How to Register Your Phone and What to Expect from Phone Calls from Hobby Unit
If your loved one is at the Hobby Unit, you'll need to register your phone number before calls can come through. Once that's done, calls follow TDCJ's statewide rules—set hours, time limits, and monitoring.
You can't receive calls from someone at the Hobby Unit until your phone number is registered. Head to TDCJ's Friends & Family Enrollment for the Inmate Telephone System to get set up.
You'll need the inmate's TDCJ ID number to register. Don't have it? Look it up through the online inmate search, or call (936) 295-6371 or (800) 535-0283 (answered 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday).
Stuck during registration? Call TDCJ's telephone registration help line at (866) 806-7804.
Who Can Register
- ✓ Confirm you are the registered owner of the telephone number.
- ✓ Confirm you are at least 18 years old.
- ✓ Agree to allow the inmate to call the telephone number.
- ✓ Agree you will not forward calls, make three-way calls, or use a speakerphone on calls received from the inmate.
Phones are generally available from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. These hours can shift if facility conditions require it, so don't be caught off guard if call patterns change.
Calls are capped at 30 minutes. An automated warning plays one minute before disconnection - start wrapping up when you hear it.
Note: All calls are subject to monitoring and recording, except calls to the attorney of record.
Individual calls have time limits, but there's no monthly minute cap. The real challenge is timing and phone availability - not running out of minutes.
Calls go to standard phone numbers - home landlines and cell phones. Non-traditional number types may not work with the system, so stick with a regular landline or mobile when registering.
Big change ahead: starting December 1, 2025, Securus requires a funded AdvanceConnect account to pay for calls. Set up and fund your account before then to avoid interruptions.
Create your account at securustech.net. The same login handles deposits, eMessaging, video visitation, and tablet services.
- Create your account at securustech.net - set up your Securus login so you can manage calling-related services.
- Fund an AdvanceConnect account before December 1, 2025 - a funded AdvanceConnect balance will be required to pay for phone calls after that date.
- Double-check your phone number registration - make sure the number you want to use is enrolled so your loved one can place calls to it.
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