ByEverything You Need To Know About Texas Prison Phone Services
Staying connected with incarcerated loved ones, while challenging considering all the rules one has to follow, is super important and means a lot to the offenders.
If one of your friends or family members went to jail recently, you probably have many questions regarding inmate visitation, prison phone calls, how to write to a prisoner, etc.
DoNotPay is here to answer all of your concerns and offer an efficient way of locating inmates and sending them letters.
Who Can Call Inmates in Texas Prisons?
It’s not possible to call an offender—you can only receive Texas inmate phone calls. Even if there’s an emergency, you can’t contact the prisoners directly—you can only reach out to their counselors.
There are also other important rules to follow if you want to get in touch with an inmate over the phone.
Key Things To Know About TDCJ Inmate Phone Calls
All phone calls with offenders are limited to 20 minutes. If you want to be time-efficient and use each second of your phone call, the best thing to do is prepare a list of things you want to talk about in advance.
Inmates need to provide the numbers they want to call. They can update the list while being in jail.
Offenders can use the phone from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. almost every day unless there’s a security issue that prevents it.
You need to complete your Texas prison phone registration to receive friends and family inmate calls, as requested by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
How To Register To Receive Texas Prison Inmate Phone Calls
Before learning about how to register to receive calls from inmates in Texas, you should be aware of the requirements you need to follow:
- Your name on the phone service listing needs to be the same as the one on your driver’s license
- You have to be 18+ years old
- You need to be a registered owner of the phone in question
- If you live outside of Texas, you’ll need to upload a photo of your driver’s license
- You need to upload a copy of your latest phone bill
To complete your registration, follow these steps:
- Visit the Texas Offender Telephone Friends & Family Enrollment website
- Click on Register Your Phone
- Check all the boxes to agree to the conditions
- Click on Continue
- Type in the offender’s TDCJ number
- Follow the rest of the instructions
If you expect calls from multiple inmates, you’ll need to repeat these steps for each of them.
Other Ways To Contact Texas Prison Inmates
Since calling an offender over the phone is not an option, you can write letters to inmates in Texas if you want to get in touch with them first.
You can also include up to five pictures, handmade drawings, and up to two magazine clippings. Those objects can’t be sexual or gang-related.
The second option is to send an email to the prison, and the offender will receive a printed version of your message.
In some cases, when visits are forbidden due to a pandemic or any other reason, TDCJ can organize video calls in some facilities. You will have to register and sign up for a Securus Online account to be able to schedule a video call.
How To Send a Letter to a Texas Prison Inmate
Everything inmates receive needs to be controlled by the staff, including letters, books, and care packages. Before you compose a letter, you should be aware that the prison staff will read it, so be mindful of the info you’re okay with sharing.
Once you finish writing your letter, put it in a regular, white envelope and don’t glue any stickers on it because the letter will be returned. Don’t spray your fragrance on the envelope.
When sending mail to prison, the most important thing is knowing how to address a letter to an inmate correctly.
If you make any mistake, your letter won’t be accepted.
You should write the address of the jail and provide your info on the outside of the envelope, and here’s how:
| Where To Write | What To Write |
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In the center of the envelope |
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In the upper right corner of the envelope |
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Send Your Letter to Texas Inmates With DoNotPay’s Help
If you’re worried about making a mistake when addressing the letter, or if you just prefer sending it from the comfort of your home, DoNotPay has got your back.
Thanks to our “Connect With an Inmate” feature, you can send and receive mail without worrying about whether the staff will reject the letters.
Once you access your DoNotPay account in a , follow these steps:
- Click on Connect With an Inmate
- Click on Send a Personalized Letter
- Type in the inmate’s:
- Name
- ID
- Facility
- Compose your message in the app or upload a file from your computer
- Attach photos you’d like to send
- Choose one of the templates you like
DoNotPay will print, address, and send your letter right away.
Our tool has another fantastic feature—Virtual Mailbox. When an inmate replies to your letter, it will be sent to an address where we can scan it and send it to your virtual mailbox.
To create your DoNotPay mailbox, follow these steps:
- Click on Connect With an Inmate
- Select Virtual Mailbox
- Click on Create My Mailbox
- Follow the rest of the instructions
Not Sure Where Your Loved One Is Being Held? DoNotPay Can Help You Locate Inmates!
Making a mistake regarding an inmate’s location or ID will result in your letter being rejected.
The third awesome feature that DoNotPay’s tool offers is the possibility to locate prisoners fast and hassle-free.
To find out the exact location of your incarcerated friend or family member, open your DoNotPay account in a and do the following:
- Pick our Connect With an Inmate tool
- Choose the Locate Someone option
- Type in the inmate’s name and the state they’re held in
DoNotPay will locate the inmate in question as soon as possible and provide you with the jail address and the inmate’s ID or booking number.
After that, you can proceed with composing and sending your letter worry-free.
DoNotPay Can Assist You in Solving Any Other Pesky Issue
Whether you want to marry an inmate in a county jail or find a prison pen pal, DoNotPay is here to make your letter correspondence easier.
Log in to your DoNotPay account from a and rely on our help when you need to:
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