How to Text an Inmate A new messaging program has allowed inmates to communicate with their family and friends within their prison cell. However, it's not without pitfalls. Prisoners are able to use the tablet for messaging however they are not able to access social media or emoticons, and their messages are monitored. It is possible to search for specific words and phrases. Texting Jail from the Cell There are numerous rules that govern how inmates can contact people outside the confines. The majority of prisons have secure email system, such as JPay or CorrLinks, that allow inmates to write emails to their family and friends, however, they are supervised by prison staff, so they may not be as secure as an individual's personal email account. These facilities also offer electronic messaging services to inmates. They are private systems operated by companies that require inmates as well as their families to pay an amount for every message that is sent. They can price from 50 cents per message to $1.25 per text message, contingent on the facility and the particular messaging platform employed by the facility. The message is charged a cost and is billed to the person sending the message using credits they have purchased on their ConnectNetwork Account. This can be done via credit card or debit card. Inmates then view the message on a tablet or computer screen and may respond to it electronically sender or by writing an email, based on the facility. The cost for a message varies by facility and can be found in the Messaging Rates section on their site. You can find the most relevant rates by logging into your ConnectNetwork account and navigating to the messaging page of the inmate they wish to communicate with. The Prisoner Texting It's never been easier to keep in touch via messaging or email with a loved one that is in jail. Register now to communicate with the inmate. SMS Texting Program can only be used if the facility you are within allows it and also if you have an email messaging account. Your inmate will receive your messages on his or his mobile phone. Prisoners will review them and reply within the 24 hours. The message will be sent to prisoners via an app for inmates or a kiosk they can access from their cell. Note that correctional institutions or authorized personnel can inspect, monitor, search the contents of electronic messages. Similar inmate texting rules apply to information that is stored on devices. This raises privacy concerns for PPI, who points at the ease of think of companies such as Securus or JPay that are monetizing messaging services by selling access to imprisoned users' private messages to relatives as well as lawyers and courts. The prisons and jails can provide a range of messages via electronic means but they usually have limits on what messages is allowed to be sent. Certain prisons have prohibited messages between prisoners pursuant to the Prisoner Communications Act. Technology is usually limited in character count which makes it hard to archive any written communications. Texting inmates Prisoners can use a number of methods for communicating with family members or pen-pals. Inmates are able to receive messages from friends and families on the outside through email and kiosks. Inmates also have the option to receive photos and letters. Certain prisons allow prisoners to text each other, but this is usually not allowed by the prison's administration, and messages are most likely to be monitored. Many correctional facilities have a JPay system where family members, pen pals and loved ones are able to send photos, messages, and VideoGrams to incarcerated people. To send a message, the recipient must be stamped. Stamps are required to send attachments or VideoGrams. Stamps are available through the web or from select retailers. GettingOut as well as other private businesses have created apps to allow people in prison to contact their loved ones via tablets offered by these companies. Incarcerated people obsessively log in to their devices all day long, just as teenagers wait for DMs from their crushes. The profiles they create on TikTok as well as pen pals in prison. websites feature tips about how to use a tablet. Inmates also can receive letters from loved ones that don't have JPay accounts by using the mail system in the facility. All electronic messages must go through a review process identical to the process used for incoming postal mail, and the prisoner may decide not to print or open certain emails. Sending texts to family members Families see inmate texting as a powerful device. Loved ones cited emotional connectedness ease of use, comfort, and convenience as the main benefits. Others found that the security options were an obstacle to family communication, as they made it more difficult for loved ones to communicate. "Our family text is great to organize things, however the conversation can get out of hand sometimes," one participant shared. It takes time to stay on top of the messages. ".