How to avoid high Securus phone fees

What you discovered is exactly how many families reduce the high cost of inmate calls, especially in Arizona facilities.

Instead of funding accounts through Securus Technologies, which often includes extra fees just to add money, using prepaid calling cards purchased inside the facility can be a much more cost-effective option.

Here is why this method works well:

• Inmates buy calling cards directly through commissary
• Calls are made at a flat rate per call (around $1.84 in your case)
• There are no deposit fees like the $7 to $8 charges often added by Securus
• You avoid many of the billing and account issues tied to outside systems

By combining that with local numbers (like the Tucson numbers you set up), the calls stay at the lowest possible rate without extra layers of fees.

For many Arizona State Prison Complex units, calling cards are sold in increments (often $10), and inmates can use them as needed without strict limits on the number of calls, as long as they have balance available.

This approach cuts out unnecessary costs and simplifies the process, which is why so many families stick with it once they see how reliable it is.