Formby State Jail

Visiting hours at Formby State Jail run Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visiting cycles start Monday and end the following Sunday. Eligible inmates can have one visit per cycle, lasting two hours once both the inmate and visitors are present. Certain custody levels (G1, J1, J2) qualify for one contact visit per week. Keep in mind that visitation is a privilege—it can be restricted or suspended for rule violations, security concerns, lockdowns, escapes, disturbances, or health emergencies. If you're 18 or older, bring a current government-issued ID, and at least one ID must show your current physical address. Each inmate may list up to 10 visitors. Visits (except attorney–client) may be electronically monitored. Cell phones are prohibited inside the secure perimeter, though you can bring up to $35 in coins. Traveling more than 250 miles one way? The warden may approve extended visits up to four hours.

Formby State Jail offers two types of video visits, each scheduled through a different system. Kiosk-based remote video visits are set up through the vendor's website—you get one session per month, up to 60 minutes. Tablet video visits are scheduled through the TDCJ visitation portal at https://visitation.tdcj.texas.gov/Visitation/. Phone calls, e-messaging, and other tablet features vary by unit, so check the inmate's facility page before making plans. You'll typically need to register phone numbers, create vendor accounts for calls or e-messaging, and follow the vendor's payment instructions for paid services.

Mail at Formby State Jail goes through Texas' centralized digital mail processing system—most personal letters are scanned and delivered electronically. Some mail bypasses this process and goes straight to the unit: legal mail, media mail, and books/magazines/subscriptions from verified publishers. Always include the inmate's full name, TDCJ number, and unit address on the envelope (unit addresses are posted on the agency website). You can't mail packages to inmates here. Most items besides printed publications aren't allowed—no food, clothing, jewelry, or toiletries. Publications must ship directly from the publisher, a publication supplier, bookstore, or online bookseller, and they're subject to review and rejection.

Sending money to someone at Formby State Jail starts with one key rule: only people on the inmate's Approved Visitation List or Inmate Telephone List can make deposits (effective Sept 1, 2020). Funds go into the inmate's Texas Inmate Trust Fund (commissary) account. Authorized senders can typically deposit through approved online vendors, facility kiosks, mailed money orders or cashier's checks, or scheduled ACH deposits—depending on the method's rules. Don't send cash or personal checks. Vendors and kiosks may charge service fees and have their own processing timelines. Need to verify a deposit arrived? The Inmate Trust Fund office can confirm receipt, but won't share balances or transaction details with anyone except the inmate. Follow centralized deposit instructions exactly—don't mail funds to the facility address or include personal letters with a money order.