How Phone Calls and TRULINCS Messaging Work at FCI Three Rivers
Staying in touch with someone at FCI Three Rivers means understanding what's monitored, what's allowed, and what costs money. Here's how phone calls and TRULINCS electronic messaging work in the federal system—and what that means for your day-to-day communication.
At FCI Three Rivers, phone time is a privilege, not a right. The Bureau of Prisons can set limitations or conditions on telephone use, and those restrictions look different depending on someone's status and the facility's current needs. The bottom line for families: access can be restricted, and it won't always happen on your timeline. Calls aren't private either. A notice is posted next to each inmate telephone stating that calls are monitored - so everyone knows before the conversation starts.
Note: Unmonitored telephone calls to attorneys are permitted in certain circumstances.
Monitoring and phone limits go hand in hand. The BOP uses both to manage facility communications and catch or prevent misuse. The attorney exception works differently: legal calls may happen without monitoring in certain situations, allowing your loved one to communicate privately with counsel. If you're supporting their legal communication, know that regular family calls and attorney calls aren't treated the same way.
Usually, the person inside pays for phone calls. In some cases, the receiving party can pay instead. If you're budgeting for staying in touch, assume your loved one's account funds the calls unless their approved calling setup tells you otherwise.
- ✓ Third-party or other alternative telephone call arrangements are not permitted for inmates.
TRULINCS is the BOP's electronic messaging system, and it requires approval on both sides. Each inmate must be approved to use TRULINCS, and each person they want to message must give permission first. If you're not getting messages, one of those approvals probably hasn't gone through yet.
TRULINCS messages are text-only. No attachments are permitted, which means you can’t send photos, PDFs, forms, or any other files through the message itself. Keep it simple and write out anything they need to know in plain text.
There's also a size cap: each TRULINCS message maxes out at 13,000 characters - roughly two pages of text. If you have more to say, split it into multiple messages. On the cost side, TRULINCS is funded through the Inmate Trust Fund and user fees, not taxpayer dollars. That means messaging depends on your loved one having funds available to cover those fees.
Reminder: TRULINCS requires approval for each contact, and messages are text-only. Plan for that upfront so you don't waste time trying to send attachments or message someone who hasn't given consent.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Confirm your loved one is approved to use TRULINCS and that you’ve given permission as a contact.
- ✓ Keep TRULINCS messages under 13,000 characters; split longer updates into separate messages.
- ✓ Clarify who is paying for phone calls (usually the inmate, but sometimes the receiving party pays).
Heads up: Expect monitoring and expect limits - calls aren’t private, and telephone privileges can come with conditions or restrictions.
Want to avoid surprise expenses? Talk with your loved one about how their TRULINCS use is funded. Since access depends on having enough money to cover user fees, getting clear on that early prevents gaps in communication.
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