Prison messaging apps: how each one actually works
Every prison system picks its own messaging company, and they don't all start the same way. On most (Securus, JPay, ConnectNetwork, CorrLinks in state prisons) you make an account, add the person by name and ID number, and pay per message. On GettingOut both of you have to accept the contact. In federal prisons it runs the other way: the person inside adds you on TRULINCS, staff approve it, and you accept an emailed CorrLinks invitation.
Letters have changed too: in 26 of the 51 systems below, personal letters are scanned or photocopied, and in 19 they go to a department-wide mail center instead of the prison.
Checked against the department's own pages . How we check, and corrections
TRULINCS and CorrLinks
The person inside adds you first
- The person in federal prison adds your name and email address to their TRULINCS contact list. You cannot start this from the outside.
- Prison staff review and approve the contact.
- CorrLinks emails you an invitation with an identification code. It is only valid for 10 days.
- Create or sign in to a CorrLinks account and enter the identification code (not the register number) to accept, or choose to block.
- Once you accept, you can exchange text-only messages through CorrLinks.
Approval: Staff must approve the person's contact list, and you must accept the CorrLinks invitation within 10 days. If it expires, the person inside has to re-add you.
Cost: bop.gov says the system is paid for by the Inmate Trust Fund and "the fees inmates pay for using TRULINCS". CorrLinks' FAQ says it "does not charge the public for messages from/to persons in custody residing at facilities operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons".
TRULINCS and CorrLinks's own page · source quote: “An inmate requests to exchange electronic messages with a person in the community. They place that person on their contact list, which must be approved by staff...”
CorrLinks
You start it from outside
- Go to corrlinks.com (or the CorrLinks app), agree to the terms and create an account.
- Fund your account with a Visa or Mastercard credit card.
- Add the person to your address book using their state ID number.
- Write and send your message. Facility staff review it and deliver it on their schedule.
Approval: Facility staff can review, hold or reject any message. CorrLinks' FAQ says no fee is refunded if the institution rejects a message.
Cost: Charged per message at the rate each agency approves (CorrLinks FAQ). DOC pages state: Iowa $0.25 per o-mail; Massachusetts $0.25 per email; Wisconsin $0.15 per message; Nevada "a small fee" with a separate rates page.
State differences
- Massachusetts: One-way start: the person inside cannot email first and can only reply to people who have emailed them. $0.25 per email; rejected emails are not refunded.
- Nevada: One-way only: messages go from family and friends to the person, are printed in the facility mailroom and handed out at mail call. The person cannot reply by email.
- Iowa: Called O-mail. $0.25 per o-mail sent. The person inside buys their own o-mail credits to reply.
- Illinois: Illinois DOC says messages go through "ICSolutions' Corrlinks System" and links to corrlinks.com to register. Available at all IDOC facilities except ATCs; all messages are screened and delayed. Messages sent through GTL ConnectNetwork are no longer delivered. The page does not state a price.
- Wisconsin: Transition state: CorrLinks is only for people still on the older ATG tablet (messages only, no photos); people with the new ICS tablet use a GettingOut account. $0.15 per message either way. After a site switches to ICS tablets, CorrLinks messages are not received or refunded.
- Alabama: Alabama DOC says family and friends can send digital messages through the CorrLinks website or app; the page gives no price or sign-up details.
CorrLinks's own page · source quote: “If you're communicating with a person in custody at a subscribing state or county facility, you will also need to fund your account using a Mastercard or VISA c...”
Securus eMessaging
You start it from outside
- Create a Securus Online account at securustech.net or in the Securus mobile app.
- Find the person you want to write to and add them as a contact.
- Buy a book of stamps. The price per stamp is shown once you pick the person, because it varies by facility.
- Write and send your message. Attach a return stamp if you want them to be able to reply.
- The person inside cannot message you until you have added them and sent the first message.
Approval: All messages, photos and VideoGrams are reviewed by the facility. Rejected items come back with a reason, and stamps are not refunded.
