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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Start by confirming the person’s exact facility and whether it is a federal prison, state prison, local jail, or a facility outside the United States. For people in U.S. federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) custody, common ways to stay in touch between visits include telephone calls, TRULINCS electronic messages, and postal mail—but availability, approval requirements, limits, and costs vary. Check the current rules with the facility before sending a message, letter, or deposit or making a trip.
First, identify the facility and jurisdiction
Communication rules are set by the correctional authority and facility, not by one nationwide prison messaging system. Federal BOP instructions apply to people in BOP custody; state prisons, county jails, and prisons outside the United States may use different services, permissions, fees, and limits.
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If the person is in a state prison or local jail, USAGov directs you to contact the relevant state or local corrections department for information: How to visit or send money to a prisoner. For federal custody, start with the BOP’s Community Ties and the person’s institution. The UK, for example, has its own prison communications policy; do not assume U.S. procedures apply there.
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The BOP describes telephone calls, electronic messaging through TRULINCS, and written correspondence. It encourages written contact with family, friends, and other community contacts. These are options to ask about, not a guarantee that every person can use every method.
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- Up to 415 Domestic Minutes. Dialing Instructions: Dial the appropriate access number from the phone card, when prompted enter PIN number, then your destination number including the country code. Important: do not press talk button after international number, do not call from your phone contacts after dialing pin number or you will be billed at your carrier rates. No reimbursement of such phone company or hotel charges allowed.
- Call Africa: Nigeria Ethiopia Egypt Democratic Republic of the Congo South Africa Tanzania Kenya Sudan Algeria Uganda Morocco Mozambique Ghana Angola Ivory Coast Madagascar Cameroon Niger Burkina Faso Mali Malawi Zambia Somalia Senegal Chad Zimbabwe Rwanda Tunisia Guinea Benin Burundi South Sudan Togo Eritrea Sierra Leone Libya Republic of the Congo Central African Republic Liberia Mauritania Namibia Botswana
- Call Europe: Russia Germany Turkey France United Kingdom Italy Spain Ukraine Poland Romania Kazakhstan Netherlands Belgium Greece Czech Republic Portugal Sweden Azerbaijan Hungary Belarus Austria Switzerland Bulgaria Serbia Denmark Finland Slovakia Norway Ireland Croatia Georgia Moldova Bosnia and Herzegovina Armenia Albania Lithuania North Macedonia Slovenia Latvia Kosovo Estonia Cyprus Montenegro Luxembourg Malta Iceland Andorra Monaco Liechtenstein San Marino Vatican City
- Call MidEast: Iran Turkey Iraq Saudi Arabia Yemen Syria Jordan United Arab Emirates Israel Lebanon Palestine Oman Kuwait Qatar Bahrain Call Latin America: Brazil Colombia Argentina Peru Venezuela Chile Ecuador Bolivia Paraguay Uruguay Guyana Suriname FrenchGuiana Falkland Islands
- Call Asia: China India Japan South Korea North Korea Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia Georgia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen
| Method | What to know for BOP custody | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone | Calls are monitored, subject to limits, and may require the contact to be approved under facility rules. | Whether the person can call you, any approval steps, schedules, applicable charges, and current limits. |
| TRULINCS messages | The incarcerated person must be approved to use the system and the outside contact must consent. Messages are text-only, limited in size, monitored and screened; the system does not give inmates internet access. | Whether both parties are approved or enrolled, how to consent, applicable costs, and how access works at that institution. |
| Postal correspondence | Written correspondence is encouraged, but general mail and special or legal mail are handled differently. | The current mailing address and format, accepted contents, and any local processing instructions. |
| In-person visits | BOP uses a visitor approval/list process, and each institution has its own regulations and schedule. | Whether you are approved and the facility’s current visiting hours before traveling. |
The BOP’s Community Ties information explains its communication channels and TRULINCS conditions. The BOP Legal Guide covers federal telephone and mail rules. For an individual facility’s current instructions, use its own information or contact it directly.
