How to Contact an Inmate at USP TERRE HAUTE, IN (IN)

Telephone privileges are available, but expect calls to be monitored. The Bureau of Prisons posts a notice next to each phone advising inmates that calls are monitored. Assume anything said on a regular call can be listened to. The inmate typically pays for calls. In some cases, the receiving party pays instead. Confirm how billing works for your situation before you rely on phone contact.

There's an exception for legal communication. Unmonitored calls to attorneys are permitted in certain circumstances, separate from standard monitored calls.

Electronic messaging runs through the TRULINCS system. The inmate must be approved to use it, and each person they want to communicate with must give permission. TRULINCS is monitored and screened. Both inmates and their contacts must consent to monitoring before using the system. Messages are reviewed for content that could jeopardize public safety or the facility's security and operations. Messages are text-only. No attachments allowed, and each message is capped at 13,000 characters (roughly two pages of text).

Mail is another option, but expect inspection. Staff open and inspect general correspondence for contraband and any content that might threaten institutional security. "Special mail" works differently. If it's properly marked, incoming special mail can only be opened in the inmate's presence. Staff still inspect it for contraband and verify it qualifies as special mail.

Steps to Follow

• ✓ Ask whether the inmate is approved to use TRULINCS.
• ✓ Make sure you have given permission to communicate through TRULINCS.
• ✓ Be ready to consent to monitoring and screening as part of using TRULINCS.

• ✓ Plan for the inmate to pay for calls in most situations, with some cases billed to the receiving party.
• ✓ Assume calls are monitored (there is posted notice next to each telephone).
• ✓ Do not try third-party or other alternative call arrangements, they are not permitted.

• ✓ Send general mail knowing it will be opened and inspected by staff for contraband and harmful content.
• ✓ If you are sending special mail, mark it as special so it is opened only in the inmate’s presence and checked for contraband and whether it qualifies as special mail.

• ✓ Keep TRULINCS messages text-only (no attachments).
• ✓ Stay within the 13,000-character limit.

Regular phone calls are monitored. Keep that in mind when deciding what to discuss. If you need to set up attorney communication, verify the exact procedure for unmonitored calls and which circumstances qualify. The rule only allows them in certain situations.

TRULINCS access depends on approval for the inmate and permission from each contact. Confirm what steps are needed to get added and approved. You'll also need to consent to monitoring, and messages are screened for safety and security concerns. Only text is allowed. The stated character limit is 13,000, but check whether any additional restrictions affect what gets accepted or rejected.

Before sending anything time-sensitive, verify how the facility defines "special mail" and what markings are required for it to be opened only in the inmate's presence. Confirm any formatting or addressing rules so your mail is handled correctly while still being inspected for contraband and security concerns.

For phone contact, confirm who gets billed. Calls are ordinarily paid by the inmate but may be charged to the receiving party in some situations. If someone suggests a workaround like a third-party or "alternative" call setup, don't use it. Those arrangements are not permitted.