Text messaging offers federal inmates an effective and simple means of staying in contact with family and friends while physically separated from them. While phone calls may have time restrictions, text messages can be sent anytime and anywhere – helping keep relationships close despite physical distance.
Message rates depend on your state and facility, with specific costs and fees displayed within your GettingOut account. To find this out more quickly and accurately, sign in today to your GettingOut account!
It’s convenient
Text inmate services provide a convenient and cost-effective means of staying in touch with loved ones behind bars. No longer is there the need to stand in long prison lines at the post office; families can now send messages directly from any internet connection with ease. Furthermore, these services also ensure privacy-protected contact information ensuring messages cannot be read by unauthorized third parties.
These services allow family, friends and pen pals to communicate with incarcerated loved ones securely nationwide via letters, photos and greeting cards sent directly from a computer, smartphone or other. Their secure nationwide service provides unlimited inmate reply letters, photos and greeting cards – eliminating the need to purchase stamps, paper, photo printers or visit money order shops! Users can remain in contact 24/7 from a computer tablet or smartphone and stay close with loved ones they care for 24/7 from around the globe.
Inmates can stay in touch with friends and family using an inmate-only messaging system called Getting Out. These messages cannot be seen by outsiders and only visible when an individual signs into their Getting Out account – these communications do not fall under state oversight and cannot be monitored.
This service is quick and straightforward; simply add your incarcerated loved one using their booking number or name into your messaging account, compose your message, purchase response credits from their facility if available, send it off and then receive an answer back within minutes!
It’s safe
Federal inmate text messaging services offer an effective and safe means for prisoners to stay connected with loved ones during incarceration, providing comforting messages from home as well as supporting rehabilitation initiatives. While such services have shown to improve prisoner morale and support rehabilitation efforts, they come with certain security concerns which require careful oversight.
Inmates can access and respond to messages through secure tablets or computers located in their institutions, while family and friends of inmates can send them via the GettingOut system by creating an account and depositing funds – each message costs 50 cents and can include up to three photos at no additional charge; they’re delivered automatically when an inmate signs back into the system next time. Loved ones may also leave three-minute voicemail messages.
SmartInmate makes sending inmate message apps safe and simple. Inmates receive your messages when they log on to their tablet computer, with affordable plans allowing for unlimited text message sending as well as money orders or photos – much cheaper than sending mail through USPS!
Texting an inmate may seem harmless at first glance, but it is essential to realize that prison officials can monitor these conversations to track illegal activities or detect misinformation spread via these means by inmates and even use it to support gang activities.
It’s dangerous
Text messaging between inmates and family is an efficient means for keeping inmates up-to-date about daily events in their lives, while keeping those outside informed of inmate activities. But when using this service there are certain considerations you must keep in mind.
Though texting an inmate may seem harmless, conversations between inmates are monitored by authorities and can be used to track criminal activity. Furthermore, inmates have used these services to engage in gang related routines so it would be best to forgoing this form of communication altogether.
Prison officials in Maryland have implemented the Text Behind system, requiring senders to create either an online account or send physical letters for scanning at one of their facilities in Maryland. Each day inmates can only receive up to so many messages within a 24-hour period.
[REDACTED TEXT] (Suicidal) – This sub-classification shall be assigned to inmates who make suicide attempts or claim they are suicidal, through an electronic Special Handling form. Once CHS mental health personnel have conducted their initial evaluation of an inmate, PMB Classification Unit will reclassify him or her to an appropriate level/wristband color as soon as this sub-classification has been removed from them.
It’s illegal
Texting an inmate is no simple matter; any violation can have serious repercussions that include jail sentences, fines and an embarrassing criminal record that will harm both their reputation and job prospects.
Along with these risks, texting inmates illegal. Prisons closely monitor all forms of communication including text messages. Prisons closely oversee text conversations as these discussions could easily turn into illegal activity with which you could become embroiled.
These conversations may also be used against you in court; most states consider aiding and abetting an inmate an act of aiding and abetting, which is illegal. Prisons may confiscate your phone if they suspect you of helping an inmate engage in illegal activity.
Avoid this potentially risky territory and instead use other means of communicating with inmates, like email, phone calls or letters. These methods still enable you to support an inmate without placing yourself at risk – prisons have strict regulations that could lead to your arrest if broken; so it may not be worth the risk.