrongfully imprisoned.
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u/ReadyExamination1066 1d ago
Does anyone know of a program that allows a sort of penpal exchange with inmates?
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u/Sad_Masterpiece7914 7d ago
Thank you for writing this up!
I highly recommend anyone interested, screenshot or print the post
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u/Imaginary_Injury8680 7d ago
Yes. It's hard to say when reddit is really going to bring down the censorship hammer, so don't wait to save the info
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u/Nonplay3rcharacter 7d ago
Can we send letters from Canada? Will he receive those and if he wanted, can he write back? I was speaking to someone via email at the MDC and he said that inmates can receive and send letters worldwide - but can Luigi specifically receive this?
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u/PrettyPosion 7d ago
I am in Canada too and I can't see why he would not be able to receive mail from here. What I was wondering more about is if he would be able to get Canadian postage to be able to return letters. I am not sure how it works when they get mail from a different country. I am going to look into if I can and I will let you know if I find out anything.
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u/fuzion_frenzy 7d ago
I mailed him a letter today. Just sent a poem that brings me comfort. I wonder if it’ll be rejected. I used three Canadian stamps but apparently you only need two.
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u/PrettyPosion 7d ago
That was a really nice gesture and I love that you sent a poem that brings you comfort, hopefully, it will do the same for him. I bet your letter will make it for sure, like I said my question is whether he can purchase Canadian stamps so he can send letters to Canada or not. I am hoping it's possible. I mean I would also be fine with sending him self-addressed stamped envelopes but somehow I do not think they would be allowed.
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u/fuzion_frenzy 7d ago
I don’t really expect a reply tbh. So I didn’t even think of that. But I’m pretty sure Canada-US lettermail is pretty simple, either country’s stamps work.
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u/illumizoldyck__ 7d ago
I’d love to know as well since I’m in Canada too!!
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u/PrettyPosion 6d ago
If I find out anything I will let you know too.
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u/Nonplay3rcharacter 1d ago
Any updates ?!
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u/PrettyPosion 1d ago
Unfortunately not. Sorry. I'm almost positive that if he wants he can reply to anywhere in the world. One time I put my name and address in this music magazine for penpals who were into the same bands as me and got so many letters. Lots from guys in jails and stuff and most of them were writing to me from the US.
I have been so undecided if I should write or not b/c the reality is that with so many people sending in mail chances are he is not even going to receive most of the letters. It says right on there that there is a limit for them and they can only have what fits in their storage thing which I would guess is not that big. Plus, I think sometimes all the letters might actually backfire for him. Jail is a whole different world and if anything, all the mail might piss off the guards and all the ones who have to go through it all and read it. This might make him get treated worse of anything which I would hate for. I truly believe that at this point he knows he has supporters and people who are behind him. He doesn't need a million letters either that might get him in more of a mess. I am always sure his lawyer tells him about all the support as well. So, I am not sure if I am going to write yet.
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u/Darcy_2021 7d ago
Sorry if its a silly question but what else can we send beside books? Clothing, food items, chocolates - anything that could be useful to him? Tshirt or sweaters? Can he have “Free Luigi” tshirt?
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u/browngirlygirl 7d ago
Nope. You can't send any of that.
Just books (soft cover), magazines & newspapers. They must come from a third party source like a bookstore, Amazon, etc
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u/MurkDiesel 7d ago
beautiful post OP! thank you!
the first two BOP links have a semi-colon at the end which makes the links not work right
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u/MurkDiesel 7d ago
is the address for books the same as letters?
the BOP site doesn't say
i'm ready to send him a book as soon as i have the correct address
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u/AshleyWilliams78 7d ago
I believe it is the same, since the BOP website didn't list anything different. For Pennsylvania, there was a different address for packages, but it appears that New York (or the federal prison system) doesn't do it that way.
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u/MurkDiesel 7d ago
ok found it and yeah, you're right
https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/bro/
Use the address below to send correspondence and parcels to inmates.
and then lists the address you posted
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u/fuzion_frenzy 7d ago
It appears you can write letters.
“Sending Mail The BOP encourages inmates to write to family, friends, and other community contacts to maintain these ties during incarceration. Written correspondence is classified as either general or special mail.
General Correspondence General correspondence is opened and inspected by staff for both contraband and content that might threaten the security or good order of the institution.”
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u/illumizoldyck__ 7d ago
Does anyone know if I can send him small printed “fanart” in paper as part of a letter? Or does it have to be only written words?
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u/Alert_Cauliflower_23 6d ago
I have this question too!
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u/illumizoldyck__ 6d ago
I found this TikTok about what it’s allowed but I’m still not quite sure about printed stuff :( https://www.reddit.com/r/FreeLuigi/s/yRSeyCOBb7
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u/-sweethearts 6d ago
can someone please clarify this, is it true you need to add his middle name to send mail, i think people should just do this to be on the safe side.
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u/-sweethearts 6d ago
it says this
so i would label the mail like this to be on the safe side:
LUIGI NICHOLAS MANGIONE 52503-511
MDC BROOKLYN
METROPOLITAN DETENTION CENTER
P.O. BOX 329002
BROOKLYN, NY 11232
(OP, maybe you could edit your post, it’s better to be on the safe side).
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u/Alert_Cauliflower_23 6d ago
Thank you for the info! Since the letters are probably going to be looked at before getting to him, are you using your real name and address,
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u/yowhatupmom 16h ago
Hi! If you sent a book to LM, can you please go read the books to LM tracking thread? thank you!!