Federal inmate texting service
Text a federal inmate without the CorrLinks app
Corbot is a federal inmate texting service. Families send SMS and email from a regular phone. The inmate still uses CorrLinks/TRULINCS at the facility. You do not need the CorrLinks app. Messages are monitored by the BOP. Pay by inmate register number at openefforts.com/pay.
This is a texting service for federal inmates, not a secret channel and not a way around the institution. Open Efforts does not interfere with BOP monitoring.
How a federal inmate text service works
- The inmate adds the Corbot contact on the TRULINCS/CorrLinks computer.
- A family member or friend pays at openefforts.com/pay with the inmate register number.
- You text from a normal phone number. Email works the same way.
Corbot also gives the inmate plain-text Google, Wikipedia, Amazon book search, and ChatGPT through the same CorrLinks connection.
Texting service for federal inmates vs the CorrLinks app
CorrLinks is the BOP’s public email portal. Families can use it, but many do not want another app or another login. Corbot’s federal inmate text services let people send and receive SMS and email without installing that app. The inmate’s side stays CorrLinks/TRULINCS. Contacts can be stored as names such as Mom or Sis.
If a contact is blocked, support is at support.corbot.us and help.corbot.us.
What a federal inmate texting service costs
Plans are $10, $20, $30, and $40 per month (Bronze through Platinum). Request caps rise with the plan. A personal texting number starts at Silver ($20). Annual payments are 15% off. See plans or pay now.
With Corbot, inmates can do Google searches and get back the top ten results, then retrieve an all-text version of any website. This is often used for employment, housing, and educational resources before release.
Amazon
Inmates can look up books by title, author, or genre and get the price and description. Books are among the few items that can be mailed in; the facility does not provide a catalog.
Wikipedia
Corbot returns multi-page Wikipedia articles as full text through CorrLinks.
SMS / Texting
Families send and receive SMS without the CorrLinks app. The inmate sends and receives through Corbot on CorrLinks, in compliance with BOP policy.
ChatGPT
Inmates can use ChatGPT through the Corbot interface for general questions, resume drafts, and document help. Output is plain text on CorrLinks.
Alfred Requests
Alfred is a human lookup when a regular search is not enough. A person finds the information and sends it back through Corbot.
Federal inmate texting service FAQ
How do I text a federal inmate?
The inmate adds the Corbot contact in TRULINCS/CorrLinks. Someone outside pays at openefforts.com/pay with the register number. Then you text from a regular phone.
Do I need the CorrLinks app?
No. Corbot is a texting service for federal inmates that uses SMS and email on the family side. The inmate still uses CorrLinks at the facility.
Is this monitored by the BOP?
Yes. Messages go through CorrLinks/TRULINCS. Corbot does not hide traffic from the institution.
How much does it cost?
$10 to $40 per month. See plans.
What is the best federal inmate texting service?
Look at whether you can SMS without the CorrLinks app, whether it still runs through CorrLinks, whether BOP monitoring stays in place, the monthly price, and whether there is help if a contact is blocked. That is what Corbot is built to do.