ByAll About Connecting With Texas Inmates: Phone Numbers, Sending Money, and Mailing
(TDCJ) oversees the overall criminal justice system statewide. It manages several major divisions in Texas, including the Correctional Institutions Division (TDCJ-CID). The TDCJ-CID division operates and manages secure adult correctional institutions of all kinds throughout Texas.
Formed in 2003, the TDCJ merged four separate divisions into the single entity known today as CID. They included the State Jail Division, the Institutions Division, the Operations Division, and Private Facilities Division.
The TDCJ operates and manages the largest prison system in the country with facilities housing third-degree, second-degree, and first-degree felonies, as well as capital offenses. On the lower end, the TDCJ operates facilities that are essentially state-ran county jails.
Texas Has the Highest Inmate Population in the United States
in the number of people it has incarcerated at any given time. According to Statista, Texas had an inmate population of nearly 136,000, 27% higher than California which has the second-largest with around 97,300 inmates. This says something about the justice system in Texas, especially considering that California has a population of 39.5 million and Texas only has 29 million.
As far back as 1985, Texas had the largest number of people locked up in jails and prisons. With an inmate population nearing 13,000, the TDCJ decided to partner with private management companies to help run its institutions. It was the first state in the U.S. to use privately run prisons. By 2000, its inmate population had swelled by 32%, with some critics placing blame on a "prison-for-profit" policy.
This is somewhat substantiated by the fact that Texas began accepting prisoners from other states. These out-of-state inmates are sent to private prisons and forced to work manufacturing various products. Of course, these practices have been accompanied by complaints of civil rights violations and other abuses of power. Some of those complaints include family members and friends losing contact with their loved ones.
With DoNotPay, you can fight for the rights of a friend or family member incarcerated in one of these Texas prisons managed by the TDCJ.
Contact Information for TDCJ
If you need to contact the TDCJ's main office, there are two ways to do this:
| Physical Address | 8712 Shoal Creek Blvd., Suite 265, Austin, Texas 78757 |
| Phone Number | (936) 295-6371 or (800) 535-0283 |
| Website | Unit directory |
| General Email | offenderphones@tdcj.texas.gov |
How to Visit an Inmate in TDCJ
If you wish to visit an inmate housed in a TDCJ facility, you will have to contact the TDCJ Visitation Hotline at 844-476-1289. According to the TDCJ website, "Members of the public may call this line to inquire about inmate location, basic visitation policy questions, unit family liaison officer information, and how to appeal a visitation denial."
How To Send Money to an Inmate in Texas
If you want to send mail to a TDCJ inmate, and you're wondering how to address a letter to an inmate, you will first need to know which facility they're housed in. Once you have that information, the following information should be on the envelope.
- Inmate Name, TDCJ Number
- Facility/Unit Name
- PO Box or Street address
- City, State, Zip Code
How to Send Money to an Inmate at TDCJ
According to the TDCJ website, you have six options for sending an inmate money.
- Money order or cashier's check.
- Monthly checking account debit (ACH).
- America's Cash Express (ACE).
- eCommDirect Store
- JPay
- TouchPay Payment Systems
DoNotPay Makes Texas Inmate Phones Sending Money Mail Way Easier
Writing letters to inmates isn't always an easy task. One mistake means your letter or package is not delivered. Fortunately, you can use DoNotPay to write a prisoner quickly, easily, and successfully in just five simple steps:
- Locate the Connect With an Inmate service on DoNotPay.
- Choose whether you want to locate a loved one, create a virtual mailbox, or send a personalized letter.
- If you want us to find your loved one, provide his or her personal details and the state they are located in. We'll then conduct a search on the appropriate state database.
- If you want to create a virtual mailbox, just provide your full name! We'll set one up for you so you can easily receive incoming mail from your loved one.
- If sending a personalized letter, tell us which facility your loved one is located in and what you would like to say to them. You can even include a photo! Your letter will be delivered automatically - just wait 10 days for it to arrive to your loved one!
Our Connect with an Inmate product can help you in the following other ways:
- Write to a Prisoner
- Write a letter to an inmate
- Learn how to address a letter to an inmate
- Learn how to connect with your prison pen pal
- Learn about inmate visitation
Why Use DoNotPay to Connect With an Inmate in a TDCJ Prison
With our service, you don't have to deal with the bureaucratic regulations that have been set in place to contact an inmate at the Mississippi State Penitentiary. By following the above five easy steps, you can connect with your loved one quickly and easily. Sign Up today, and let's help you your loved one.