Cost: Paid with stamps; Securus says stamp pricing varies by facility and the number of stamps per message and attachment may vary by agency. The person inside can reply using a return stamp you attach or stamps from their Securus Debit account.
State differences
- Colorado: One-way: Colorado DOC says eMessaging is one way and the person will not be able to respond electronically.
- Arkansas: Arkansas DOC describes the tablet eMessaging app as where scanned postal mail is delivered (via the digital mail center); the page does not describe a separate e-message sign-up.
- California: CDCR is moving from ViaPath to Securus tablets. Fire camps and 16 institutions had switched by the August 21, 2026 schedule; about 15 institutions were still pending with dates TBD. Use Securus once your loved one's institution has transitioned.
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma policy says family and friends sign up for eMessaging through securustech.net or the Securus mobile app.
- North Dakota: North Dakota says Securus lets friends and family purchase stamps and send electronic mail.
Securus eMessaging's own page · source quote: “You must add a contact and send them a message first before the can message you”
JPay
You start it from outside
- Create a free account at jpay.com or in the JPay app.
- Search for the person by state and their ID number. If you do not know the ID, look it up on the state's inmate search first.
- Buy stamps (or a subscription where offered). Each email uses a stamp; photos and VideoGrams use more.
- Write and send your email. Depending on the facility, the person can reply, view or print it.
Approval: Messages are screened by the corrections department. In Connecticut the person inside can only contact people who set up a JPay account and added them.
Cost: Per email "Stamp" bought online or at JPay kiosks (jpay.com). DOC-stated prices: New York 12 cents down to 9 cents per stamp by bundle; Minnesota 40 cents a stamp (unverified wording, see stateNotes). Michigan says families buy stamps or a subscription.
State differences
- Connecticut: Inside cannot start: people inside are only allowed to contact friends and family who set up JPay accounts and added them to their approved E-Messaging list.
- New York: Two-way: family can send messages, photos and VideoGrams and receive messages and e-cards. Each person inside gets four free stamps a month. Messages up to 6,000 characters.
- Michigan: Prisoners reply by buying electronic stamps at the JPay kiosk and can pay a fee for a printed copy. Staff can block senders who repeatedly break policy.
- Minnesota: Minnesota DOC's email page (read only through a page-reading tool, because it renders with JavaScript) says you need the person's ID number before you can send and gives 40 cents a stamp. Re-check in a browser before publishing the price.
- Missouri: Missouri calls it a Securus JPay account and lists electronic mail, digital greeting cards, pictures and 30-second videos.
JPay's own page · source quote: “Each email requires a "Stamp," often available at more affordable rates than traditional postage, and can be purchased online and at JPay kiosks in the correcti...”
ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging
You start it from outside
- Create a free account at connectnetwork.com and add the facility to your account.
- Open Messaging and search for the person by name or ID (booking) number, then add them as a contact.
- Buy message credits with a credit or debit card. The rate for that facility shows when you click Buy Credits.
- Write and send your message. Where the facility allows it, attach credits so the person can reply.
Approval: Messages are delivered under each facility's communication rules and reviewed by the corrections department. No contact-approval step is described on ConnectNetwork's pages.
Cost: Prepaid message credits; ConnectNetwork says rates vary by state and facility. At some facilities you also pay credits for the reply. California DOC states $0.05 per inbound e-message, photo or e-Card.
State differences
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire says email goes through ConnectNetwork and "The inmate's email address must be obtained directly from the inmate." (read from an Internet Archive capture dated 2026-04-06).
- Ohio: Ohio says people inside have no direct email access; families correspond by enrolling in a subscription with ViaPath (read from an Internet Archive capture dated 2025-10-07; drc.ohio.gov returned 404 today).
- California: CDCR is replacing ViaPath with Securus institution by institution (see Securus entry). ViaPath messages and photos do not carry over to the new tablets.
- Mississippi: Mississippi says ConnectNetwork.com handles telephone services while ViaPath Global Tel Link primarily handles text and messaging through tablets.
