Frequently Asked Questions

Registering my phone number to receive offender phone calls

  1. Why do I have to register to receive calls? Texas Department of Criminal Justice has adopted a validation process that requires offender friends & family members to register their landline phone numbers prior to the offender being allowed to make calls. This action stems from TDCJ's commitment to providing public safety and protecting victims of crime.
  2. How do I register to receive calls from a Texas offender? Please see our Registration Requirements page.
  3. Can you mail, fax or email me the registration form? At this time, you can enroll by completing the form online or by calling 1-866-806-7804 for an automated registration method. Please be sure you call in from the phone you wish to register.
  4. How long will it take for me to get registered and be able to accept a call from an offender? Provided conditions are met, you should be registered within one week of the time we receive your online registration or your automated registration received via the 1-866-806-7804 number.
  5. How will I know when I'm enrolled? You will receive a recorded message at the number you have registered to notify you when you are approved. As soon as you hear this message, you can notify your offender by sending him/her an eMessage from www.JPay.com for the same price as a 1st class postage stamp. Note - eMessages are available through JPay.com.
  6. How can I check the status of my enrollment? You may call our toll free number at 1 866-806-7804, option 1, 0 to speak with a representative or send an email from the Contact Us page.
  7. How many people can be on an Offender's Visitor List? Each offender can have up to 10 friends and family on their Offender’s Visitor List, plus attorneys. To notify an offender to add you to his/her list you can send them an eMessage using www.JPay.com. Note - eMessages are available through JPay.com.
  8. What if they already have 10 people on the Offender's Visitor List and I send in my form? You cannot register unless you are on the Offender’s Visitor List. He/she will have to remove an existing name and add your name to the Offender’s Visitor List before you can register. The name on the Offender’s Visitor List must match the name on your driver’s license and phone bill. To contact the offender to add you to his/her list you can send him/her an eMessage using www.JPay.com. Note - eMessages are available through JPay.com.
  9. Can you contact the offender and let them know I want to be on their list? You may use JPay's eMessaging service to contact your offender to request to be added to their list. Make sure to tell the offender exactly how your name is spelled on your driver’s license and phone bill.
  10. What if I need to register for more than one offender? You will need to register for each offender.
  11. How does the offender know that I am registered and that he/she can call me? You can visit or write the offender, or you can send him/her an eMessage using www.JPay.com for the same price as a 1st class postage stamp.
  12. What if I move and/or my address changes? Please contact Securus' SCBS Customer Support Center at 1-800-844-6591 to update or correct your billing information.
  13. What if my phone number changes? If your phone number changes, you must register again. To register again please go to the EMBARQ Registration page.

Billing and Service Questions

Please note: You must first successfully register to receive offender calls before calling Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS), the billing agent for TDCJ. Please do not call SCBS prior to confirming your registration as they will unfortunately not be able to help you.