How to arrange contact without avoidable delays
- Confirm the person’s location and custody authority. Determine whether the facility is federal, state, local, or outside the United States. Use that authority’s official website or call the facility for current contact instructions.
- Ask which channels are available. For BOP custody, ask whether the person can make calls, use TRULINCS, and receive ordinary mail. Find out whether you need to be approved or consent to electronic contact and what steps each method requires.
- Check the practical details for your chosen method. Ask about schedules, costs, limits, accepted formats, and any rules that affect you as the outside contact. Costs and procedures are not consistent across facilities.
- Use the facility’s current mail instructions. Confirm the correct address and addressing format and which contents are permitted before mailing a letter. Rules for packages, photographs, stationery, and mail scanning are not universal.
- Verify visit approval and hours before making travel plans. BOP advises visitors to consult the relevant institution’s regulations and visiting schedule. Contact the facility if anything is unclear.
What to expect about privacy and limits
Calls
The BOP Legal Guide says federal inmate telephone time is ordinarily limited to 300 minutes per calendar month and calls are monitored. The guide notes limited exceptions for unmonitored attorney calls. This is federal BOP guidance, not a limit that can be assumed for state prisons or jails, and it does not guarantee an individual’s access or available minutes.
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- Dialing Instructions: Dial the appropriate access number from the phone card, when prompted enter PIN number, then your destination number including the country code. Important: do not press talk button after international number, do not call from your phone contacts after dialing pin number or you will be billed at your carrier rates. No reimbursement of such phone company or hotel charges allowed.
- Call Africa: Nigeria Ethiopia Egypt Democratic Republic of the Congo South Africa Tanzania Kenya Sudan Algeria Uganda Morocco Mozambique Ghana Angola Ivory Coast Madagascar Cameroon Niger Burkina Faso Mali Malawi Zambia Somalia Senegal Chad Zimbabwe Rwanda Tunisia Guinea Benin Burundi South Sudan Togo Eritrea Sierra Leone Libya Republic of the Congo Central African Republic Liberia Mauritania Namibia Botswana
- Call Europe: Russia Germany Turkey France United Kingdom Italy Spain Ukraine Poland Romania Kazakhstan Netherlands Belgium Greece Czech Republic Portugal Sweden Azerbaijan Hungary Belarus Austria Switzerland Bulgaria Serbia Denmark Finland Slovakia Norway Ireland Croatia Georgia Moldova Bosnia and Herzegovina Armenia Albania Lithuania North Macedonia Slovenia Latvia Kosovo Estonia Cyprus Montenegro Luxembourg Malta Iceland Andorra Monaco Liechtenstein San Marino Vatican City
- Call MidEast: Iran Turkey Iraq Saudi Arabia Yemen Syria Jordan United Arab Emirates Israel Lebanon Palestine Oman Kuwait Qatar Bahrain Call Latin America: Brazil Colombia Argentina Peru Venezuela Chile Ecuador Bolivia Paraguay Uruguay Guyana Suriname FrenchGuiana Falkland Islands
- Call Asia: China India Japan South Korea North Korea Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia Georgia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen
Electronic messages
TRULINCS is a controlled messaging service rather than ordinary email or unrestricted internet access. BOP says inmates must be approved, outside contacts must consent, and messages are screened and monitored. Its system supports text-only messages, not attachments. Do not use ordinary electronic contact for confidential legal communications; arrange privileged contact through the relevant facility or lawyer.
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Letters
A personal letter is not automatically confidential. The BOP Legal Guide distinguishes general mail from special or legal mail and describes different inspection procedures. Follow the facility’s current instructions, and do not treat ordinary correspondence as privileged simply because its contents are personal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Deposits are separate from communication access
A deposit may be relevant if the facility’s process requires funds for a particular service, but do not assume that payment is needed to contact someone or that one provider works across jurisdictions. The BOP lists deposit procedures for federal inmates, including waiting until the person has physically arrived at a BOP facility and using accepted payment forms: BOP Community Ties and deposit information. Confirm the current instructions for the specific facility before sending money.
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