Christina Melton Crain Unit, TX

Before making the trip to Christina Melton Crain Unit, confirm the inmate is assigned there and has current visitation privileges. Visitation information updates daily, so call the unit before you travel. Bring a valid photo ID—check the unit's list of acceptable identification ahead of time so you don't get turned away at check-in. Leave cell phones outside the secure perimeter, and don't bring cash into the secure facility except coins up to $35. Each inmate is generally allowed only one visit per weekend, and visits can be ended—or visitors removed—for improper conduct. If you're removed from a visitor list, you can appeal in writing to the Director's Review Committee at PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX within 14 days of the notice.

To receive phone calls from an inmate at Christina Melton Crain Unit, register your telephone number through the state system and provide the inmate's TDCJ ID number. You must confirm you're the phone owner, be at least 18, and agree to accept calls. Calls can be collect, paid through Friends & Family prepaid, or paid from an inmate prepaid debit (Securus) account. Only home landlines and post-paid or pre-paid cell phones work—no 800 numbers, businesses, pay phones, internet services, or international numbers. Facility phones are generally available 5:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m. Tablet phone hours may differ, and calls can be limited to 30 minutes with a one-minute warning before disconnection. Remote video visits through Securus cost $10 for 60 minutes, and inmates are limited to one remote video visit per month.

Mail rules at Christina Melton Crain Unit are strict. Don't mail cash, postage stamps, or personal items to the unit or directly to an inmate's Inmate Trust Fund. For most personal correspondence, Texas uses a centralized digital mail system: your letter goes to a mail vendor for screening and scanning, then gets delivered to the inmate electronically. Address your envelope with the inmate's full name and TDCJ/ID number, and include your full return address. Follow standard paper-size and page-limit guidance, and avoid anything prohibited by Texas mail rules. Legal and privileged mail goes through a separate facility process—it's inspected for contraband rather than routinely scanned.

To add money to an offender's account at Christina Melton Crain Unit, mail a money order or cashier's check payable to the Inmate Trust Fund. Include the offender's name and number, along with a completed deposit slip. Send it to Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 60, Huntsville, TX. Need a deposit slip? Request one by mailing a self-addressed stamped envelope to that same PO Box, or get one from the offender. For automatic deposits, enroll in TDCJ's free monthly ACH debit. Complete the ACH authorization form, attach a voided check, and mail both to Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 629, Huntsville, TX 77342-0629. ACH debits usually run around the 5th and post around the 10th. Stop/change forms must arrive 3–5 business days before the 5th. Approved fee-based options include Access Corrections, ACE, ECommDirect, JPay, and TouchPay (online or by phone). Senders must provide their name and address.