The Butte County Jail provides a service which allows secure electronic messaging for their inmates.
The email service they use is called SecureMail.
SecureMail is not directly connected to the internet like normal email, but instead each correspondence is first intercepted by the jail's servers. This gives the staff an opportunity to review the messages before delivering them to both inmates and the people that the inmates are communicating with.
Electronic messages received by the inmates are read either on kiosks within the inmate's unit, or or on tablets provided by the third party service that oversees the program.
Allowing inmates access to email has many upsides:
For a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about inmate emailing and texting, scroll down for more information about it or call the jail at 530-538-7471.
Address:
7 Gillick Way
Oroville, CA 95965
Phone:
530-538-7471
They are the same company that facilitate Secure Deposits and Securepaks, so if you are already registered with them, then you are already approved to send Secure Messages to your inmate.
After Registering/Logging In:
1. You choose Butte County Jail.
2. You Search for your inmate by typing in his last name. You can further narrow your search by adding his first name and/or Inmate ID.
3. You add a credit or debit card.
4. You buy a message plan (plans and prices vary), or buy credits. One credit costs $0.01.
5. You select the option for your inmate to be able use the credits which you purchase, to message back to you... Or not.
6. Butte County Jail charges a fee for each message sent or received.
Important Things to Know
- Access Corrections has an iphone app and an android app for using their services.
- ALL of your correspondence will be monitored by the jail.
- Do NOT write anything you wouldn’t want repeated in court.
- Rates vary and are always subject to change.
- Inmates can write you back ONLY if you select that option.
- You CAN send photos up to 32MB in file size. Subject to change.
- You CAN have unlimited credits on your account but are limited in the amount of each credit purchase.
- You may NOT type or send emoticons.
- You may NOT copy and paste text. Type directly.
- You may NOT type profanities, violence or characters not approved.
- Due to messages having to be reviewed first, allow up to five days for a message to be delivered.
- You may NOT transfer credits to another email.
Phone: 866-345-1884
Email: customerservice@accesscorrections.com
FAQ
Contact Page
iphone app
Android app
Can inmates send and receive texts and emails?
How much does it cost for an inmate to use a text or email service?
Can inmates send and receive photos through their messaging system?
Can I send an inmate a link to a video to watch?
What device does an inmate use for texting and emailing?
What is the inmate text and email system used in the Butte County Jail?
What are the companies that provide electronic messaging services to jails and prisons?
How do I fund the inmate’s messaging system?
How often can an inmate text and email?
Can inmates text or email any time of the day or night?
Can an inmate email or text inmates in other jails or prisons?
Almost all jails and prisons have adopted or are adopting a messaging system which allows inmates to communicate with their friends and family using an electronic messaging system. It’s neither email nor text, it’s something in between.
The inmate and their contacts do not use their regular email accounts or phone numbers, but account numbers that are set up with the company providing the service.
All communication goes through them. Think of them as a middleman.
Once a contact of the inmate is approved, like the approval process a visitor goes through, an account is set up, using a credit or debit card to fund the account.
To start, the inmate’s contact can send a message that has a limit of so many characters, usually about one page of text.
The message is then reviewed by a computer that scans the message for certain keywords or phrases that are not allowed, almost like a censoring service. If the machine scanner finds problems with the message it sends the message to the Butte County Jail staff to review, and if they find no issues, will then forward it to the inmate’s account so that they can read it.
If there are problems with the message, it is possible the message will not be sent. The sender will be notified of the decision and will not get a refund.
Once the inmate receives the message, should the account holder have funded the account allowing replies, the inmate can respond with a similar length message.
The cost to use the electronic messaging service, which is like texting or emailing, costs between $0.50 and $1.00 per page; a page being about 500 characters.
Photos can be sent by the inmate’s outside contact, but not by the inmate due to security concerns. There is an extra cost, usually about $0.50 for each photo attached.
The photos must go through a security screening where nudity, violence and other things are checked before the photo can be delivered. If the photo is rejected, the sender will be notified, but no refund will be given.
The inmate does not have the ability to print out the photos that make it past the screening, but the photos will stay in their account so that they can view them at their leisure.
No. Because this is a closed system, the Butte County Jail inmate has no access to the internet, thus the inmate will have no access to any links that you send them.
Yes, just as you can send text and photos, you can send a video message, or if not a message, then a video of your children or yourself. Every company has a limit on the length of the video, usually no more than one minute, and at a cost of approximately $2.00 to $3.00 per video.
The video will first be screened for any nudity, excessive vulgarity, violence, etc. If it is rejected on any of the grounds the sender will not be given a refund.
As with the policy of photos, the inmate cannot reciprocate. They cannot send videos of themselves or anything in jail.
The jails that contract with the electronic messaging service is given a certain number of kiosks within each unit for inmate use. Inmates can log on as they might with a public computer terminal.
In addition to the public terminal kiosks, inmates are given (or can rent) access to individual tablets like a bulky, almost indestructible ipad. These allow an inmate to use them to access your messages, photos and videos in a more private manner.
