What is TextBehind?
TextBehind is a digital mail service that bridges the gap between traditional letter mail and electronic messaging. You compose letters, greeting cards, or kids' drawings on the TextBehind website or app. TextBehind processes them at their facility in Maryland, then delivers a digital copy to the inmate via the prison's tablet system.
It's used in two main types of facilities:
- Facilities that have eliminated paper mail entirely for security reasons (drugs soaked into paper is a common smuggling method). North Carolina's state DOC is one big example. In these systems, you must use TextBehind — paper mail you send to the prison directly will be returned or shredded.
- Facilities that accept either paper mail or TextBehind as alternatives. TextBehind is faster (next-day delivery typically) and cheaper for many users than postage.
Online (recommended): Compose digitally on textbehind.com or the app, pay per letter, sent directly. Mail-to-scan: Mail a paper letter to TextBehind's Maryland address, they scan it and deliver it digitally. Either way, the inmate receives a digital copy on their tablet.
Setting up TextBehind
- Go to family.textbehind.com or download the app (iOS or Android — search "TextBehind").
- Create a free account. Email and password. The account itself costs nothing.
- Add your inmate as a contact. Search by their state and inmate ID. TextBehind only delivers to facilities they have contracts with — if your inmate's facility isn't listed, they're not reachable through TextBehind.
- Verify your sender profile. TextBehind requires your full first and last name (no initials) on every letter. Make sure your account profile matches.
- Buy credits (sometimes called "tokens"). Used to send letters and attachments.
Pricing — what TextBehind costs
TextBehind uses a credit/token system. Pricing varies somewhat by facility and the type of content you send, but typical rates are:
| Content | Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard text letter (up to 5,000 characters) | ~$0.49–$1.55 |
| Letter with photos (up to 4 photos) | ~$1.00–$2.50 |
| Greeting cards | ~$0.99–$2.50 |
| Kids' drawing (Doodles4Kids) | ~$0.49–$1.50 |
| Inmate's reply letter (delivered to your phone/email) | FREE — unlimited |
| Return of original mail (if mailed in) | $2.50 |
Bulk credit packages typically offer some discount — buying 15 credits at once is usually cheaper per credit than buying 5. The TextBehind app advertises "$1.55 or less" for a typical letter with photos, which is a fair benchmark.
Replies are free. One of the best things about TextBehind: when the inmate replies, those letters are delivered digitally to your phone and email at no charge. You don't pay to receive — only to send.
Composing a letter on TextBehind
Once your contact is added and you have credits, the process is straightforward:
- Click New Letter from your dashboard.
- Select your contact.
- Type your letter (up to 5,000 characters for most facilities).
- Optionally attach photos (4 max per letter).
- Optionally add a greeting card design or doodle.
- Review the credit cost.
- Send.
TextBehind processes letters within 24 business hours and delivers digitally to the inmate's tablet. Most letters arrive next-day. The inmate sees: a clean digital scan of your message, plus your name, plus the delivery date.
Character limits
TextBehind allows much longer letters than Securus — typically 5,000 characters per letter, and one TextBehind app review mentions sending 5,000-character messages with 4 photos all under one credit. That's roughly 800-900 words. Plenty of room for a real letter.
Photo and content rules
TextBehind's content rules mirror standard prison mail policies. Anything that would be rejected from physical mail is rejected from TextBehind. Common rejections:
- Nudity or sexually suggestive content
- Violence, weapons, or drugs depicted in any way
- Gang signs, gang-affiliated colors, or known gang imagery
- Photos with other inmates from the same facility
- Religious correspondence course materials (these have to be sent through pre-approved channels — see the callout below)
- Maps, diagrams, or images of correctional facilities
- Instructions for making anything dangerous
If you want to send Bible study materials or other religious correspondence courses, those cannot go through TextBehind. They must be pre-approved by the facility chaplain and sent directly to the prison from the publisher or religious organization. The inmate has to submit a Request for Assistance form to start the process.
Inmate replies — how it works
When the inmate writes back, they handwrite their letter and put it in their facility's mail system as usual. The prison batches outgoing mail and forwards it to TextBehind. TextBehind scans the letter, sends you a digital copy via email and the app, and shreds the original (unless you've paid the $2.50 return fee).
Reply delivery time: typically 5-10 days, depending on how often the facility forwards mail to TextBehind and how quickly TextBehind processes scans. There's no charge to you for replies — that's part of TextBehind's model.
You can save replies indefinitely in your TextBehind inbox. If you want a paper copy, you can print directly from the app.
Common problems and fixes
"My letter says 'In Process' for several days"
TextBehind processes most mail within 24 hours, but during high-volume periods or after holidays, it can stretch to 2-3 days. If it's been longer than 4 days with no update, contact info@textbehind.com with your order number.
"My letter was rejected"
You'll get an email explaining why. Common reasons: missing full name on sender profile, content violating facility policy, photo issues. Credits aren't refunded for rejected content, but TextBehind will sometimes resend a corrected version free of charge if you contact support quickly.
"The inmate says they didn't receive my letter"
Sometimes letters get delivered but the inmate hasn't yet checked their tablet. Sometimes the facility's tablet system was down during a delivery window. Give it 48 hours after the "Delivered" status, then contact TextBehind support if it still hasn't shown up on their end.
"I sent paper mail directly to the prison and it came back"
That's expected behavior in TextBehind-only facilities. North Carolina, for example, requires all non-legal mail to go through TextBehind. Use the app instead, or mail your letter to TextBehind's Maryland address (it'll be on the contact page in your account) so they can scan and deliver it.
When TextBehind isn't available
Not every facility uses TextBehind. If your inmate is at a facility that doesn't have a TextBehind contract, you'll need a different platform:
- Securus eMessaging — most state systems including Texas (TDCJ)
- GettingOut (ViaPath/GTL) — competitor to Securus, used in some state systems
- CORRLINKS — federal Bureau of Prisons
- Direct USPS mail — works in many state and federal facilities, slower but reliable
Your dashboard will tell you which platform applies for your matched inmate — you don't have to figure it out alone.