The TRULINCS federal inmate email system is the Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System, a closed, monitored messaging platform used at every Federal Bureau of Prisons facility. Inmates type messages on computer kiosks inside the prison; approved outside contacts read and reply through a free website called CorrLinks. There is no internet access, no attachments, and no privacy: every message in both directions is screened by staff before it is delivered.
Getting Approved as an Outside Contact
You cannot start a conversation with a federal inmate through TRULINCS. The inmate has to start it. From a kiosk, they add you to their contact list by entering your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. TRULINCS Topics Facility staff then check that request against the inmate’s case file and criminal history.
If staff approve you, TRULINCS emails you an invitation with a unique identification code and instructions. That code is good for 10 days. If it expires before you act on it, the inmate can generate a new one.
Some categories of people are generally blocked from an inmate’s contact list under Program Statement 5265.13:2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5265.13 – Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS)
- Victims and witnesses connected to the inmate’s case
- Law enforcement officers
- BOP contractors and volunteers
- Other individuals tied to the inmate’s criminal history
The warden at each facility can also cap the total number of contacts an inmate keeps on the list, and that number varies by prison.
Registering on CorrLinks
Once you have the invitation email, go to corrlinks.com and create a free account with your email address and a password. Verify the account through the confirmation email, log in, and enter the identification code from the invitation. That step links you to the inmate’s approved contact list.
Your personal inbox will never receive the message text itself. It only receives notifications telling you a new message is waiting on CorrLinks. Reading and replying both happen inside the portal.
How Messages Actually Move
Inside the facility, the inmate logs into a kiosk with their eight-digit register number, picks a contact, types a message, and submits it. The message enters a screening queue before it reaches you. Depending on staffing, that review can take anywhere from a few hours to more than a day.
When your reply goes out from CorrLinks, it goes through the same screening on its way back to the inmate. Nothing about TRULINCS is instant. Both sides should expect delays in each direction.
What It Costs and How to Add Money
TRULINCS messaging is billed to the inmate’s trust fund account at five cents per minute.3Regulations.gov. Inmate Financial Responsibility Program A 500-minute block is $25. The meter runs the entire time the inmate is logged in, whether they are composing a message, reading, or managing their contact list. If the balance hits zero mid-session, the kiosk can log them out automatically.
On your end, standard CorrLinks messaging is free. A mobile app is available for push notifications and access on the go, but the BOP does not publish specific pricing for it.
Family and friends can send money to an inmate’s trust fund account three ways:4Federal Bureau of Prisons. Community Ties
- MoneyGram electronic transfer using the inmate’s eight-digit register number followed by their last name. Transfers sent between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST usually post in two to four hours.
- Western Union Quick Collect using the code city “FBOP, DC,” with a similar turnaround.
- U.S. Postal Service, mailing a money order, government check, or cashier’s check to the BOP’s centralized lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa. Personal checks and cash are not accepted.
What TRULINCS Cannot Do
TRULINCS is stripped down on purpose, and the limits catch new users off guard. Messages are plain text only. No photos, no documents, no files of any kind. If you attach something to a message, the attachment is stripped and only the text is delivered.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5265.13 – Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) There is no bold or italic formatting. Individual messages are capped at roughly 13,000 characters, about five single-spaced pages.
Inmate sessions at the kiosk are capped at 60 consecutive minutes, and the inmate must wait at least 15 minutes before starting another session.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 4500.12 – Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual Wardens can adjust these times, and facilities with fewer kiosks and more inmates often tighten them so access rotates.
Everything Is Monitored
Every message sent through TRULINCS is read or scanned by staff. Before an inmate can use the system, they sign a consent form acknowledging that message content and metadata will be monitored and retained.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5265.13 – Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) A warning banner reminds them at every login. Automated software scans for prohibited keywords, and flagged messages get manual review.
As an outside contact, you consent to the same monitoring by using CorrLinks. Messages are archived and can be pulled for investigative or law enforcement purposes; the National Archives records schedule requires retention for at least 180 days after creation.6National Archives and Records Administration. Request for Records Disposition Authority – Trust Fund Limited Inmate Communications Systems
Attorney Messages Are Not Privileged
This surprises a lot of people. Messages between an inmate and their attorney sent through TRULINCS are not treated as confidential. Because the inmate has consented to monitoring of all electronic messages, that consent covers attorney communications too.7U.S. Department of Justice. Report and Recommendations Concerning Access to Counsel at Federal Bureau of Prisons Pretrial Facilities A Department of Justice report described monitoring as a core aspect of the system that cannot easily be turned off for individual messages.
For confidential legal communication, an inmate has two safer options. Unmonitored telephone calls to attorneys can be arranged with staff assistance under BOP policy. Physical mail marked “Special Mail” and properly identified as from an attorney is opened only in the inmate’s presence and inspected for contraband without being read.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5265.14 – Correspondence Anything sensitive should go by paper mail or an unmonitored call, not through TRULINCS.
Who Cannot Use TRULINCS
Not every federal inmate has access. Program Statement 5265.13 lists categories that are barred:2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5265.13 – Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS)
- Inmates housed in the Special Housing Unit
- Inmates with a prior conviction or personal history involving solicitation of minors for sexual activity, or possession or distribution of child pornography
- Inmates with a history of using computers, email, or the internet as tools to commit crimes
- Anyone whose use of the system would threaten facility security, as determined by the warden
The policy states that exclusions must be individualized. Staff cannot block someone based on general categorizations of past conduct alone; the restriction has to connect to the person’s specific history and the security interest at stake.
What Gets You Cut Off
The BOP rejects messages that describe violence, escape methods, weapon construction, drug manufacturing, criminal instructions, threats, extortion, coded language, or sexually explicit material that raises a security concern.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5265.13 – Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) Unauthorized business activity is also prohibited.
Repeated violations by either party can get either side removed from the program. While an investigation is pending, the BOP can restrict an inmate’s access for up to 30 days, and the warden can extend that period. Inmates also face formal discipline under 28 CFR 541.3, which allows sanctions including disciplinary segregation, loss of good time, loss of visiting and telephone privileges, and in serious cases new criminal charges.9eCFR. 28 CFR 541.3 – Prohibited Acts and Available Sanctions
Outside contacts face fewer formal penalties but can be permanently blocked. If you forward TRULINCS messages to an unauthorized email address, or try to relay content between the inmate and someone not on their approved list, you can lose CorrLinks access with no path to reinstatement.