CorrLinks Text Chat

Review by eFreeware

If you have a family member or friend in an Illinois DOC prison, an Alabama DOC prison, or the Erie County Jail in New York, this app is built for you. CorrLinks Text Chat is a free messaging tool from Advanced Technologies Group, LLC, and its whole purpose is keeping text contact with someone who is incarcerated in one of those three systems. It has been installed more than 50,000 times and holds a 3.3 average across 402 ratings, which suggests it does a necessary job for a specific audience rather than pleasing everyone.

What you get is a direct channel for written messages, which matters when phone calls are expensive, scheduled at awkward times, or simply not possible. Text is also easier to fit around a work schedule than a call, and it leaves a record you can reread. I'd expect the people who keep this installed to be the ones with a standing reason to reach someone inside one of those facilities, not casual users browsing the Communication category.

What the app is actually for

The app is a messaging service and nothing broader. It exists so that relatives and friends can send text to an incarcerated person at one of the covered institutions, and the developer keeps the scope tight around that. There is no social feed, and no attempt to be a general chat client. That narrowness is the point: it is a single-purpose tool for a relationship that is under real constraints.

For families, that translates into a routine that is easier to sustain than occasional visits or calls. A short message on an ordinary evening can carry more than a scheduled conversation once a month, and writing gives you time to think about what you say. I can see this fitting a parent, sibling, partner or close friend who wants regular low-friction contact and does not need anything else from the app.

The flip side is that the app is tied to three correctional systems by name. The app concentrates on three specific systems, so it suits people whose contact is held in one of them. Within those systems, though, it covers the core need without extra layers.

The CorrLinks name and what it does not cover

The most important thing to understand before installing is a compatibility point the developer flags directly: this app does not work with CorrLinks messaging. The shared name is easy to misread, and someone who assumes the two are interchangeable will end up frustrated. The developer points to the correctional agency page on corrlinks.com so you can check whether your situation is covered before you commit.

That warning is worth taking literally. Confirm which system the person you are writing to is actually in, and confirm that the app supports it, before you build any expectations around it. The three named systems are the whole footprint, so a few minutes of checking saves a wasted install and a disappointing first attempt at contact.

I appreciate that the limitation is stated up front rather than buried. It tells you quickly whether you are in the right place, which is more useful than a vague promise of broad coverage that would not hold up.

Cost, ads and what you need to begin

The app is free, carries no advertising, and offers no in-app purchases. For a service aimed at families who are often managing tight budgets alongside the cost of staying in touch, that combination removes a layer of worry. There is no upsell to weigh and no paid tier to compare against a free one, which keeps the decision simple.

The essential thing to know is that the person you want to message is in one of the supported systems.

The app was released in September 2024 and last updated in August 2026, so it is a relatively recent entry that has seen continued work. A 3.3 average from 402 ratings with 246 written reviews suggests a user base that is engaged enough to leave feedback, which is typical for a utility people depend on rather than enjoy.

A focused tool for a specific situation

CorrLinks Text Chat is worth installing if you need text contact with someone in Illinois DOC, Alabama DOC or Erie County (NY) Jail, and it is not intended for anyone outside those systems. The free price, absence of ads and lack of purchases make it easy to try once you have confirmed the facility is covered. The 3.3 rating is middling rather than glowing, which fits an app whose value depends entirely on whether it matches your circumstances.

I would recommend it to relatives and friends who want a straightforward written channel and who have already checked that the person they are writing to falls within the supported systems. If that describes you, the app is doing exactly the job it was made for. If it does not, the developer's own compatibility note will tell you so quickly, and you can move on without wasting time.