Terms of Service

The service

Reform Assistant lets families pay for a research and writing service that answers messages from an incarcerated loved one through eMessage on their prison tablet. Replies are written by an automated research and writing service.

Reform Assistant is an independent company. It is not owned by, run by or affiliated with Securus or any facility.

Replies can contain mistakes. We try to be careful, but you and your loved one should check anything important before relying on it.

Not legal advice

We give legal research and plain-English explanations: legal information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm, and nothing we send creates an attorney-client relationship or is protected by attorney-client privilege. For advice about their own case, your loved one should speak to a licensed attorney or a legal aid group.

Choosing the right person

You are responsible for entering the correct name, ID number and facility. Each ID belongs to one person. We are not responsible for a purchase made for the wrong person.

Please check these details before you pay. If you notice a mistake after paying, email us right away and we will try to help.

Plan, stamps and billing

There is one plan. It has one monthly price that covers the $8.00 monthly service plus one stamp package for your loved one's state, which you choose when you set up. Stamp packages are charged at the facility's real stamp price, fees and tax included. Payments are handled by Stripe.

The plan and the stamp package renew together, automatically, at the end of each paid month on the same day, and you are charged again until you cancel. Each time the plan renews, your account receives the stamps in your package (your plan stamps). Unused plan stamps do not carry over: they reset to the package amount each month.

While your plan is active you can also buy extra stamps, from any package offered for your loved one's state, in quantities of 1 to 10 at a time on Plan & billing. Extra stamps never expire and roll over from month to month. Each message uses plan stamps first, then extra stamps. Extra stamps are non-refundable once delivered.

You can cancel at any time by logging in, going to Plan & billing and choosing Manage billing. Cancelling stops your plan from renewing and it ends at the end of the period you have already paid for; your loved one keeps access until then. We don't charge to cancel.

Unless we tell you otherwise in writing, we do not refund the unused part of a plan period you have already paid for.

Messages and facilities

Messages travel through the facility's eMessage service. Facilities can read and keep eMessages in both directions. The facility reviews messages before delivery, and we do not control how fast or whether a message is delivered.

Pictures and videos we create

Reform Assistant owns all pictures and videos the service creates (for example, the pictures and videos sent to your loved one). You and your loved one receive a licence to keep them and to share them personally, for example with family and friends.

Reform Assistant posts pictures and videos on social media only for families who agreed by ticking the optional permission box. If you agreed, Reform Assistant may post any and all pictures and videos the service creates for your loved one on its social media pages. The box is never ticked for you, you do not need to tick it to use the service, and you may withdraw your permission for future posts at any time on Plan & billing. Withdrawing stops any new posts.

We never post messages, names, ID numbers or personal details. Only the pictures and videos themselves may be shared.

Acceptable use

The service must be used in line with facility messaging rules and applicable law. We cannot help with anything illegal or harmful, and we may suspend access if the service is misused.

Contact

Questions? Email [email protected]. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information.