Should the inmate damage the tablet, they will be responsible for replacing it. The money will be deducted from their commissary account.
The electronic messaging system used by Butte County Jail, if there is one, can be found at the top of this page. If there is no information about the ability to text or email with an inmate, it is possible that this facility has recently changed companies or does not have this service available. Call 530-538-7471 to confirm.
This is a list of all the companies in the United States that work with jails and prisons, providing text and email messaging between inmates and their friends and families:
Access Corrections
CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Correct Pay
Corrlinks
Ctel
Edevo
Express Account
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
IC Solutions
Inmate Canteen
Inmate Sales
JailATM
J Pay
NCIC
Paytel
Pigeonly
Prodigy Sales
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
TBE
Visitel
You fund the messaging service with credit and debit cards. All of them take Visa and MasterCard, most also take Discover, but only a few of them take America Express.
When available, there is no limit to the amount of texting and email that an inmate can have with their family and friends.
If an inmate has their own tablet, then they can text any time of the day or night. However if they are limited to the use of a wall mounted kiosk terminal in their unit, they can only use it during the hours they are allowed off their bunks or out of their cells; usually 7:00AM to 10:00PM, excluding meals, head counts and shift changes.
No, inmates in jail are not allowed to communicate with inmates in other institutions. There is always a way to get around it, for example if one of the inmates has access to a phone with an internet connection, but this would be the only way.
Can you email or text an inmate in Butte County Jail?
Yes, Butte County Jail contracts with a third-party service called Access Corrections Secure Mail. You can exchange digital messages with an inmate for a fee. The way it works is that after registering, you purchase a certain amount of 'credits' which cost $0.01 each. You can spend those credits on words or photos. Likewise, if you allow it, your inmate can also use those credits to message you back. They cannot send photos though. Important things to know: Don't send anything violent or pornographic. Don't send anything related to a crime or his case. All your correspondence will be monitored by the jail staff. You can have unlimited credits, but are limited to how much you can purchase at one time. For any questions about Secure Mail, call Access Corrections at 866-345-1884, or call the jail at 530-538-7471. Learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Butte County Jail.
Can an inmate in Butte County Jail email or text me?
Yes, an inmate in Butte County Jail can email or text you using the jail's third-party service called Access Corrections Secure Mail. Inmates can write you back ONLY if you select that option, so make sure you check the box for allowing your inmate to be able to message you when you open your account. For any questions about Secure Mail, call Access Corrections at 866-345-1884, or call the jail at 530-538-7471. Learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Butte County Jail.
How do I email or text an inmate in Butte County Jail?
To send an email or a text to an inmate in Butte County Jail, you first need to register with the third-party service they contract with, Access Corrections. You can link to it directly and get full instructions on the JailExchange website linked above. After registering, you select Butte County Jail, then select your inmate, then add your payment method, and then you can write your message and/or upload the photo(s) you are choosing to send them. Access Corrections will walk you through each step. They also have apps for both iphone and Android. For any questions about Secure Mail, call Access Corrections at 866-345-1884, or call the jail at 530-538-7471. Learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Butte County Jail.
How long does it take for my email or text to get to to an inmate?
Access Corrections Secure messaging, the third party service used to send texts/emails to an inmate in Butte County Jail processes the text and/or photo to your inmate immediately. First it has to be reviewed by their filtering (censoring) system. If it passes that it gets sent to the facility so that their staff can review it, just like they review regular snail mail. The entire process can take as short as one day, but as long as five days. For any questions about Secure Mail, call Access Corrections at 866-345-1884, or call the jail at 530-538-7471. Learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Butte County Jail.
Can I send a photo by email or text to an inmate in Butte County Jail
Yes. Using a third party service the Butte County Jail allows, Access Corrections Secure Mail, you can send a photo of up to 32MB in file size. While Secure messaging is not an email or texting service per se, it functions like email, except that your photos must first be reviewed and cleared by the jail before they are forwarded on to your inmate. For any questions about Secure Mail, call Access Corrections at 866-345-1884. Learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Butte County Jail.
How much does it cost to send an email, text or photo to an inmate in Butte County Jail?
The cost to send an inmate a text, an email or a photo using Access Corrections Secure Mail is $0.01 per credit. The fee is designed this way so that they can change the definition of what a 'credit' is. This means that if the jail decides that they want to allow a credit to mean "one word', or to mean "one letter or number" they have that option. You can also choose a 'plan' with special pricing. In the long run, you will end up saving money by purchasing a 'plan'. After registering with Access Corrections, and selecting Butte County Jail, then your inmate, and then preparing a message, you can review the cost to you prior to sending it. For any questions about Secure Mail, call Access Corrections at 866-345-1884, or you can learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Butte County Jail.
Can I send an inmate in Butte County Jail emoticons in my emails or texts?
No. Access Corrections Secure Mail does NOT allow, nor recognize emoticons in your digital messages to an inmate in Butte County Jail. If you use an emoticon it will be rejected and the inmate will not see it. You may only use words. For any questions about Secure Mail, call Access Corrections at 866-345-1884, or you can learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Butte County Jail.