- Illinois: Illinois says messages sent through GTL ConnectNetwork will not be delivered; use CorrLinks.
ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging's own page · source quote: “Add inmates as Contacts in your Messaging account using their booking number or name.”
GettingOut
Either side sends the request; both accept
- Create an account at gettingout.com or in the GettingOut app, then activate it from the email they send you.
- Add the person as a contact. In some states the person inside can instead send you an email invitation that links to GettingOut.
- The person inside must accept your contact request (or you accept theirs) before you can message.
- Deposit funds into your Friends & Family account, then send messages from the Message tab.
Approval: Both sides must accept the contact. GettingOut says all messages must be approved by the facility before they are posted. In South Dakota the contact must also be approved on the person's phone list.
Cost: Paid from your Friends & Family account balance; GettingOut says you must have a sufficient balance to send. DOC-stated prices: Kansas $0.25 per message; Montana 25 cents per minute or message; Wisconsin $0.15 per message with three free weekly messages from ICS.
State differences
- Montana: Either side can start: the person inside can send you an email invitation, or you can add them yourself. Families need both a GettingOut account and an ICSolutions account (one funded ICS Prepaid account can pay for both). 25 cents per minute or message.
- Wisconsin: For people with the new ICS tablet: "Both parties must choose to accept the contact request before messaging will occur." $0.15 per message; three free weekly messages.
- South Dakota: Messages can only be exchanged with approved contacts on the person's phone list. Contacts not yet approved show as Pending in GettingOut. No photos.
- Indiana: You can create the account early, but you can only add the person as a contact once they receive their new tablet.
- Kansas: Use gettingout.com/kansas-doc. $0.25 per message, $0.25 per photo, $1.75 per 30-second video.
- Oregon: Oregon says ICS Corrections, Inc. offers messaging through GettingOut. Messages may be delayed for content review.
GettingOut's own page · source quote: “Inmates can send an email request to Friends and Family members with whom they wish to communicate. The email invitation will include a link to GettingOut.com.”
Smart Communications
You start it from outside
- Create a free account at smartinmate.com and verify it with the code sent by email or text. You may be asked to upload a photo ID.
- Search for the person by name or ID number and add them as a contact.
- Wait for the facility to approve the contact; messaging is not enabled until it does.
- Buy service credits, then write and send your message. You can transfer credits so they can reply.
Approval: The contact must be approved by the facility before messaging is enabled, and messages may be held for review.
Cost: Service credits, one cent each, minimum purchase 500 credits ($5.00); each message costs 50 credits (50 cents), paid by the sender or, as a collect (COD) message, by the recipient. Credits are refunded if the facility rejects a message. Source: smartinmate.com.
State differences
- New Mexico: New Mexico Corrections Department's tablets from Smart Communications include electronic messaging; postal mail is processed through per-facility PO boxes in Seminole, FL (MailGuard). SmartInmate can also track postal mail sent to MailGuard facilities.
Smart Communications's own page · source quote: “Choose the incarcerated individual you want to contact from your contacts list, or add a new contact by searching for them by name or ID number.”
Pigeonly
You start it from outside
- Create an account at pigeonly.com.
- Find the person with Pigeonly's inmate locator (name, ID number and facility).
- Type your letter online and add photos or a card if you want.
- Pigeonly prints, addresses and mails it for you. In Delaware and New Jersey it is scanned, screened by the DOC and printed for the prison.
Approval: In Delaware, Pigeonly scans incoming mail, shares the scan with the DOC for screening, then prints and ships it to the prison. This is postal mail, not two-way messaging.
Cost: Delaware DOC says Pigeonly offers a no-cost "Forever Free" plan for limited mail to one contact per month and a paid subscription for unlimited mail.
State differences
- Delaware: All non-legal mail goes to a Pigeonly Corrections scanning center (PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193) with the facility code; the DOC screens the scan and a printed copy is delivered. Originals are not returned.
