Criminal Defense Lawyers

Email Access Federal Inmates

Email Access for Federal Inmates: How to Stay Connected Through TRULINCS and CorrLinks

Your husband just called from a federal facility saying he can email now—but you have no idea where to start or if that email request you got is even legitimate. Your facing a confusing system with weird terminology, your not sure if the emails your recieving are real or scams, and irregardless of what anyone told you, the Bureau of Prisons doesn’t exactly make this process simple. This guide explains exactly how federal inmate email works, how to set up your CorrLinks account, what to expect, and what to do when things go wrong.

What TRULINCS and CorrLinks Actually Are (And Why It’s Confusing)

Look here’s the deal—the federal prison system uses a email platform called TRULINCS (Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System) that was implemented in February 2009. Its not like regular email. Not even close. The goverment created this system so inmates could send electronic messages to approved contacts on the outside, but there’s alot of restrictions based off security concerns and monitoring requirements.

CorrLinks.com is the outside interface—the website where you’ll actually access these messages. The company Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) runs it through a contract wiht the Bureau of Prisons. When your loved one sends you a message from inside, it goes through the TRULINCS terminals at their facility, gets monitored by BOP staff, and then shows up in your CorrLinks account.

Here’s what trips people up: You will recieve an email at your personal email address that looks kinda suspicious. It’ll come from TRULINCS@bop.gov or reference CorrLinks, and its gonna ask you to accept a correspondence request. (Trust me on this—I know it looks like a scam.) Alot of families delete these thinking there fraudulent, but their actually legitimate. The email contains a link to register and your loved one’s information.

The system don’t work like Gmail or regular email. Messages aren’t instant—they get reviewed by prison staff first. Sometimes that takes 24 hours, sometimes it takes longer then that.

And here’s the thing most guides won’t tell you: Even after all the setup, you gotta log into CorrLinks.com every single time you wanna check messages. They don’t forward to you’re personal inbox. Period.

The Step-By-Step Setup Process (And The Traps That Stop Everyone)

Setting up your CorrLinks account is supposably simple, but theres a bunch of places where people get stuck. Let me walk you through this and point out where things go wrong.

Step 1: Wait for the Correspondent Request Email

You cant just go create a account randomly—the inmate has to add you to there approved contact list first from inside. Once they do that, you’ll recieve a email (usually within a few hours, but could be days depending on how backed up the system is). However this email looks wierd, and thats by design I guess.

Its gonna have:

• A subject line about a new contact request
• The inmate’s name adn registration number
• A link to accept the request
• Instructions that seem overly formal

Don’t delete it. Thats the number one mistake families make.

Step 2: Register Your Free Account

Click the link in that email (or go directly to CorrLinks.com and click the orange “Register” button). You’ll need to create a username, password, and provide your email address. The account is completly free for outside users—your not gonna get charged for anything on your end.

This is where alot of people mess up: If you go to CorrLinks first before recieving the inmates request, you cant find them in the system. You gotta wait for they’re request to come through. I mean its frustrating but thats how it works.

Step 3: Enter the Inmate’s Information (The Registration Number Trap)

Here’s were probably 50% of people fail: You need there 8-digit federal register number followed by the last name with no spaces or dashes (example: 12345678SMITH). Not the booking number from county jail. Not the inmate number from a state facility.

The federal register number only.

Familys use the wrong number all the time becuase they have paperwork from when there loved one was first arrested at the county level. That aint gonna work here. You need the number the Bureau of Prisons assigned them after they was sentenced and designated to a federal facility. If you dont have it, call the facility directly or use the BOP inmate locator.

Between you and I, this is the dumbest part of the whole setup. Why cant the system just let you search by name and birthday like normal people?

But it is what it is.

Step 4: Verify Your Email Address

After you register you’ll get another email—this time its a verification link. Click it to activate your account. Sometimes this email ends up in spam, so check there if you dont see it in you’re inbox within a few minutes. Then your all set to start messaging.

Mobile App Option

As of 2023, theres actually a CorrLinks mobile app for both iPhone and Android. It works basically the same as the website, and its kinda more convienent if you dont use a computer regularly. The app has the same login requirements though—you still gotta sign in every single time, which is annoying irregardless of wether your using desktop or mobile.

What To Expect: Timelines, Costs, and The Reality Check

Okay so you’ve set up your account—now what? When will you actually hear from them?

And why aint they responding as much as you expected?

Let me break down the reality of how this system actually operates day-to-day.

Timeline: When Will Communication Actually Start?

