Penmate Inmate Support Guides
Phone & Messaging

Setting Up TRULINCS Email with Your Loved One at FMC Lexington

TRULINCS is the Bureau of Prisons' secure messaging system—and one of the easiest ways to stay in touch with someone at FMC Lexington once you're both set up. Here's how it works, what to expect, and how to sidestep the common snags.

• 2 min read • bop.gov
Setting Up TRULINCS Email with Your Loved One at FMC Lexington

At FMC Lexington, inmates use TRULINCS to exchange secure electronic messages with people on the outside. It's a controlled messaging system - great for quick updates, longer check-ins, or just staying connected between phone calls and visits.

Cost note: TRULINCS runs on fees charged to inmates through the Inmate Trust Fund - not taxpayer dollars.

Expect plain text only. TRULINCS doesn't allow attachments - no photos, PDFs, forms, or other files. If you're used to regular email, this is the biggest adjustment.

Size limit: Each TRULINCS message is capped at 13,000 characters (about two pages of text).

Before you can exchange messages, your loved one needs to be approved for TRULINCS access. If they're not approved yet, messaging won't work until the facility grants it on their end.

You'll need to be approved too. Each person an inmate wants to message through TRULINCS must give permission first. So don't be surprised if there's a setup step before anything comes through.

Setting Up TRULINCS Email with Your Loved One at FMC Lexington

Practical Tips

  • ✓ Keep messages plain text only (no attachments).
  • ✓ Stay under 13,000 characters - if you’re writing something long, break it into multiple messages.
  • ✓ Make the first line count so your main update isn’t buried if you need to split a longer note.
  • ✓ If you’re trying to share “documents” or details, paste the key text into the message instead of referencing a file.
  1. Ask if they’re approved for TRULINCS - they must be approved to use the system before any messaging can happen.
  2. Have them add you and start the permission step early - each outside contact has to give permission/be approved before you can exchange messages.
  3. Confirm it’s active before you wait by the inbox - once approvals are in place on both sides, messaging can begin.

Budget tip: Since inmates pay fees for each message, check with your loved one about how they want to manage costs.

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