How to Contact an Inmate at USP Lewisburg

Before an inmate can send or receive electronic messages through TRULINCS, they need to be approved to use the system. On your end, you also have to agree to be contacted. If your permission isn't on file, messages can't be exchanged, even if the inmate is otherwise cleared to use TRULINCS.

TRULINCS messaging is limited by design. Messages are text-only with no attachments, and each one is capped at 13,000 characters (roughly two pages of text). Don't assume these messages are private the way regular email is. Both the inmate and the contact must consent to monitoring to use the system, and messages are screened for content that could jeopardize public safety or the security and orderly operation of the facility.

If you're planning to stay in touch by phone, expect the same level of monitoring. The Bureau of Prisons posts a notice by each inmate telephone advising that calls are monitored. Calls to attorneys may be unmonitored in certain circumstances, but that's the exception, not the default.

Steps to Follow

• ✓ Ask the inmate to confirm they are approved to use TRULINCS before you expect messages to go through.
• ✓ Make sure your consent to be contacted through TRULINCS has been given and is on file for the inmate to message you.

1. Write a text-only message: Do not include attachments, since the system does not allow them.
2. Keep it within the size limit: Stay under 13,000 characters per message.
3. Send with monitoring in mind: Use TRULINCS only if you are comfortable consenting to monitoring, and remember messages are screened for safety and security concerns.

• ✓ Expect inmate telephone calls to be monitored (a notice is posted next to each phone).
• ✓ If you need attorney communication, ask how unmonitored attorney calls work in the situations where they are permitted.

If something isn't working, check the two gates that block communication most often: the inmate needs to be approved to use TRULINCS, and the person they want to message has to have given permission to be contacted. Not sure whether your consent is recorded correctly? Verify it with the facility through the official communication process.

• ✓ TRULINCS message rules: text-only, no attachments, 13,000-character limit per message.
• ✓ Monitoring and screening: both parties must consent to monitoring, and messages are screened for safety and security concerns.
• ✓ Phone calls: calls are monitored, and unmonitored attorney calls are allowed only in certain circumstances.

Set realistic expectations about what TRULINCS can and can't do. Inmates don't have general internet access through the system, and their usage is controlled within the institution. The service is funded through the Inmate Trust Fund rather than taxpayer dollars. If you have questions about how it works, confirm current details through official channels.