How to send messages, photos, and packages
Staying in touch with someone at the Baten Unit starts with phone setup. To receive calls, register your telephone number at texasprisonphone.com and enter the inmate's TDCJ ID number. Calls run through the vendor system, so payment and monitoring details are handled there. The unit's online scheduler lists Video/Tablet as a visit type, meaning video or tablet-based visit options may be available through the scheduling portal. When you create a scheduler or messaging account, watch for a validation email with a 7-digit code—some systems won't let you delete or change the original email address after registration. Mail is routed through TDCJ's digital mail processing center, which scans and uploads mail to a secure tablet when available and allowed.
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TDCJ changed how most incoming personal mail is handled starting September 6, 2023. Instead of going straight to a prison unit, most mail now routes to a central processing center where it's scanned and delivered digitally. A few important categories still need to be mailed directly to the unit.
Sending mail to someone at the Baten Unit comes down to one key decision: does it go to the TDCJ Digital Mail Processing Center, or directly to the unit? Here's how to get it right the first time.
Writing to someone at the Baten Unit? Your letter won't go straight to the facility — it routes through TDCJ's digital mail process first.
Register your telephone number through the state internet registration at texasprisonphone.com. During registration, you’ll need to provide the inmate’s TDCJ ID number.
The Baten Unit’s online scheduler lists Video/Tablet visit types, so remote video or tablet-based visits may be available through the scheduler. Use the unit’s scheduling portal for the current options and steps.
TDCJ uses a digital mail processing center that sorts, scans, and uploads incoming mail to an inmate’s secure tablet. Whether tablet mail features are available depends on the unit and the inmate’s eligibility.
Send personal mail through the digital system to PO Box 660400, Dallas, TX 75266-0400. Make sure the envelope includes the inmate’s full name and TDCJ number.
Yes. Mail is sorted and scanned by TDCJ’s centralized processing center, and scanned pages are uploaded to the inmate’s secure tablet. This has been in effect since September 6, 2023.
Yes. Legal mail, media mail, and books or magazine subscriptions from verified publishers are exceptions and should be sent directly to the unit. For privileged correspondence, follow the unit’s legal-mail procedures.
Planning a visit to the Baten Unit? The schedule makes sense once you understand three things: weekend visiting hours, two-hour visit lengths, and how TDCJ's Monday–Sunday visiting cycle limits how often regular visits can happen.
A little prep can save you a wasted trip. Use this checklist to confirm the basics, bring the right ID, and avoid common turn-away issues before heading to Baten Unit.
Your first visit to Baten Unit goes smoother when you show up with the right ID and only the small items allowed past the secured perimeter. Use the checklists below to pack once, park once, and avoid getting turned away at the door.