- New Jersey: New Jersey also uses Pigeonly Corrections to scan mail; the facility screens the scan and Pigeonly prints and ships it. Publications are not accepted by Pigeonly.
Pigeonly's own page · source quote: “With Pigeonly, you can send letters to inmates online using your phone or computer - no printer, stamps, or envelopes needed.”
By prison system
| Prison system | Electronic messages | Where letters go | What happens to them | What they get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | CorrLinks | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A copy on their tablet |
| Alaska | Not named on the department's pages | To the prison | Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered | Your original letter |
| Arizona | Not named on the department's pages | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| Arkansas | Securus eMessaging | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| California | Securus eMessaging, ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging | To the prison | Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered | Your original letter |
| Colorado | Securus eMessaging | To the prison | Depends on the prison | Depends on the prison |
| Connecticut | JPay | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Delaware | Pigeonly | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy |
| Federal Bureau of Prisons | TRULINCS and CorrLinks | To the prison | Depends on the prison | Depends on the prison |
| Florida | Securus eMessaging, JPay | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| Georgia | Not named on the department's pages | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Hawaii | GettingOut | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Idaho | GettingOut | To the prison | Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered | Your original letter |
| Illinois | CorrLinks | To the prison | Scanned or photocopied | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| Indiana | GettingOut | Depends on the prison | Scanned | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| Iowa | CorrLinks | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy |
| Kansas | GettingOut | To the prison | Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered | Your original letter |
| Kentucky | Not named on the department's pages | To the prison | Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered | Your original letter |
| Louisiana | JPay | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Maine | Not named on the department's pages | Depends on the prison | Depends on the prison | Depends on the prison |
| Maryland | Not named on the department's pages | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Massachusetts | CorrLinks | To the prison | Depends on the prison | Depends on the prison |
| Michigan | JPay | To the prison | Photocopied | A printed copy |
| Minnesota | JPay | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy |
| Mississippi | ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging | To the prison | Photocopied | A printed copy |
| Missouri | JPay | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| Montana | GettingOut | Depends on the prison | Scanned | A copy on their tablet |
| Nebraska | GettingOut | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A copy on their tablet |
| Nevada | CorrLinks, ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| New Hampshire | ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| New Jersey | ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging, Pigeonly | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy |
| New Mexico | Smart Communications | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A copy on their tablet |
| New York | JPay | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| North Carolina | ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A copy on their tablet |
| North Dakota | Securus eMessaging | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A copy on their tablet |
| Ohio | ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned or photocopied | Depends on the prison |
| Oklahoma | Securus eMessaging | Depends on the prison | Scanned | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| Oregon | GettingOut | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Pennsylvania | ViaPath ConnectNetwork Messaging | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy |
| Rhode Island | Not named on the department's pages | To the prison | Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered | Your original letter |
| South Carolina | GettingOut | To the prison | Opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered | Your original letter |
| South Dakota | GettingOut | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Tennessee | Not named on the department's pages | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A copy on their tablet |
| Texas | Securus eMessaging | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | A printed copy or a copy on their tablet |
| Utah | Not named on the department's pages | To the prison | Scanned | A printed copy |
| Vermont | Not named on the department's pages | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Virginia | JPay | To the prison | Photocopied | A printed copy |
| Washington | Securus eMessaging | To the prison | Depends on the prison | Depends on the prison |
| West Virginia | GettingOut | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | Scanned | The department doesn't say |
| Wisconsin | CorrLinks, GettingOut | To a department-wide mail center, not the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
| Wyoming | Not named on the department's pages | To the prison | The department doesn't say | The department doesn't say |
Read on the companies' and departments' own websites on October 7, 2026; each state page links its exact sources. Where a department's site blocked automated reading, we read its own page as saved by the Internet Archive. Departments change vendors (California is moving from ViaPath to Securus prison by prison), so check before you pay. How we check, and corrections.
Using a messaging app with a pen pal
Messages are read by the prison, and rejected messages are not always refunded. Never send money to someone you only know through letters. A letter on plain paper still works everywhere: see your first letter.