What is TRULINCS? (top)
The Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) is a new program currently being deployed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide inmates with some limited computer access, to include the capability to send and receive electronic messages without having access to the Internet. This program is designed in part to assist in the inmate's eventual release to the community. Electronic messaging has now become a standard form of communication within most American homes and businesses, and it can now be used to help inmates stay connected to their families. Strengthening or re-establishing family ties helps inmates improve the likelihood of a successful re-entry into the community, thus reducing the potential for recidivism.
Do inmates have access to the Internet? (top)
No Internet access is provided.
Who funds TRULINCS? (top)
No taxpayer dollars are used for this service. Funding is provided entirely by the Inmate Trust Fund, which is maintained by profits from inmate purchases of commissary products, telephone services, and the fees inmates pay for using TRULINCS.
Do all BOP facilities have access to TRULINCS? (top)
No, but the list of facilities where it is available is growing, and TRULINCS is expected to be in all BOP facilities by June 2011. Ask your inmate contact about it!
How do I correspond with an inmate by e-mail? (top)
Inmates are limited to sending and receiving electronic messages only from individuals on their approved contact list. An inmate must request to exchange electronic messages with a person in the community by placing that person on their contact list. If staff approve the inmate's request to exchange electronic messages, the system generates a message to that person advising them of the request and gives the prospective contact the option of accepting or rejecting the request and any future electronic messages from that particular inmate; or rejecting the request and any future electronic messages from any Federal inmate. The inmate will be notified of the requested contact's reply action, and messaging may begin if approval is received from the contact.
What can I do if I have not received a system-generated message, but the inmate added me to their contact list? (top)
Verify with the inmate that they entered your e-mail address properly. Pay special attention to the spelling of addresses and domain names (.com, .net, etc.).
Many mail clients have filters to protect users from spam and viruses. Once you have verified the inmate entered your correct e-mail address, you should check your junk mail folder to see if a filter diverted the message.
I accepted the system-generated message, but the inmate has not been notified. (top)
Responses will only be accepted from the exact e-mail address placed on the inmate’s contact list. Messages from forwarded domains, alias addresses, or mis-configured mail software will not be recognized by TRULINCS and, therefore, cannot be delivered. Please verify your Reply Address in your mail client’s account settings. It must be the exact address entered on the inmate’s contact list. Do not alter the reply message or the subject line.
I tried to approve or refuse communication with an inmate by clicking the appropriate response,but nothing happened. (top)
Many mail clients' viewing capabilities are defaulted to view text formatted messages to reduce the number of viruses introduced to your computer. To approve/refuse communication with an inmate, your viewing capability must be set to view html formatted messages in order to launch the appropriate hyper-link to approve/refuse communication.
Is e-mail correspondence monitored? (top)
Yes; all e-mail correspondence is subject to monitoring. Inmates consent to monitoring when they agree to participate in the program. Contacts consent to monitoring when they approve corresponding with the inmate and are notified each time they receive correspondence from the inmate.
Are there rules? (top)
E-mail correspondence may not jeopardize the public or the safety, security, or orderly operation of the correctional facility. Additionally, it may not exceed 13,000 characters (i.e., approximately two pages) or have attachments. Correspondence that is not consistent with these restrictions will be rejected. Any attachments sent with electronic messages will be stripped and not delivered to the inmate.
What can I do if I want to stop corresponding with an inmate? (top)
Contacts may remove themselves from a specific inmate’s contact list or refuse all future Federal inmates’ requests for message exchanges at any time by selecting the applicable action identified in the footer of each inmate message.
What can I do if I accidentally declined to correspond but actually want to correspond? (top)
If a member of the public accidentally responds that they do not want to correspond with the specific inmate or any Federal inmate and a block is placed on their e-mail address, they must provide a written request to the Warden of the facility where the inmate is located to remove the block. Requests must include the contact’s name, physical address, e-mail address, and telephone number.
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