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.
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We would be happy to help you set it up, call 866-966-7100.
Read moreFor general population inmates, phone access typically runs from around 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. That window is a standard range across most facilities and applies to inmates housed in open dormitory or unit settings where phones are shared and access is regulated by schedule. The exception is inmates who have a phone available in their cell, which some housing classifications allow. Those inmates generally have 24-hour access and are not subject to the same scheduled windows. Since
Read moreYes, InmateAid can still help reduce your call costs even at a federal facility, just through a different mechanism than state and county jails. The federal Bureau of Prisons operates its own self-contained phone system called TruLinks. No outside phone providers are competing for BOP contracts the way there are at state and county facilities. Instead, inmates fund their TruLinks account through Western Union deposits, and they move money between telephone, commissary, and email from that single account. Calls
Read moreUnfortunately no, this is a prepay service
Read moreProbably, but you will have to check with them to see the status. If the account is open and funded, the number you registered may or may not be the BEST rate available. This is a good place to tell you that in 75% of the cases, we can get a number that will give you a better rate through this very service through Securus. There is no charge to get an honest estimate, email us your number and the
Read moreNo, unfortunately all of the prison/jail phone carriers have gone to monopolistic systems sharing revenue with the facilities.
Read moreIn most cases, the funds are available immediately or within a few hours of the deposit being processed. If it has been longer than that and he still cannot get a call through, there are a few things worth checking. First, confirm that the money was added to the correct account type for that facility. Phone account funds and commissary funds are separate systems, and money deposited into the wrong one will not enable calls. Second, make sure the
Read moreHe can call as long as there is money on the account.
Read moreInmateAid works in EVERY facility but we are not a replacement for the phone service there, we provide numbers that make the cost of each call less than if you were to only use your current number (where applicable). Sometimes our member has a number that is already at the lowest price. If we cannot help save money, we do not issue the number. Please email (aid@inmateaid.com) us your number and we will give you an honest estimate of the
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