Effective September 6, 2023, all personal mail for Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmates goes to a centralized digital mail processing center in Dallas - not to the unit. Mail is scanned in color and delivered to the inmate's secure tablet at no cost. The service is permanent and the inmate retains access to scanned mail throughout their incarceration.
Legal mail, books, magazines, subscriptions, and packages continue going to the unit directly.
Texas TDCJ uses "inmates" and "offenders" interchangeably in its materials.
Sending mail - letters and correspondence
All personal mail goes to the Digital Mail Processing Center in Dallas:
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
[Inmate's Full First and Last Name + TDCJ Number]
PO Box 660400
Dallas, TX 75266-0400
Mail without the inmate's full name and TDCJ number will be returned to sender. There is no limit on how much mail can be sent.
What gets scanned: written correspondence, greeting cards, drawings, and photos. All scanned in color.
Free for the sender; free for the inmate to read on their tablet.
Inmates without a tablet receive black-and-white printed copies.
Mail is available within 3 business days after arriving at the processing center.
Physical originals are held 90 days then professionally disposed of. To get your original back after scanning, include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) in the correspondence.
All digital mail is stored permanently - accessible to the inmate for the duration of their incarceration.
24-hour support for digital mail: Securus Customer Service at (800) 844-6591.
Photos
Photos are accepted and scanned in color. Send to the same Dallas PO Box along with your letter. No additional fee.
Mail routing - what goes where
Use this to avoid misdirected mail:
To Digital Mail Processing Center (Dallas PO Box):
- Personal mail from family, friends, and businesses
- Greeting cards
- Photos
- Legal services advertisements
To the unit:
- Legal mail
- Special mail
- Media correspondence
- Business correspondence from organizations, businesses, and agencies
- Books, magazines, packages, and other subscriptions from verified publishers
- Veterans, Social Security, and disability checks
To Unit Law Library (documents requiring inmate signature only):
Address as: [Inmate Name, TDCJ#] / c/o Law Library / [Unit Address]
Include only the form and instructions - all other content will be denied. The inmate signs in the presence of the law librarian; the original is returned in a SASE provided by the inmate.
Books, magazines, and publications
Books, magazines, and other publications from verified publishers must go to the unit of assignment - not to the Dallas PO Box. Packages sent to the PO Box will be returned to sender.
Contact the unit directly for its mailing address: tdcj.texas.gov/contact/index.html
Find an inmate's unit assignment: tdcj.texas.gov/offender_info/index.html
Sending money - multiple options
Effective September 1, 2020: only senders on the inmate's approved visitor list or Inmate Telephone List may deposit funds. If you are unsure whether you are on an approved list, contact the unit. Cash and personal checks are not accepted and will be returned.
Do not send trust fund deposits to the inmate's facility or to the digital mail PO Box.
Single transactions of $500 or more, as well as insurance, payroll, or estate checks, are held 14 days before the inmate may access them.
Trust Fund deposit options:
Money orders or cashier's checks: mail to Inmate Trust Fund at the address provided by the unit or TDCJ Trust Fund.
Monthly ACH (automatic checking account debit) - free service:
- A set amount is debited from your checking account once a month, credited around the 10th.
- Complete an ACH authorization form and attach a voided check; mail to: Inmate Trust Fund, PO Box 629, Huntsville TX 77342-0629.
Access Corrections - secure online deposits (accesscorrections.com)
ACE - America's Cash Express: call 1-866-734-2306 or visit acecashexpress.com to find the nearest location.
eCommDirect (texas.gov/eCommDirect) - Visa, Mastercard, or Discover; also purchase commissary items directly for eligible inmates; credited second business day from deposit; commissary orders delivered within 5 business days.
JPay: jpay.com
TouchPay Payment System
MoneyGram ExpressPayment: at Walmart, CVS, and other locations nationwide; Receive Code 5203; call 1-800-MONEYGRAM.
CashPayToday: Dollar General deposits; visit cashpaytoday.com or call 1-844-340-2274 to enroll and get a barcode.
Phone calls - Securus (texasprisonphone.com)
To receive calls from a TDCJ inmate, you must first register your phone number:
- Online: texasprisonphone.com (you will need the inmate's TDCJ ID number)
- Phone: (866) 806-7804
If you do not know the inmate's TDCJ ID number: online search at tdcj.texas.gov/offender_info/index.html or call (936) 295-6371 / (800) 535-0283 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday).
Texas county jails
Texas has 254 counties, each operating its own jail system. County jails are not part of TDCJ and use their own mail and deposit rules. Contact each county facility directly.
What to know before you send anything
Personal mail (letters, photos, cards): PO Box 660400, Dallas TX 75266-0400. Include full name and TDCJ number - mail without it is returned.
Books, magazines, subscriptions, packages: to the unit directly.
Legal mail: to the unit directly.
Documents requiring signature: to Unit Law Library only.
Money: approved visitor list or Inmate Telephone List required. Options include eCommDirect, JPay, ACH (free), MoneyGram (code 5203), ACE, Access Corrections, CashPayToday, TouchPay. No cash, no personal checks, not to the facility.
Phone: register at texasprisonphone.com or call (866) 806-7804 before any calls can be received.
Inmate search: tdcj.texas.gov/offender_info/index.html or (936) 295-6371.
Digital mail questions: Securus Customer Service (800) 844-6591, 24/7.
County jails: contact each directly.
Related pages:
/prisons/texas
How to send money to a Texas inmate
Send mail and photos through InmateAid
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Where do I mail a letter to a Texas TDCJ inmate?
To the Digital Mail Processing Center: Texas Department of Criminal Justice / [Inmate's Full First and Last Name + TDCJ Number] / PO Box 660400 / Dallas, TX 75266-0400. Find the TDCJ number at tdcj.texas.gov/offender_info/index.html.
Can I send photos?
Yes - include them with your letter to the Dallas PO Box. They are scanned in color and delivered to the tablet. No extra charge.
Can I send a book or magazine?
Not to the Dallas PO Box. Publications from verified publishers must go to the unit directly. Packages sent to the PO Box are returned to sender.
How long until the inmate receives my mail?
Within 3 business days after the letter arrives at the processing center.
What happens to my original letter?
Held 90 days then destroyed. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want the original returned.
How do I send money?
Options include eCommDirect (texas.gov), JPay, MoneyGram (code 5203), ACH (free auto-debit), ACE, Access Corrections, CashPayToday, and TouchPay. You must be on the approved visitor list or Inmate Telephone List. No cash or personal checks.
How do I set up phone calls?
Register your number at texasprisonphone.com using the inmate's TDCJ ID number. Or call (866) 806-7804. ====================================================================
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