Sending Mail and E‑Messages to Hilltop Unit: Digital Mail, Tablets, and JPay Explained
Mail to Hilltop Unit doesn't work the way it used to. TDCJ switched to a digital mail platform, so most personal letters now go to a processing center where they're scanned and delivered through the inmate's secure tablet. No tablet? They'll get printed copies instead.
As of September 6, 2023, all TDCJ units - including Hilltop Unit - use a digital mail system. Your letter doesn't go straight to the unit anymore. Instead, it's sent to a processing center, sorted, and scanned. The scanned version then shows up on the inmate's secure tablet.
Address your letter to the TDCJ Digital Processing Center - not Hilltop Unit directly. Include the inmate's full first and last name plus their TDCJ number. That's how the processing center matches your letter to the right person. Texas Department of Criminal Justice Inmate's Full First and Last Name + TDCJ Number PO Box 660400 Dallas, TX 75266-0400
If the person you’re writing to doesn’t have a tablet, your mail can still get to them. In that situation, they receive black-and-white printed copies of their scanned correspondence.
Tablets at Hilltop Unit do more than display scanned mail. They can include educational apps, informational resources, and entertainment options. Heads up: some recreational apps have rental or subscription fees set by the vendor, and those fees can change. If your loved one mentions that certain features cost money, that's part of how the tablet program works.
- ✓ Custody level
- ✓ Disciplinary history
- ✓ Other agency criteria
- Register on jpay.com - create your account so you can message a TDCJ inmate.
- Buy electronic stamps - stamps are required to send e-messages, and prices are set by the vendor (and can change).
- Write and send your e-message - compose your message online and submit it through the system.
When you send a JPay e-message, it goes through the facility interface for review before delivery. Once approved, it lands on the inmate's tablet and/or the recipient's email. This review step can cause delays - so if a message takes a while to arrive, it doesn't necessarily mean it didn't go through.
Heads up: As tablets roll out across TDCJ (including Hilltop Unit), JPay eMessaging is expected to transition to Securus eMessaging for incoming messages to tablets.
Books, magazines, and newspapers have their own rules. For Hilltop Unit inmates, publications must come directly from the publisher, a publication supplier, a bookstore, or an online bookseller. Even from an approved source, they're still subject to review and can be rejected under correspondence rules.
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