Do I need to fund calls or just set up a phone account?

In most cases, you will need to do at least one of the two, and sometimes both depending on how the facility handles calls.

At Hoke Correctional Institution in North Carolina, calls are handled through a contracted phone provider. That means:

Option 1: You set up and fund the phone account (best option)

• Create an account with the prison’s phone provider
• Add money to your account
• Your husband calls you and the cost is deducted from your balance

This allows you to pay for the calls directly without him needing money.

Option 2: He pays from his side

• You put money on his inmate trust account
• He buys phone time or uses his balance to make calls

Important to understand:

• Just setting up a phone line without funding it will not work
• The calls must be paid for either by you or him
• The prison phone company is always involved

How to save money:
If you are long distance, you can use a local number service:

• It lowers the cost per call
• But you still need an account with the phone provider

Simple breakdown:

• Phone provider account = required
• Someone has to fund the calls
• Discount services = reduce cost, not replace payment

If you want to handle everything on your end, setting up and funding the phone account yourself is the easiest way.