Are both sides charged for inmate phone calls

No, both of you are not being charged for the same call. The prompt asking you to “press 1 to accept” is standard for nearly all inmate phone systems and does not automatically mean you are paying.

That message serves two purposes:

• It notifies you that the call is coming from a correctional facility
• It asks you to accept the call connection

Whether you are charged depends on how the call is set up:

• Inmate-paid calls: If your inmate is using funds from their phone account, they are covering the cost. You are just accepting the call, not paying for it.
• Collect calls: In this case, you are accepting the charges, and the cost is billed to your phone number.

The recording usually explains which type of call it is, but it can be easy to miss if you are not listening closely.

If you want to avoid higher collect call rates, the most cost-effective option is to have funds placed in the inmate’s phone account so they can call you directly. You can also use InmateAid’s Discount Telephone Service, which helps route calls as local connections at lower rates, reducing the overall cost of staying in touch.