InmateDB vs CorrLinks: Texting vs Reading Email

InmateDB and CorrLinks reach the same federal inmate through the same TRULINCS terminal, but they land differently on your end. CorrLinks is email: you log in, read a message, and write back. InmateDB turns the exchange into a text on your phone, so the inmate texts any U.S. or Canada number and you reply from the app you already use. The facility decides which system an inmate can use, so check that first before you pay for anything.

Best Inmate Texting App is made by the team behind InmateDB, so read this comparison with that in mind. The goal here is to show you what each side actually feels like day to day.

What CorrLinks actually is

Federal Bureau of Prisons inmates send electronic messages from TRULINCS terminals inside the facility. CorrLinks is the outside half of that email system. You create an account, wait for the inmate to add you, and then messages appear in your CorrLinks inbox.

That means the rhythm is email rhythm. Nothing buzzes in your pocket. You open a website or app, see whether something arrived, and type a reply. For some families that is fine, especially if they check once a day at the kitchen table. For others it means messages sit unread for hours because nobody thought to log in.

CorrLinks pricing and contact rules vary, and the facility has the final say on who an inmate can message. Check CorrLinks directly and confirm with the facility rather than relying on a number you saw in a Facebook group.

What texting through InmateDB looks like

With InmateDB, the inmate texts any U.S. or Canada phone number and the family replies from their normal texting app, like any other text. No separate inbox to remember.

The setup has two halves. On your side, you find the inmate on InmateDB by name or BOP register number and start the free trial or a plan. On their side, the inmate adds one InmateDB contact in TRULINCS. After that they text by putting a phone number in the subject line and the message in the body.

You do not need an app. You can use the InmateDB website, the InmateDB app, or Telegram if you prefer. Plans run $9.99/month for texting, $14.99/month for texting plus AI chat and extra apps, and $19.99/month for Full Access, which adds a personal phone number anyone can text first, email, and more apps. New accounts get a 3-day free trial.

Side by side: the same message, two experiences

Picture the inmate writing “Got the photos, thank you” at the terminal.

• CorrLinks: the message waits in your CorrLinks inbox until you log in and read it. Your reply waits there too until the inmate next sits down at a terminal.
• InmateDB: the message arrives as a text on your phone. You reply the way you text anyone else, and it is waiting for the inmate when they next get to a terminal.

Neither side is instant in both directions. How quickly an inmate sees a reply depends on when they can get to a TRULINCS terminal, and facility staff can monitor messages. What changes is your half: a text you notice versus an inbox you have to remember.

If you want the full picture of how the CorrLinks side behaves, our guide to what CorrLinks texting actually means for families walks through it. For the mechanics of the texting route, see how to text an inmate without CorrLinks.

Where each one stops

InmateDB works with federal (BOP) facilities that use CorrLinks, about 93% of federal facilities. It does not work in state prisons or county jails. If your loved one is in a state facility, this comparison does not apply to you, and you should look at whatever system that facility uses instead.

CorrLinks is tied to the federal email system itself, so it is the default outside channel for BOP inmates. It is not a texting product, and it does not pretend to be. If you want messages to reach you as texts, that is a different tool doing a different job.

One honest limit on the InmateDB side: the $9.99 texting plan sends from a shared number, so people can reply once the inmate has texted them first. If you want a number anyone can text first, that is the Full Access plan.

The first-time mistakes and how to fix them

Most problems in the first week are small and fixable.

1. The inmate never added the contact. Nothing works until they add the InmateDB contact in TRULINCS. Ask them to confirm they did it.
2. Wrong register number. Federal inmates have a BOP register number like 12345-678. Look it up with the BOP inmate locator on bop.gov rather than guessing.
3. Message went in the wrong field. On the inmate side, the phone number goes in the subject line and the message goes in the body. Mix that up and it will not route.
4. Replying to the shared number too early. On the $9.99 plan, wait until the inmate has texted you first.

If you are still deciding whether email or texting fits your family better, our comparison of inmate email alternatives covers the tradeoffs in more detail.

Which one fits your family

Choose CorrLinks if you are comfortable with an inbox, you check it on a routine, and you want to stay inside the federal email system without adding a subscription. It is the simpler path if you already have an account and the inmate is set up.

Choose InmateDB if the reason you miss messages is that you forget to log in. A text on your phone removes that step, and for many families that is the whole difference between hearing from someone weekly and hearing from them rarely. It also gives you photos by mail and printed letters if you want them: photos are uploaded at up to 10 per order and mailed to the facility, and letters are typed or uploaded, printed, and mailed at $1.49 for the first page and $0.30 for each page after.

For Bureau of Prisoners policy details like visiting rules, contact limits, mail rules, and money transfers, check bop.gov or ask the facility directly. Those are not things any outside app controls.

Quick answers

Can I text a federal inmate from my regular phone?

Yes. With InmateDB the inmate texts any U.S. or Canada number, and you reply from your normal texting app. The inmate still has to add the InmateDB contact in TRULINCS first.

Is CorrLinks the same as texting?

No. CorrLinks is the outside side of the federal email system, so you read and write messages in an inbox. It is a different experience from a text arriving on your phone.

Does InmateDB work in state prisons?

No. It works with federal BOP facilities that use CorrLinks, about 93% of federal facilities. State prisons and county jails use other systems, and the facility decides what an inmate can use.

If you have a BOP register number or a full name, you can check whether your loved one is reachable this way. Find your loved one on InmateDB and start the 3-day trial before you commit to a plan.