Using TRULINCS Email with an Inmate (limits, monitoring, and request forms)

TRULINCS is the Bureau of Prisons' secure electronic messaging system. It gives you a structured way to stay in touch while your loved one is in federal custody - no need to rely solely on mail or phone calls.

Messages have a firm limit: 13,000 characters, roughly two pages of text. If you write long updates, break them into shorter parts so nothing gets cut off.

TRULINCS is text-only. That means no attachments - no photos, no PDFs, no scanned documents - just the words you type into the message.

Expect TRULINCS messages to be monitored and screened. It's a controlled system - inmates don't have general internet access through it. Both the inmate and their contacts must consent to monitoring before using TRULINCS.

To be added as a TRULINCS contact, you'll need a TRULINCS Contact Request Form (BP-A1054 in Trust Fund policy). This is the permission step that allows an inmate to message a specific person through the system.