Gage County Detention Center Emailing An Inmate
Send an Email or Text to an Inmate in the Gage County Detention Center
Sending an Email, Text or Secure Electronic Message to an Inmate
The Gage County Detention Center provides a service which allows secure electronic messaging for their inmates.
The email service they use is called CIDNET.
CIDNET 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:
- It is less expensive than regular mail.
- It allows for faster turnaround of communication.
- It allows the jail to monitor inmate communication in real time.
- Because the jail receives a portion of the revenue, it brings the jail revenue they wouldn't have otherwise.
- It is an inmate privilege that they don't want to have taken away, and thus can be used as a way to control behavior.
- It keeps unwanted contraband from entering the facility in the physical mail.
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 402-223-5221.
Gage County Detention Center
Address:
612 Lincoln Street
Beatrice, NE 68310
Phone:
402-223-5221
Gage County Detention Center uses CIDNET for Email / Text messaging between inmates and their family & friends
Gage County Detention Center uses CIDNET for Digital Mail Messaging between inmates and their friends and family.
Register here.
Friends & Family Portal Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Instructions on How to Use CIDNET
CIDNET Instrucciones
CIDNET help line (choose prompt 2), also the number inmate calls come from: (888) 984-1903
Untitled
CIDNET Inmate Messaging provides a secure digital messaging and picture-sharing service for families of incarcerated individuals. Powered by CIDNET Data Points, outside contacts can compose electronic letters and upload JPEG photographs directly through the CIDNET web app, delivering correspondence to inmate screens within hours and avoiding paper mail sorting delays.
Important: Postal Mail Transition and Screening Rules Vary
Inmates cannot receive incoming phone calls, and physical postal mail policies differ across jurisdictions. While some detention centers accept handwritten envelopes, many facilities contracting with CIDNET have prohibited physical paper mail in favor of electronic mail scanning and direct digital messaging, which you can verify by checking facility rules. If you do not register online and purchase Data Points immediately, your loved one may face lengthy periods without direct written communication from family.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Register and Message an Inmate
- Log into your account at customer.cidnet.net or launch the CIDNET app.
- Ensure your identity verification (photo ID and selfie) is approved by the facility.
- Confirm your account has an active Data Point balance; purchase additional points if needed.
- Select Messages from your navigation menu and click on your linked contact.
- Type your message in the text editor and attach clear JPEG photo files if authorized by the facility's media rules.
- Review the estimated Data Point cost for the message length and image attachments.
- Click Send to submit your transmission to the institutional mailroom screening queue.
What the Inmate Needs to Do
All messages and photographs pass through facility screening filters. Once approved, the message arrives in the inmate's inbox on their housing unit kiosk or assigned tablet. The inmate opens the message, views the images, and types a digital response, which draws against available account points.
Official Provider: CIDNET Customer Portal | Encartele Corporate
Customer Service Telephone: 1-888-984-1903
Support Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST
Supported Languages: English and Spanish
Other Services Provided by CIDNET
In addition to Inmate Messaging, CIDNET provides several other communication and visitation options:
- Data Points (Unified Funding): Purchase universal credits that power voice calling, messaging, and video visits.
• Learn more on our website: CIDNET Data Points Guide | • Visit official vendor page: Buy CIDNET Data - Remote Video Visitation: Schedule and join live video visits from home using your computer or smartphone.
• Learn more on our website: CIDNET Video Visits Guide | • Visit official vendor page: CIDNET Video Visitation - Phone PINs & Voice Calling: Fund outbound voice telephone calls so your loved one can call your telephone directly.
• Learn more on our website: CIDNET Phone Calling Guide | • Visit official vendor page: CIDNET Voice Calling
Frequently Asked Questions about Inmate Email and Texting
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 Gage County Detention Center?
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?
Can inmates send and receive texts and emails?
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 CIDNET the company providing the service.
All communication goes through them. Think of CIDNET 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 CIDNET 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 Gage County Detention Center staff to review, and if they find no issues, will then forward it to the inmate’s CIDNET 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.
How much does it cost for an inmate to use a text or email service?
The cost to use the CIDNET electronic messaging service, which is like texting or emailing, costs between $0.50 and $1.00 per page; a page being about 500 characters.
Can inmates send and receive photos through their messaging system?
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 CIDNET account so that they can view them at their leisure.
Can I send an inmate a link to a video to watch?
No. Because CIDNET is a closed system, the Gage County Detention Center inmate has no access to the internet, thus the inmate will have no access to any links that you send them.
Can I send an inmate a video?
Yes, just as you can send text and photos, you can send a CIDNET 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.
What device does an inmate use for texting and emailing?
The jails that contract with the CIDNET 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 CIDNET 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 CIDNET tablet, they will be responsible for replacing it. The money will be deducted from their commissary account.
What is the inmate text and email system used in the Gage County Detention Center?
The CIDNET electronic messaging system used by Gage County Detention Center, if available, 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 402-223-5221 to confirm.
What are the companies that provide electronic messaging services to jails and prisons?
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
How do I fund the inmate’s messaging system?
You fund the CIDNET 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 American Express.
How often can an inmate text and email?
When available, there is no limit to the amount of CIDNET texting and email that an inmate can have with their family and friends.
Can inmates text or email any time of the day or night?
If an inmate has a rented CIDNET 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.
Can an inmate email or text inmates in other jails or prisons?
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 illegal access to a phone with an internet connection, but this would be the only way.