How Does Receiving Calls From State Jail Thru Securus Work?

The prison phone system is confusing at first but once you understand how it is structured, it makes more sense.

Most correctional facilities award an exclusive contract to a single phone provider through a bidding process. Securus is one of the largest and holds contracts at thousands of facilities across the country. When an inmate moves to a new facility that uses Securus, all outbound calls from that facility run through Securus, regardless of what you have set up elsewhere. There is no alternative carrier and no way around it.

Having an existing Securus account from a previous facility is a good start but a move to a new facility sometimes requires setting up a separate account or at minimum updating the linked facility information. The reason calls may not be going through is likely that the account is not yet connected to the new facility's specific Securus contract.

The cost question is where it gets important. Securus charges vary significantly depending on the facility and the distance of the call. Rates can range from under a dollar to fifteen dollars or more per call depending on the contract terms negotiated between Securus and the specific facility. Those costs fall on the person receiving the call or on a prepaid account and they add up quickly over the course of a month.

InmateAid's phone discount service works within the Securus system by providing a local number that reduces the per-call rate significantly. The savings typically pay for the service itself within three to six calls, depending on the current rate at your specific facility.

Securus has a rate calculator on their website where you can look up exact pricing for any facility. Knowing that number before deciding how to set up the account tells you immediately whether a discount service makes financial sense for your situation.