Texas Department of Criminal Justice Correctional Institutions Division

It is the policy of the TDCJ to allow eligible offenders to make telephone calls. An offender’s use of the telephone is an earned privilege based on a good conduct and work record. It is not the department's policy to accept incoming telephone calls for offenders, except under emergency circumstances as determined by staff.

• To be eligible for telephone calls, offenders must:
1. be on their unit of assignment for 90 days (30 days for State Jail offenders)
2. not have any disciplinary violations within the last 90 days (30 days for State Jail offenders)
3. be engaged in full-time work, school or treatment. (Offenders whose medical condition keeps them from working and who meet all other requirements will be eligible),
4. have the person being called listed on their approved visitor list.

• Generally, offenders shall be Level 1, 2, or 3 custody. Level 4 custody offenders shall be allowed telephone calls if they are SAT 3 or 4, with a year clear of major disciplinaries (State Jail offenders must also have a year clear of major cases), and the Warden has no security concerns regarding the call.
• Offenders who are in other custody categories shall only be eligible at the Warden’s discretion.
• No offender will be on the phone at count time. No offender will delay count because of a telephone call.
• Offenders making telephone calls will conduct their telephone conversations in an acceptable manner. Offenders making telephone calls will use understandable conversation. No code language will be allowed. Loud, boisterous conversations will not be permitted. Threats, obscenities or other abuses will cause an offender to lose his telephone privileges. Security staff will monitor all calls.
• Telephone calls may be subject to electronic monitoring by investigators of the Office of the Inspector General.
• Offenders requesting telephone privileges shall submit an I-60 to the Major or his designee. The following information must be included:
• Offender’s name and number
• Housing and job assignment
• Date of last phone call
• Name and relation of the person to be called
• Reason for the call

Telephone Service Provider

Texas prison agency awarded a seven-year contract to Embarq Corp., Kan. based company for providing telephone service to inmates in Texas correctional facilities. The company will provide facilities for an estimated 120,000 inmates who will be allowed up 120 minutes of prepaid and collect calls each month. Approximately one phone is being installed for each 30 inmates in common areas of prisons like day rooms. 

• The system will allow inmates up to 15 minutes per call to friends and family who are on approved list of visitors.
• The system gives a warning message one minute before being disconnecting the call.
• The call can be made from 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Calls are limited to 120 min a month
• The calls to crime victims or the victims' families will be not be allowed.
• International calls and calls to cell phone, calls to 800 numbers businesses, pay phones aren't allowed.
• The service is not available for inmates with disciplinary problems, gang affiliations or those on death row.
• The service provider takes voice prints of each eligible inmate as a security check for phone access
• Friends and relatives of inmates can register on a Web site: http://www.texasprisonphone.com . The people registering will be notified by phone once they are approved for receiving calls.
• The People on an inmate's visitors list are required to submit a copy of their telephone bill and a copy of their driver's license for verification and validation.
• Calls to an inmate's lawyer of record, protected under attorney-client privilege, would not be monitored or recorded.

Calling Programs

Embarq allows following method of payment for calls made: 

Direct-Collect Billed

The calls are charged when the inmate call is accepted. The monthly invoice detailing the calls is sent to the registered members. The account is automatically created when registration is done with the Embarq Friends & Family Enrollment Center. Collect calls within Texas will be about 26 cents a minute and 43 cents for outside the state. A monthly fee of $2.49 is charged on direct bill for services. 

Friends & Family Prepaid

Telephone number owner can make prepayment for the calls. Refunds are available for 365 days from date of last activity. A fee of $5 is charged for all payments made through the credit cards. Minimum funding amount is $25.00 and maximum is $100.00. The prepaid facility is available at rates of about 26 cents a minute for in-state calls and 43 cents for out-of-state calls 

Offender Prepaid Debit

Any one can fund Offender's Prepaid Debit account. The money put in this account becomes property of inmate. Inmate can use the money to make calls. The inmate gets 10% rebate on calls made from this account. 

eMessaging Fees

Email $0.44 per message 

Call Charges

Friends & Family Account

Offender Account

Funds placed in offender accounts become the property of the offender. Friends & family members will not be able to request refunds from these accounts. 

*Offender Prepaid Debit calls receive a 10% discount off Friends & Family Account rates. The rate displayed above reflects this discount. 

http://texasoffenderfriendsandfamily.com/default.asp

http://www.inmate-telephone-service.com/texas-inmate-phone-system.html

http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/publications/cid/OffendOrientHbkNov04.pdf