Obion County Jail Emailing An Inmate

Obion County Jail

Address:
1 Law Lane
Union City, TN 38261

Phone:

(731)885-5832

Text Messaging or Emailing with an Inmate from Obion County Jail

Since Obion County Jail contracts with JailATMProdigy Telephone Solutions. they either already or will soon provide you and your inmate the ability to use their Messaging Service to send and receive electronic messages. Try both Jail ATM & Prodigy. They are in the midst of a merger and one or the other will be handling this jail's account.


Depending on the facility, inmates can either view messages from you by:

  • Viewing it on a device at the jail,
  • Viewing it on a Kiosk in their unit,
  • Print it out, and/or
  • Respond electronically.

Pay for the Prodigy Inmate Messaging Service at Obion County Jail.
- Online,
- Over the Phone by calling 866-700-4545,
- Using a Kiosk at Obion County Jail.
Pay for the JailATM Inmate Messaging Service at Obion County Jail.
- Online,
- Using a Kiosk at Obion County Jail.
- Over the phone by calling 877-810-0914.

How much does it cost to send and receive messages?
Rates to send messages vary and are subject to change.
The typical cost is $1.00 per message, plus $1.00 per photo and $3.00 per 30 second video when available.
Step 1 - Sign in or create an account to find your facility.
Step 2 - Fund Account

NOTE: By turning on messaging, you will fund your account with $5.00 and authorize Prodigy / Jail ATM to charge your payment method for the same amount if you send a message or receive a collect message and do not have enough money.

Messaging and Email with an inmate at Obion County Jail

Using Jail ATM Digital Messaging with an Inmate at Obion County Jail - Sending and Receiving Messages.



How It Works:

Once you sign up with Jail ATM instant Messaging you can you can send texts from the cell phone associated with the mobile number you provided at sign-up, and receive text messages from the inmate on the same cell phone. You can only use the phone number you signed up with or it won't work.

Viewing Texts and Sending Replies:

Each text message sent to the inmate is converted to an email prior to delivery. The resident will view your text message just like he or she would view an email (for instance, on a kiosk within the housing unit); however, the resident will be alerted that the message came in as a text. The resident’s reply is converted back to a text message after sending, and delivered to your cell phone. Everything you send and receive will be viewed by the Obion County Jail first.

Emails:

After you sign up for the SMS Texting Program, all of the inmate's emails and other electronic messages are delivered to your cell phone as a text message – you will no longer receive emails from the resident. You can still send an email to the resident after you sign up for the SMS Texting Program. However, the resident’s reply comes back to you as a text message. You can access your messaging account on the JailATM website to see a full record of all electronic messages sent and received.

Cost:

Once you sign up, the fees will be outlined and are subject to change, however Obion County Jail typically charges $1.00 per text message sent and received.

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 Obion 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.

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 Obion County Jail?

The electronic messaging system used by Obion 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 the facility has recently changed companies or does not have this service available. Call (731)885-5832 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.

For online or over the phone inmate deposits, use Care A Cell Money Deposit System.

If you have specific questions that you want answered, check out their informative FAQ Page. or call them at 800-622-8166.


 

How to Email an Inmate at Obion County Jail

Using Jail ATM Digital Messaging with an Inmate at Obion County Jail - Sending and Receiving Messages.



How It Works:

Once you sign up with Jail ATM instant Messaging you can you can send texts from the cell phone associated with the mobile number you provided at sign-up, and receive text messages from the inmate on the same cell phone. You can only use the phone number you signed up with or it won't work.

To learn more about this email service, check out our full instructions, including fees at our emailing and texting page.


 

How to Send Commissary Packages to an Inmate in Obion County Jail

Obion County Jail uses Care A Cell Inmate Care Packages for family and friends of inmates to send commissary into an inmate.

Care A Cell requires payment with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Paypal or Prepaid Debit Money Cards. All purchases are done online.
You can reach Care A Cell by email, by filling out their contact form online here, or by calling them at 800-622-8166.

