Federal Prison Electronic Messaging Guide for Families

The BOP Community Ties and Communications page is the starting point for its current information about calls, electronic messaging, and other ways people in BOP custody may maintain outside connections. It identifies TRULINCS—the Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System—as the BOP system used for controlled electronic messaging.

Open the BOP page directly and read the electronic-messaging section before relying on a message, setup instruction, or summary from another source. This guide is not a BOP channel and does not operate TRULINCS.

Use the official BOP Inmate Locator to check whether the person is listed in BOP custody and to see the location shown. A prior location, an older message, or information from another person is not a substitute for checking current official information.

Then open the BOP Locations directory and the institution page for the location shown. Use that official page to find current local information or contact details when the procedure, status, or next step is unclear.

BOP says that each inmate must be approved to use TRULINCS and that each person the inmate wants to communicate with must give permission. That does not mean every person is eligible, every request is approved, or every institution uses identical procedures.

Follow the current BOP and institution instructions for whatever contact or access steps apply. Do not assume that creating an account, providing permission, or following a general instruction completes the process for a particular person or facility.

BOP describes TRULINCS access as controlled. Its current communications page says that people using the system must consent to monitoring and that messages are screened for content that could jeopardize public safety or the safety, security, or orderly operation of the facility. It also says messages are text-only and that attachments are not permitted.

A message may be restricted, held, rejected, or otherwise not reach the intended recipient. Do not treat electronic messaging as private, assume a message will be accepted, or rely on a delivery timeline. The BOP page does not promise access, successful delivery, or a universal response time.

No universal guide can answer whether electronic messaging is currently available for one person, what status a contact has, or which local instruction applies. Procedures and access can change, including after a transfer or an institution-level change.

Before relying on electronic messaging, check the current institution information and ask the facility about any unclear status or instruction. A submitted request, account setup, or sent message is not a promise of approval, access, successful delivery, or delivery timing.