Union County Detention Center Emailing An Inmate

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Union County Detention Center

Address:
1657 Jonesville Highway
Union City, SC 29379

Phone:

864-429-2818

Send an Email or Text to an Inmate in the Union County Detention Center

Sending an Email, Text or Secure Electronic Message to an Inmate

The Union 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 864-429-2818.

Union County Detention Center uses CIDNET for Email / Text messaging between inmates and their family & friends

Union 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
Contact Customer Support

Register Here to Email With Your Inmate at the Union County Detention Center

Page Title

Can inmates send and receive texts and emails?

Almost all jails and prisons have adopted 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 Union County Detention Center 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.

How much does it cost for an inmate to use a text or email service?

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.

Can inmates send and receive photos through their messaging system?

Photos can be sent by the inmate’s contact that is not incarcerated, 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. 

Can I send an inmate a link to a video to watch?

No.  Because this is a closed system, the inmate has no access to the internet, thus the inmate will have no access to any links that you send them.

Can I send the inmate a video?

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.

What device does an inmate use for texting and emailing?

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.

What is the inmate text and email system in Union County Detention Center?

The electronic messaging system used by Union County Detention Center, 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 the facility has recently changed companies or does not have this service available. Call 864-429-2818 to confirm.

What are the companies that provide inmate electronic messaging services?

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 messaging service with credit and debit cards. All of them take Visa and MasterCard, most also take Discover, and just some take America Express.

How often can an inmate text and email?

There is no limit to the amount of texting and email that an inmate can have with their family and friends.

Can inmates’ text any time of the day or night?

If an inmate has their own tablet, then they can text any time of the day or night, however if the must use the wall mounted kiosk terminal in their unit, they are limited to using it only during the hours they are allowed off their bunks; usually 7:00AM to 10:00PM, excluding meals, head counts and shift changes.

Can inmates email other inmates in other jails or prisons?

No, inmates are not allowed to communicate with each other, nor 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.

Union County Detention Center Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the Union County Detention Center there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail is to be shipped to the Union County Detention Center:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Union County Detention Center
1657 Jonesville Highway
Union, SC 29379


For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.


 

How to send a text or email to an inmate in Union County

To send and receive secure texts or emails from an inmate housed in Union County follow these instructions:

  • Register and create an account with CIDNET.
  • Choose a Security PIN and Password.
  • After logging in, from the Menu, choose the state of South Carolina, then the Union County Detention Center, then your inmate's name.
  • Once you have completed this, the Union County Detention Center will have to give final approval for you to communicate by email with your chosen inmate.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues with Texting and Emailing an inmate in Union County, visit our full page guide


 

How to Both Schedule a Visit and Have Remote Video Visitation with an Inmate incarcerated in Union County

To register and sign up for a visitation account with CIDNET Video Visitation Service, follow the instructions below:

  • Register and create an account with CIDNET.
  • Type in your Email, Time Zone and First & Last Name of your Union County Detention Center inmate.
    1. Click the Create Account button.
    2. Agree to the terms.
    3. Login to your email and open the verification email sent by CIDNET. Click it.
    4. Choose a Security PIN and a Password.
    5. Click the Sign In button.
  • After logging in, from the Menu, choose the state of South Carolina, then the Union County Detention Center, then your inmate's name.
  • Once you have completed this, the Union County Detention Center will have to give final approval for you to set up a video visitation account with your inmate.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, special links, policies, rules, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding regular visitation and remote video visits with an inmate in Union County, visit our full page guide

NOTE: All visits are recorded. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that CIDNET may be collecting voice prints for a database which they may be sharing with law enforcement agencies.


 

How to Make and Receive Phone Calls and Video Phone Calls from an Inmate in Union County

To register and sign up for a phone account with CIDNET Inmate Phone Service, follow the instructions below:

  • Register and create an account with CIDNET.
  • Type in your Email, Time Zone and First & Last Name of your Union County Detention Center inmate.
    1. Click the Create Account button.
    2. Read the Terms of Use, then click Agree.
    3. Login to your email and open the CIDNET email.
    4. In the email, click the Complete Your Verification link.
    5. Choose a Security PIN and a Password.
    6. Click the Sign In button.
  • After logging in, from the Menu, choose the state of South Carolina, then the Union County Detention Center, then your inmate's name.
  • Once you have completed this, the Union County Detention Center will have to give final approval for you to set up a phone account with your inmate.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding making phone calls with an inmate in Union County, visit our full page guide

NOTE: All phone conversations are recorded. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some phone providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.


 

How to Deposit Money Online for an inmate in Union County Detention Center

Union County Detention Center uses McDaniel Supply Company for their inmate commissary. 

McDaniel Supply operates the JailPackStore website so you can order online using a credit or debit card. They will send the money to your inmate at Union County Detention Center.

JailPackStore has a very cumbersome website that requires you to: 

1. register,
2. add a credit or debit card, and then
3. locate your inmate, before you can even deposit funds.

Maximum Deposit -  $300

Fee to Deposit Money using a credit or debit card - 

  • $3.95 to deposit $10.00 - 25.00
  • $6.95 to deposit $25.01 - 100.00
  • $8.95 to deposit $100.01 - 200.00
  • $10.95 to deposit $200.01 to 300.00

Any money that you deposit and don't immediately send will be held as a credit on your account for future disbursement or spend.

For full instructions on how to deposit money to your inmate online, what the fees are, and how to save money doing it this way, check out our inmate money page.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Union County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Union County Detention Center follow these steps:

  • Union County Detention Center uses McDaniel Supply Company for their inmate commissary.
  • McDaniel Supply operates the JailPackStore website so you can order online using a credit or debit card. They will ship your order directly to your inmate at Union County Detention Center.
  • JailPackStore has a very cumbersome website that requires you to:  1. register, 2. add a credit or debit card, and then 3. locate your inmate in Union County before you can even see their commissary products, prices, additional fees, etc. 

NOTE: There will also be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Union County at any one time.

For all information, tips and a list and photos of available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Union County Detention Center check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Union County.


 

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