If you’re loved one just got sentenced, dont expect immediate email access. Heres the timeline most people experiance:

During the first 2-6 weeks after sentencing, there at a intake facility (like a county jail holding federal inmates, or a transfer center). TRULINCS access at intake facilitys is usually limited or non-existant. The system dont really work until they get to there designated facility—the permanent prison where there gonna serve there sentance. So if its been a couple weeks of silence, that might be why. Its not that they forgot about you or dont wanna contact you.

Once they arrive at the designated facility, it can take another 3-7 days before they get access to the TRULINCS terminals. They gotta go through orientation, get there prison ID, set up they’re commissary account, and then request access to email. Then—and only then—can they add you to their contact list.

After your loved one submits the contact request, you should recieve the email within 24-48 hours normally. But I’ve seen it take as long as a week when the system is backed up or if theres some kind of security review going on.

The Cost Reality Nobody Talks About

For you, CorrLinks is free. For them, its not. The TRULINCS system costs inmates $0.05 per minute of use. That might not sound like much, but think about how long it takes to type a thoughtful message. A 10-minute email session (which is pretty short) costs them 50 cents. A hour of back-and-forth communication? Thats $3.00.

Now heres the thing: Alot of inmates dont have money. If you’re loved one’s commissary account is broke, they literaly cant afford to email you even though they desperately wanna. The money gets deducted from there trust fund account automatically. No money in the account, no email access sorta speaking.

This is why some families put money on commissary specifically so there loved one can communicate. Its a personal decision, but its worth understanding that the silence might not be emotional—it might be financial. They might loose access entirely if they run out of funds.

Monitoring Means Delays

Every single message—inbound and outbound—gets reviewed by BOP staff before its delivered. This aint instant messaging. Sometimes emails sit in a que for hours or even days before someone on staff approves them. Expect delays of 24-48 hours minimum, and sometimes longer then that if the facility is short-staffed or if its a weekend/holiday.

The monitoring is real and its extensive. Staff can read everything. They’re looking for escape plans, criminal activity, threats, discussion of contraband, anything that violates prison rules. If a message violates policy, it gets rejected and neither of you will see it. So dont be supprised if certain topics just never seem to get through.

When Email Access Disappears—And Why Your Loved One Went Silent

This is the section nobody wants to read but everybody needs to.

Your getting regular emails from your husband, your son, your brother—and then suddenly, nothing. Radio silence. You send messages and get no response. Days go by. Then weeks. You start thinking maybe they dont care anymore, maybe there moving on, maybe something terrible happened.

Real talk: There are so many reasons email access gets cut off that have nothing to do with them abandoning you. Let me walk you through what actually happens behind the walls that you cant see from the outside.

Disciplinary Restrictions (The Most Common Reason)

If your loved one gets a disciplinary write-up—what they call a “shot” in prison—they can loose TRULINCS access as part of the punishment. And the thing is, you wont get notified. The BOP doesnt send you a message saying “Hey, by the way, we took away there email priviledges for 30 days.”

You just stop hearing from them.

What kind of infractions lead to this? Pretty much anything. Being in the wrong area at count time. Having to many books in they’re cell. Refusing a work assignment. Getting into a arguement with staff. Failing a random drug test. Some of these sound minor to us on the outside, but inside they carry real consequences.

The restrictions can last anywhere from a week to several months depending on the severity. And here’s what makes it worse—your loved one cant even email you to explain why there not emailing. They’re completely cut off. So you sit their wondering what you did wrong when its actually got nothing to do with you.

Bottom line is this: If communication stops abruptly, disciplinary action is the first thing to consider.

Dont assume they abandoned you. Dont assume they found someone else. They might be sitting in they’re cell just as frustrated as you are, unable to reach out.

Transfers and Facility Moves

When a inmate gets transferred—whether its a routine redesignation, a medical transfer, or movement to a different security level—email access gets disrupted. Sometimes for weeks. The inmate has to go through intake all over again at the new facility, get a new housing assignment, go through orientation, and then request TRULINCS access from scratch.

During this time, your messages might go to the old facility and sit there undelivered. Or they might get forwarded but take forever to reach them. Or they might just dissapear into the system entirely. Its not a well-oiled machine irregardless of what the BOP website makes it sound like.

If you suddenly stop hearing from them, check the BOP inmate locator to see if they moved facilitys. If the location changed recently, thats probably your answer.

