Telford Unit Phone Calls Through Securus. Register Your Number

Telford sits in the far northeast corner of Texas near the Arkansas line, so for most families the phone carries the relationship between visits rather than supplementing them. Create your phone account in minutes.

Stay Connected

Set Up Phone Calls for a Loved One in Telford Unit, TX

Create your phone account in minutes

Overview

Calls out of Telford run on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) inmate telephone system, billed through Securus Technologies. Nothing connects until your number is registered on your side, and the name on the phone bill has to match the name on your ID. He can dial correctly and still not reach you.

Quick Facts

1 Register at texasprisonphone.com or by calling (866) 806-7804 before he can call you.
2 The name on your photo ID must match the name on the phone bill for that number.
3 Phones operate from 5:00 AM to midnight, with a 30-minute cap on each call.
4 There is no monthly limit on total minutes, only on the length of a single call.
5 Every call is recorded except a call to an attorney of record.
6 TDCJ publishes no per-minute rate, so confirm the current cost with Securus rather than a third-party page.

Register Your Number With Securus First

His calls will not connect until the number he is trying to reach has been set up. Register it at texasprisonphone.com or on (866) 806-7804, in the name the phone is billed to.

That last part causes most stalled registrations: the name on your government photo ID has to match the name on the phone bill. A line billed to a parent, a partner or a former roommate trips it up, and it is worth sorting out before deciding the system is broken.

Why New Boston Puts the Phone at the Center

The Barry B. Telford Unit sits in New Boston, in Bowie County, in the far northeast corner of Texas near the Arkansas line. From Houston, San Antonio or the Valley that is most of a day’s drive each way, and TDCJ allows one visit a week. For a lot of Telford families the phone is the main line of contact rather than something between visits. The one exception on visiting: Telford’s video and tablet slots open at 7:00 AM on weekends, an hour before in-person visits, which the visitation guide covers.

Thirty Minutes, Then Call Back

Every call cuts off at 30 minutes. There is no monthly minute allowance, so the cap is per call and a longer talk means dialing again. Phones run from 5:00 AM to midnight, though that is the system’s window rather than a promise of access at any given hour: his unit schedule and custody level also govern when he can reach a phone. Telford holds G1 through G5 plus Security Detention and Safekeeping, and access is not uniform across them.

The Rate Isn’t Published, and the Calling List Isn’t the Visitors List

TDCJ publishes no per-minute rate for its calls, so confirm the cost with Securus when you fund the account rather than trusting a cents-per-minute figure found elsewhere. And the calling list is not the Visitors List: the frequently-quoted 10-name limit belongs to the Visitors List, which he submits separately on Form RO-1. The two are easy to conflate and are not the same thing.

When a Call Won’t Connect

Run the usual causes in order: the number is not registered, the billing name does not match your ID, the account is out of funds, or he is outside phone hours or limited by custody status. If none of those fits, the unit’s line is (903) 628-3171. TDCJ also assigns a Family Liaison Officer at each unit for exactly this kind of problem, and Telford’s is Cynthia Skipper.

Families Also Ask

6 of 6 questions

Why can't he call me from the Telford Unit?

Almost always because your number is not registered. Set up an account at texasprisonphone.com or call (866) 806-7804. Until that is done his calls will not connect no matter how often he tries.

Phone Calls

How much does a call from Telford cost?

TDCJ publishes no per-minute rate, so we will not quote one. Confirm the current cost with Securus Technologies when you fund the account, and treat any specific figure on a third-party page as unverified.

Phone Calls

How long can we talk?

Each call is capped at 30 minutes. There is no monthly cap on total minutes, so the constraint is the length of one call rather than how often he rings. Phones run from 5:00 AM to midnight.

Phone Calls

The phone bill is in someone else's name. Does that matter?

Yes, and it is the most common reason registration stalls. The name on the photo ID used to register has to match the name on the bill for that number.

Phone Calls

Does his custody level affect phone access?

It can. Telford houses G1 through G5 plus Security Detention and Safekeeping, and phone access is not uniform across that range. The 5:00 AM to midnight window is when the system operates, not a guarantee he can reach a phone at any point inside it.

Phone Calls