If you have specific questions that you want answered, check out their informative FAQ Page.


 

How Do Inmates in Obion County Jail Buy Phone Cards Online & Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Obion County, or to assist them in making phone calls from jail to other people, follow these steps:

  • Obion County Jail uses the services of Correct Solutions Group.
  • Register with them online or call them at 877-618-3516
  • Services for Obion County inmates and their families and friends include Collect Calling, PIN Debits, Purchasing Calling Cards for your inmate or depositing money into an inmate's commissary account..

For all the information regarding phone calls with Obion County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.


 

How to visit an inmate in Obion County Tennessee using Remote Video Visitation 

To visit an inmate in Obion County follow these steps:

  • In addition to visiting inmates at the jail, Obion County Jail uses a video visitation service called JailATM.
  • In order to visit with your inmate online or at the Obion County Jail Video Kiosk, you must first register with JailATM.
  • Once you register, choose the option for 'Video Calls' or Video Visits and you will be prompted for the information required, which will include copies of your state issued ID and more. 
  • Note: While JailATM also offers the following inmate services, Obion County Jail may or may not allow all of them. Check on the JailATM website to confirm.
  • Services available through JailATM are subject to change with no notice.
    1.  You Can Send Money
         Obion County Jail may have an agreement with JailATM so that you can deposit money online or using the kiosk in the Obion County Jail lobby.
    2.  You Can Send Gift Packs
         Obion County Jail may have an agreement with JailATM, which ships predetermined Gift Packs of candy, snacks and hygiene products to your inmate. Check the JailATM website to see if they allow these to be sent to your inmate.
    3.  You Can Email Inmate
         Obion County Jail may have an agreement with JailATM which handles secure messaging between you and your inmate. Check the JailATM website to see if they allow emailing your inmate.
  • Customer Support: 877-810-0914.

For full instructions on all the benefits of using JailATM to visit a Obion County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page. 


 

How Do You Send Text or Email Messages to an Inmate in the Obion County Jail?

To send messages to a Obion County inmate follow these instructions:

Since Obion County Jail contracts with JailATM / Prodigy Telephone Solutions. they either already or will soon provide you and your inmate the ability to use their Messaging Service to send and receive electronic messages. Try both Jail ATM & Prodigy. They are in the midst of a merger and one or the other will be handling the Obion County Jail account.
 
Pay for the Prodigy Inmate Messaging Service at Obion County Jail.
- Online,
- Over the Phone by calling 866-700-4545,
- Using a Kiosk at Obion County Jail.
Pay for the JailATM Inmate Messaging Service at Obion County Jail.
- Online,
- Using a Kiosk at Obion County Jail.
- Over the phone 877-810-0914.

For all the information you need regarding messaging a Obion County inmate at the jail, including how it's done, how much it costs, rules and regulations and more, check out our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
NOTE: All of your communication with an inmate is recorded. Use discretion in what you discuss.


 

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Obion County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Obion County Jail follow these steps:

  • Register with correctpay by creating an account.
  • Select Tennessee, then select Obion County Jail, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.
  • You can deposit money four ways:
  • Deposit online at correctpay.com.
  • Deposit at the VendEngine kiosk in the Obion County Jail lobby.
  • Deposit over the phone 24/7 at 855-836-3364
  • Deposit through their iOS or Android app.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account, what the fees are, how long it takes to hit their account and more, check out our full money and commissary guide for Obion County Jail.


 

How to Send Commissary Money to an Inmate in Obion County

To send commissary money to an inmate's account in Obion County Jail follow these steps:

You can deposit money four different ways:

  • Deposit online at correctpay.com.
  • Deposit at the VendEngine kiosk in the Obion County Jail lobby.
  • Deposit over the phone 24/7 at 855-836-3364
  • Deposit through their iOS or Android app.

24/7 Customer Service - 855-836-3364
Frequently Asked Questions

For all information, tips and available items for send money and for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Obion County Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Obion County.