Before You Mail That Money Order to an Inmate at Christina Melton Crain Unit: A Checklist
The payee line matters. Make your money order or cashier's check payable exactly to:
How to send messages, photos, and packages
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.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
The payee line matters. Make your money order or cashier's check payable exactly to:
Register your telephone number through the state/vendor process and include the inmate's TDCJ ID number. The name on your driver license or state ID must match the telephone listing or bill. You'll need to confirm you're the phone owner, be at least 18, and agree to accept calls. You also must agree not to forward calls, use three-way calling, or use speakerphone on inmate calls.
Calls can be collect, paid through Friends & Family prepaid, or paid from an inmate prepaid (Securus) account. Only home landlines and post-paid or pre-paid cell phones are allowed—800 numbers, businesses, pay phones, internet services, and international numbers won't work. All inmate calls except those to the attorney of record are monitored and recorded. You'll hear a warning one minute before the call disconnects.
Remote video visits go through Securus—use their scheduling and payment system to book. At Crain Unit, remote video visits cost $10, last 60 minutes, and inmates are limited to one per month. If something goes wrong, contact Securus Customer Service or use the ITS contact channels for vendor complaints.
No. Do not send cash, postage stamps, or personal items to Christina Melton Crain Unit or to an inmate’s trust fund.
Use the inmate’s full name and TDCJ/ID number, and include your full return address on the envelope. Stick to standard paper size and page limits so pages aren’t rejected.
Generally, no. Legal and privileged mail follows a separate process and is typically inspected for contraband under legal-mail procedures rather than routinely scanned into the digital system.
A little prep before you leave can save you a wasted trip to Christina Melton Crain Unit. Use this checklist to confirm the basics, bring the right ID, leave prohibited items behind, and plan around the one-visit-per-weekend limit.
Setting up phone calls is usually quick, but a few rules can trip you up during enrollment. Here's how to register your number so you can receive calls from someone at the Christina Melton Crain Unit.
Money you send to someone at the Christina Melton Crain Unit goes into their TDCJ Inmate Trust Fund account. Here's how to deposit funds—including free and paid options—and what details to include so your money arrives without delays.