For families of people in federal custody
Stay close to someone in federal custody.
YardTalk gives your loved one a safe assistant they can email from the inside, and lets them text your phone, but only after you say yes.
- Texts only after you opt in
- STOP works instantly
- Prepaid, no subscription
- English & Español
How do First Step Act time credits work?
SHORT ANSWER: If you are eligible, you earn 10 days of credit for every 30 days of approved programs, or 15 days if your risk level stays minimum or low.
-- YardTalk AI. Not a lawyer; general info only.
What YardTalk does
Built for life inside, and the people waiting outside
Two simple tools that work with the prison email system your loved one already uses.
Answers by email
Clear, plain-language answers about prison programs, First Step Act credits, reentry, school and letters home.
Texts to your phone
They can text you, and your replies go back to them by email. Every text says who it's from.
You say yes first
One request, then nothing unless you reply YES. You can also opt in on our website.
English and Español
Written at an everyday reading level, sized for TRULINCS, and labeled as AI every time.
Prepaid, no subscription
Add credits when you want. Each answer or text uses a little; if it runs out, nothing is sent.
Honest about monitoring
Prison staff can read these messages, and we say so up front, every time.
How it works
Up and running in three steps
- 1
Create your account
Sign up and add the person you support with their BOP register number.
- 2
Add credits
Pay securely with Stripe. Credits sit on their account until they use them.
- 3
They write, you hear back
They add YardTalk to their TRULINCS contacts. Questions get answers; texts reach you once you opt in.
Safety, built in
Consent first. Always.
Texting from prison only works if the people on the other end are safe and in control.
No surprise texts
Nothing reaches your phone until you reply YES.
STOP means stop
Reply STOP for one person or BLOCKALL for everyone. It takes effect immediately.
Victims protected
Anyone can block their number in advance. Blocked numbers are never contacted.
Help in a crisis
Messages about self-harm get an immediate reply pointing to staff, and are flagged for a person to review.
Questions
What families ask first
Can prison staff read the messages?
Yes. Messages through TRULINCS are monitored and kept by staff. They are not private and not legally privileged, so don't send anything you wouldn't want staff to read.
Is the AI assistant a lawyer?
No. It explains rules, programs and processes in general terms and points people to their facility's law library, a lawyer or a legal-aid clinic for advice about their own case.
Will I get texts I didn't agree to?
You'll get at most one request to opt in, naming who it's from. Nothing else is sent unless you reply YES.
How much does it cost?
YardTalk is prepaid and pay as you go, with no subscription. You choose how much to add; each AI answer and each text uses a small amount of credit.
Help them stay connected
Set up an account in a few minutes. You decide how much to add, and nothing reaches your phone until you say yes.