  1. How can I pay for calls? There are three ways to pay for calls from an offender housed in a TDCJ facility:
    1. Direct-Collect Billed – You will receive a monthly invoice detailing your calls. This account will be automatically created when you register with the EMBARQ Friends and Family Enrollment Center. You accept the call charges when the offender calls you.
    2. Friends and Family Prepaid – The owner of the telephone number prepays for service. After your telephone number is registered and validated, you can deposit money in your prepaid account to begin receiving calls. Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) or JPay can assist you with funding your prepaid account. You may contact SCBS at 1-800-844-6591 or JPay at JPay.com or 1-800-574-5729.
    3. Offender Telephone Prepaid Debit – You can deposit money into the Offender's Prepaid Debit account. You do not need to be on the Offender’s Visitor List to deposit funds in an offender's account; however, funds placed in offender accounts become the property of the offender. Friends and family members will not be able to request refunds from these accounts.
      There are two methods of depositing money in your prepaid account or the offender’s prepaid debit account.
      1. Contact Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) Support Center at 1-800-844-6591 or visit the SCBS web at www.securustech.net/tdcj/. or
      2. Contact www.JPay.com or 1-800-574-5729.
  2. Why does my bill say “SCBS on behalf of Embarq Payphone Services, Inc”? For customers receiving calls from offenders at any TDCJ facility, Embarq PayphoneServices, Inc utilizes Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS), a division of Evercom Systems, Inc., to provide billing and collection services on its behalf.
  3. What if I move and /or my address changes? Please contact Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) Customer Support Center at 1-800-844-6591 to update or correct your billing information.
  4. I currently have a landline service which does not offer the option for collect calls. Do I still register if I am not paying for the calls? Yes, you have to register in order to receive calls from the offender, regardless of the payment method. To register please go to the EMBARQ Registration page and follow the instructions.
  5. Why can’t offenders make international calls if the called party is paying for the call? At this time the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Policy does not permit international calls. If that decision changes in the future it will be posted on the TDCJ's website.
  6. Once I’m registered who do I call to put money on my account? You don’t have to take any action if you want to be direct billed. If you wish to prepay for phone calls, you can fund the prepaid account directly through Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS). You may also use www.JPay.com, whom you may already use with transfers into offenders trust accounts.
  7. Can I get a refund on my prepaid account? If you have questions about your JPay account call 1-800-574-5729, or email Support@jpay.com. If you have questions about your SCBS account, call 1-800-844-6591 or visit Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) website at www.securustech.net/tdcj/.
  8. What if I want to block my number from accepting calls? Call Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) support personnel and request a block on your phone. SCBS can be reached at 1-800-844-6591.
  9. What should I do if there is fraudulent activity on my account? If you need to speak to Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) support personnel to report any fraudulent activity, they can be reached at 1-800-844-6591.
  10. How can offenders fund their Offender Prepaid Debit Account? To use this account the offender must have money in their trust account. Offenders can purchase debit time at the commissary just like other goods, using money from their trust account. To fund an offender’s trust account go to tdcj’s commissary trust website at http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/finance/comm&trust/Deposit%20Options%20Flyer.pdf.
    1. All applicable taxes and fees for debit purchases will be deducted by TDCJ at the point of sale
    2. To use funds from this account, offenders must choose the Prepaid Debit option
    3. Offenders will hear their remaining balance prior to initiating any Prepaid Debit calls
  11. How can friends and family members fund an Offender Prepaid Debit Account? Anyone can fund an Offender Prepaid Debit Account. There are two options. Fees and taxes may apply. Funds placed in Offender Prepaid Debit Account become the property of the offender. Friends and family members will not be able to request funds from these accounts.
    1. Securus Correctional Billing Services, SCBS www.securustech.net/tdcj/.
    2. Jpay, www.JPay.com
  12. I have questions about my bill. If you have questions about your JPay account, please call us at 800-574-5726, or email Support@jpay.com. If you have a question about your bill that is not related to JPay, please contact Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) support personnel at 1-800-844-6591.
  13. How do I avoid being disconnected once I receive a call from an offender? To communicate by telephone with an offender at a TDCJ facility, you need a touch-tone phone. There are additional security reasons that could cause a disconnection. To assure your call is not disconnected do not:
    1. Attempt to make 3-way call
    2. Transfer a call
    3. Put the call on hold
    4. Use the Call Waiting feature on your phone
    5. Use a cordless phone
  14. I have a rotary dial telephone. How can I accept an offender call if I don’t have a touch-tone telephone? To avoid interruptions in service, we strongly suggest customers use a touch tone telephone, along with touch tone service from their local telephone provider. If touch tone service is not available, customers with rotary service must first register their telephone number with Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) by calling 1-800-844-6591 and agree to accept and pay for all calls without the need to provide standard positive acceptance via touchtone. This registration process allows rotary dial customers to enroll in the “passive acceptance” optional feature. When calling SCBS you must provide both your telephone number AND the offender ID number (s) from whom you wish to receive calls. Please note that this is a special request and can take up to 14 days to process.
  15. My phone has a block on it. Can you help me? There are multiple reasons why your phone may be blocked. Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) support personnel can assist you at 1-800-844-6591.
  16. What if I accept a call that was prematurely disconnected? Please call Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) Customer Support Center to report a premature disconnection. You can reach SCBS at 1-800-844-6591.
  17. How do I report a problem regarding Embarq, Securus Correctional Billing Services, or Jpay directly to the TDCJ? Complaints about the vendor’s service should be forwarded in writing to:
    18. Texas Department of Criminal Justice
    Information Technology Division
    Offender Telephone System Contract Manager
    P.O. Box 4016
    Huntsville, TX 77342-4016

    NOTE: The Texas Department of Criminal Justice can only address complaints regarding offenders in its custody.