Administrative Issues and System Problems

Sometimes the TRULINCS system just breaks. Terminals go down for maintainance. The network crashes. Software updates cause glitches. I’ve herd stories of entire facilitys loosing access for weeks due to technical problems that the prison staff cant fix without waiting for ATG contractors to show up.

And sometimes its even more bureaucratic: Maybe the inmate forgot there password and cant reset it without staff help. Maybe there account got flagged for some random security review. Maybe the facility is on lockdown due to a incident and all non-essential services are suspended.

The October 2024 Mass Email Restrictions

Here’s something brand new that changed in October 2024: The BOP started restricting mass emails and bulk messages to inmates because scammers was targeting them. If your sending the exact same message to multiple inmates, or if the system detects patterns that look like spam, your messages might get blocked.

This affects families who might be emailing multiple family members in different facilitys. It affects support groups and ministries that send encouragement to inmates. The policy is new enough that alot of people dont even know its happening yet.

So if your messages suddenly start getting rejected for no clear reason, this might be why.

What To Actually Do When Communication Stops

First, dont panic. Give it at least a week before you start assuming the worst. Check the inmate locator to see if they moved. Try sending one more message explaining your concerned and asking if there okay. Then wait.

If two weeks go by with nothing, call the facility directly. Ask to speak to the counselor or case manager assigned to your loved one. They probably wont give you detailed information about disciplinary issues due to privacy rules, but they can at least confirm wether the inmate still has email access or not.

And here’s the hard truth: Sometimes you just gotta wait it out. If its a disciplinary restriction, it’ll get lifted eventually. If its a transfer, access will resume once they get settled. In the meantime, you can still send regular mail through the postal system—that almost never gets restricted unless there in solitary confinement.

I aint gonna lie to you—this part is the hardest. The not knowing. The silence. The wondering if something went wrong or if they just dont care anymore.

But nine times out of ten, its something on the prison’s end, not something on they’re end emotionally.

Remember that.

Alternative Communication Methods When TRULINCS Isn’t Working

Email through CorrLinks is convienent when it works, but its not your only option for staying connected. If TRULINCS access is denied, delayed, or restricted, here’s what else you can do.

Traditional Mail (The Most Reliable Fallback)

Regular postal mail almost never gets taken away accept in extreme cases like solitary confinement. You can send letters, cards, and photos (check the facility’s mail guidelines first—some restrictions apply to polaroids, anything that could contain contraband, etc.). Mail is slower then email, but its more reliable in the long run.

Letters dont cost the inmate anything to recieve, which is a huge advantage over email if there broke. And theres something about getting a physical letter that feels more personal anyway. Your loved one can hold it, reread it, keep it in they’re cell.

Phone Calls

Federal inmates can make phone calls through a system similar to TRULINCS. You’ll need to set up a phone account (usually through a service like Securus or GTL) and prepay for minutes. The calls are expensive—like $0.21-$0.25 per minute expensive—but hearing each others voices can be worth it when email aint working.

Phone access can also be restricted for disciplinary reasons, but its less common then email restrictions. So if TRULINCS is down, phone calls might still be a option. Just be prepared for the costs to add up quick if your talking for a hour or more.

Video Visitation (If Available)

Some federal facilitys now offer video visitation where you can see each other through a video call. Its not available everywhere, and it usually costs more then phone calls, but its a closer aproximation to a real visit if you cant make the trip in person. Check with the specific facility to see if they participate in video visitation programs.

In-Person Visits

Nothing replaces a in-person visit. If your able to travel to the facility, visiting hours are usually posted on the BOP website under the specific institution’s information. You’ll need to be on the inmate’s approved visiting list first, and you’ll have to follow the dress code and rules (which can be strict—no underwire bras, no denim in some places, no revealing clothing, etc.).

Visits let you actually see each other, hug at the begining and end, sit across from each other and talk for hours.

Its the most human form of contact available in a dehumanizing system.

Set Up Your CorrLinks Account Today—Don’t Let Another Day Go By

Your loved one is waiting to hear from you. There sitting in a cell right now wondering if your gonna set up the account, wondering if you still care, wondering if your thinking about them.

Dont let another day go by where they think you forgot.

Go to CorrLinks.com right now. Check your email for that correspondent request. Get there 8-digit register number ready. Set up your free account. It takes maybe ten minutes, and it means everything to them.

Yes the system is confusing. Yes its gonna be frustrating when messages dont come through instantly. Yes there gonna be silent periods that scare you.

But your not alone in this—thousands of families navigate this same system every single day. And now you know what to expect, what to watch out for, and what to do when things go wrong.

They need to know your still there.

Show them.