Setting up InmateAid's discount phone service does not require finding your inmate in the system or knowing their inmate ID number. The phone service works differently from the letter and photo service in this regard.
All you need to get started is the name of the facility where your inmate is housed and your own phone number, the one you want calls forwarded to. InmateAid's system uses those two pieces of information to analyze the phone carrier's rate structure at that facility and determine whether a discount number can save you money on calls.
Once the number is assigned, get it to your inmate through a letter so they know which number to dial from the facility's phone system. That number forwards directly to your phone at the lower rate.
If you are having trouble locating the facility in the system, InmateAid's customer support team at aid@inmateaid.com can help you identify the correct facility and get everything set up. They handle situations like this regularly and can walk you through the process quickly.
The most common reason an inmate does not appear in a search is that smaller county jails and some state facilities do not share data with public inmate databases. That does not prevent the phone service from working. As long as you know the facility name, the service can be configured correctly regardless of whether your inmate shows up in a search.
Email aid@inmateaid.com with the facility name and your phone number and the team will get you sorted out.