Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

The Discount Telephone Service helps whomever is paying the bill for the calls. If you are putting money on your inmate's books, then it would probably be beneficial to get more calls for the amount you've sent than less, right? Our service does not replace what the inmate has to do to make a call. They have to pay for the outbound call to the prison phone company. We just make that call cheaper. Inmost cases, the local call is...

If you use a collect call option from an inmate, the cost of the call will be at least $15.00. This is the most expensive option out there. There are better ways to receive calls.  If you are concerned about how to handle a pre-paid account, you can get a prepaid VISA card at any grocery or drug store. They work like a credit card and have the buying power of the amount you load on the card.  InmateAid can get you...

The inmate must make the outbound call. They cannot receive calls. All of the prison facilities in the United States operate the same way. They award the contract to one phone company who is the sole provider for that detention center. All calls are tape recorded by them and they get paid for every call. You have to use them, no matter what. The choice you make is whether to pay them a little, or pay them a lot. Our service...

It's not uncommon for inmates to marry while incarcerated. Sometimes marital unions are forged for legal reasons, often related to the adoption of children. In other cases, prisoners simply "may have decided it's just time to marry, and it happens frequently. More so in federal or state prison than in county jail. Inmates who are serving less than a year will usually have their application for marriage denied with the presumption being that such a short wait will not harm the...

It depends on the facility, the security level and any restrictions imposed on your inmate. The federal system allows calling from 6am - 9:30pm but restrict their minutes to 300 per month. County jails usually have the phones open all day and night, some even have phones in the cell. State prisons have a wide range of options and the main determinant is the restriction on each inmate. Some can only call once a day and others have none whatsoever....

The ASPC Yuma facility has a contract with Securus. You have to use them regardless. It is NOT possible to get another account that will replace Securus - you must keep using them. What Prison Call Solutions does is what InmateAid does better. We get a telephone number that will make the calls only $1.84 each. You will still pay Securus $1.84 for each call, but if you are saving over $5.00 per call, the InmateAid flat rate of $19.95...

The situation you are describing is frustrating but legal, and unfortunately, more common than most families expect. Correctional facilities treat the inmate trust account as a financial account tied to the individual, and outstanding debts to the facility follow the person regardless of when the debt was incurred. The types of fees that create these balances vary by facility and jurisdiction. Many jails charge a medical copay each time an inmate receives healthcare, typically a few dollars per visit. Dental services...

Inmates who are serving less than a year will usually have their application for marriage denied with the presumption being that such a short wait will not harm the prisoner or prospective spouse. Each partner must be legally eligible and mentally competent to marry. Marriages may be blocked for security or disciplinary reasons; solitary confinement can block access to marriage. Most states do not allow marriage for inmates on death row; California is at least one exception to that rule....

Absolutely. There is nothing stopping you from writing a letter, putting a stamp on it, and dropping it in the mailbox yourself. The postal service delivers to correctional facilities the same as anywhere else. Where people run into trouble is not knowing the specific mailing requirements for the facility their loved one is in. Every prison has its own rules about what is and is not allowed in incoming mail. Some require the inmate's full name and register number on the...

No. The return address on all InmateAid mail is InmateAid's address, not yours. Your personal billing address is never visible to the inmate. The only way an inmate receives your home address is if you choose to include it somewhere in the body of the letter itself. Privacy is one of the more common concerns for people using InmateAid for the first time, particularly those who are not comfortable with an inmate having their home address. The good news is that...