Inmate Phone Calls — Ask the Inmate
Prison phone calls are one of the most important lifelines between an incarcerated person and their family, and one of the most expensive. The prison phone industry has historically operated as a near-monopoly charging rates that few other consumer services would get away with. This section covers how the prison phone system works, why rates are so high and what has changed in recent years, how debit calling accounts function, how to get a number approved on an inmate's call list, how InmateAid's local number service reduces call costs by up to 70 percent, and what international callers need to know about reaching a US facility from another country. The questions answered here come from families who are paying too much for calls and from inmates trying to navigate phone access from inside. Understanding how the system works is the first step toward getting the most contact for the least cost. See also our sections on Money Transfer and Commissary.
Related InmateAid Services
Unfortunately yes, and it is one of the more frustrating practices in the prison phone industry. GTL and ConnectNetwork have broad authority over accounts on their platform and can place holds or blocks on accounts when a chargeback or disputed transaction is flagged, even if the dispute was legitimate and reasonable. The fact that they blocked every number on the account rather than just addressing the disputed line is an aggressive response, but it is within their standard policy framework.
Read moreEleven cents per minute is already a low rate, and the honest answer is that even if InmateAid could shave something off that number, the savings would likely not cover the monthly line rental fee. Here is the math. InmateAid's phone line runs $19.95 per month. To break even on that cost at $0.11 per minute, you would need to save at least $19.95 in per-minute reductions each month. If the best available rate at your facility is, say,
Read moreOnce you complete the setup, your new phone number is automatically sent to you. You’ll receive it by text message and also by email to the address you used when creating your account. That number is then linked to your account and set up to forward calls, so your inmate can use it to contact you.
Read moreOnce his phone access is approved, the facility will notify him directly. Inmates are typically informed when they’re cleared to use the phone system. He’ll also need to have funds available on his phone account before he can make calls, so both approval and funding need to be in place. If everything is set up correctly, you should start receiving calls from him shortly after.
Read moreYes, it does work with Halawa. The discount phone line works as long as your current phone number is considered long distance to Hawaii’s 808 area code. If that’s the case, the service can help reduce the cost of those calls.
Read moreNo, inmates can’t call just anyone using this service. The number you set up is the only line they can call through the account. That means you stay in control of where the calls are received. The inmate still has to initiate the call from their facility, but it will only go to the number connected to your account.
Read moreThat’s actually how it’s supposed to work. The number you’re issued is set up to receive calls at the lowest possible rate from the facility. Different phone rates apply depending on the area being called, so using that assigned number helps reduce the cost. Your personal phone number is set as the “routed to” destination behind the scenes, meaning calls go through the lower-cost number first and then forward to your phone. It may look a little
Read moreIf your inmate is housed in Robstown and you are calling from a San Antonio number, you are currently paying $0.21 per minute because the call is being treated as a long distance connection. By setting up a local Robstown number, that same call drops to $0.06 per minute — a savings of $0.15 per minute. On a 15-minute call that's a saving of $2.25 per call. If you talk daily that adds up to over $60 a month
Read moreAt the Segovia Unit, inmates are permitted one remote video visit per month at no cost. These visits must be scheduled in advance through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Online Visitation Portal. Key Video Call Rules Monthly Limit: Inmates are restricted to one 60-minute video visit per month. Cost: Tablet-based video visits at Segovia are free of charge. While some other Texas units use the paid Securus platform ($10.00 per visit), Segovia typically utilizes the free TDCJ portal system. Scheduling: Visits must
Read moreInmateAid is a public Q&A forum where former inmates answer general questions about the prison system. It is not a direct messaging service — your loved one cannot see or receive anything submitted here. To actually get a message to someone who is incarcerated, InmateAid offers several services that deliver directly to them at their facility: Letters and photos, postcards, and greeting cards can all be sent from your phone or computer and delivered as real physical mail
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