Many people find out too late that TDCJ are not permitted by law to divulge information about an inmate's medical status until the time comes when they really need to know.

Make sure the inmate has completed and handed in a medical disclosure form, stating who is their next of kin and who they nominate to be informed of any medical situation. Only one person can be nominated on the form, and the form will need to be resubmitted every 6 months.

This does NOT mean that TDCJ will call the nominated person for every medical instance the inmate finds themselves in. It does not even mean that TDCJ must inform the nominated individual immediately if the inmate suffers a serious injury, illness or death. It simply means that if YOU as the nominated individual calls the unit and inquires about the medical condition of the inmate, they should give you that information.