Powledge Unit, TX

Visiting at Powledge Unit takes some planning, but the rules are straightforward once you know them. Inmates follow the TDCJ one-visit-per-weekend rule, so check eligibility before you go. Weekend visiting hours run Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with regular visits lasting two hours starting when both you and the inmate are present. If you're 18 or older, bring an acceptable government-issued photo ID. Leave your cell phone outside the secure perimeter, and plan to bring little to no cash—coins only, up to $35. Contact visits allow limited physical contact, and most non-attorney visits may be electronically monitored. Confirm the person is assigned to Powledge and call ahead. Special visits or accommodations must be arranged in advance, and relationship requests are made through the online visitation scheduler and verified by unit staff.

Powledge Unit offers remote video communication through both kiosk and tablet options, but scheduling works differently for each. Remote kiosk video visits are available once per month and can last up to 60 minutes—schedule those through the approved vendor. Tablet-based video visits aren't booked through the vendor kiosk system. Instead, schedule them online through the TDCJ visitation portal. Across Texas units, phone access, video visits, electronic messaging, and inmate tablets are managed through the agency's Inmate Technology program and third-party vendors. Services, eligibility, and scheduling details can vary by unit, so check the Powledge Unit information in the TDCJ portal before you plan. When you're ready to book, follow the vendor or portal steps and confirm the visit time with the inmate.

Since September 6, 2023, incoming personal mail for Powledge Unit goes through TDCJ's centralized digital mail platform to reduce contraband and speed up processing. Send personal letters, greeting cards, and photos to the TDCJ Digital Mail Processing Center, PO Box 660400, Dallas, TX 75266-0400. Make sure the envelope includes the inmate's full name and TDCJ number. Some items don't go through the Dallas center: legal/privileged mail, media mail, and books, magazines, or packages shipped directly from verified publishers should be addressed to Powledge Unit instead. If the inmate doesn't have a tablet, the unit provides black-and-white printed copies created from the scanned mail. Follow standard addressing and prohibited-item rules when preparing anything to send.

Powledge Unit limits who can send money: only people listed on an inmate's Approved Visitation List or Inmate Telephone List can make deposits. This rule has been in place since September 1, 2020. Don't mail cash or personal checks to the Inmate Trust Fund—those aren't accepted and will be returned. Expect vendor fees: purchase transactions cost $3.75, and deposit fees run $2.50 plus 2.25% of the amount. Combined purchase+deposit transactions follow the same structure. If you use eCommDirect for online purchases, quarterly limits apply—$70 for Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun, and Jul–Sep, and $95 for Oct–Dec. Orders typically arrive within five business days after TDCJ receives the transaction details. Newly received inmates can't receive eCommDirect purchases until the next calendar quarter.