Staying in contact with loved ones behind bars can be a difficult challenge for families. Federal inmate text apps make the process simpler and cost-effective compared to letters or phone calls.
If an inmate requests outside contacts to forward messages for them, this could result in disciplinary incident reports and could even result in them losing public messaging privilege. It should never be treated lightly.
Costs
Text messaging services for inmates offer a cost-effective, discreet method for prisoners to stay connected with their families during prison. Furthermore, they foster positive attitudes during incarceration while supporting rehabilitation and reintegration into society. However, such services must adhere to strict privacy protocols for optimal use.
E-messaging services provided by state prison systems and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have gained increasing popularity over the past decade, but have also come under criticism due to character limitations, proprietary platforms required for reading/writing messages, and expensive fees for attachments. GTL and Securus, two industry giants who dominate this space respectively, charge various rates that often surpass 50 cents per message sent or received.
Services such as these provide inmates with a safer and more reliable method to communicate with loved ones while maintaining an official record. Apps designed specifically for inmate communication include end-to-end encryption to ensure only intended recipients can read messages. Users also have the ability to send photos and videos, giving an inmate a sense of connection and belongingness while keeping authorities updated of any conversations between themselves and those outside. Plus, the apps are user friendly with several additional features.
Benefits
Text messaging offers prisoners an efficient and cost-effective way to stay close with loved ones while behind metal bars, and an alternative to costly phone calls and letters that can also help foster more positive outlook on prison life and aid rehabilitation efforts. Unfortunately, such services may not be readily available across federal prisons but new technologies make staying connected easier by sending texts through texting apps.
Text messaging offers an affordable and efficient means of staying in contact with family, friends, and pen pals in prison. Available 24/7 without needing login credentials or passwords to use, inmate text messaging allows inmates to receive immediate notifications when someone sends them a message from family and friends and unlike inmate phone calls allows unlimited messages back from an inmate to family and friends.
Advocates and regulators have successfully reduced prison phone rates; however, companies have discovered various means of driving up prices further. One such strategy is per-minute pricing which acts like a literacy tax for prisoners. Furthermore, companies profit twice: once when charging people in prison to send messages and again when charging them to read them. To avoid these charges altogether, families may wish to opt for sites offering free e-messaging as this will significantly lower per message costs as well as potentially creating savings within prison systems.
Security measures
Text messaging services provide inmates with a safe and private means of connecting with their families; however, these technologies must be monitored closely in correctional facilities for optimal use. Implementing content monitoring measures as well as security precautions is typically expensive to implement while upgrading systems may also prove time consuming and costly.
Text messaging offers prisoners some level of anonymity, allowing them to express emotional vulnerabilities that would otherwise be exposed in prison. Texting can also help maintain family bonds and facilitate rehabilitation efforts – it may even serve as an effective method of spreading misinformation and illegal activities within correctional facilities. However, texting should also be seen as a potential risk: cyberbullying and disseminating misinformation through it have also been known to occur within correctional facilities.
TRULINCS’ electronic messaging system limits email messages to 13,000 characters, or approximately two pages worth. Inmates must agree to being monitored, and could lose access to this service if they send offensive or inappropriate material. Messages cannot be forwarded on to other inmates or outside contacts and must use plain black text without bold, italicized letters or foreign symbols; users can view a countdown indicator in their composition screen to know how many characters remain available to write their emails.
Apps
Text messaging apps allow federal prisoners to stay in touch with loved ones through a safe and convenient platform, offering rehabilitation and connection while defusing potential conflicts or disciplinary incidents. Plus, texting provides inmates with educational resources that help facilitate their reentry back into society.
ContactMeASAP stands out among federal inmate texting apps with its user-friendly interface and top-of-the-line security features, enabling inmates to quickly send and receive text messages, photos, and videos – plus its affordable pricing makes it an attractive option for families.
Inmates can utilize the inmate texting app to stay in contact with family and friends outside prison walls, using this to share updates, exchange words of encouragement, and seek emotional support. Such connections help alleviate feelings of isolation or loneliness while contributing to creating a sense of community connection and belongingness.
Inmates can utilize an inmate texting app to communicate with staff at their correctional facility and promote rehabilitation and increase operational efficiencies. Furthermore, this platform enables inmates to reach out and connect with counselors or support systems, creating a more humane correctional experience.