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
if you live in-state then InmateAid can cut the price of a call in half. If you are out of state, the calls are the cheapest they can be
Read moreyes, all of the phone systems have a prompt to check your balance of time remaining
Read moreYes, just email us the details (aid@inmateaid.com) and we'll make the necessary changes
Read moreThe inmate controls their own phone and visitation list. They can add or delete any phone number of their choosing. If they 'forget a number', they can ask their counselor to print out a report of their numbers.
Read moreJust email us the "prison name change" and we'll make the necessary changes at the phone company.
Read moreWhen you receive the new number (via email, SMS text, and on the My Account Dashboard), the line is already active and loaded with minutes
Read moreit is not probable. quarantine is the same as the shu or the hole where you only get one call per week. in the first two weeks, your inmate will not have gone through orientation and probably won't have phone privileges until they do.
Read moreYes, just let us know the new facility name to make sure that the number you have is the best rate. If anything changes, we will swap out the number for a new one at no charge.
Read moreYes, the inmate initiates the calls. If there is money on their books, they can call anyone.
Read morethe calls all have to go through a single provider that sets the rates. our service (and others like it) do not replace the main service, we use an algorithm to determine if another phone number different from yours will make the per-minute charge less for you or not. In most cases, a new number DOES save money. But, if it doesn't for any reason, we are happy to reverse the charges... so there is no risk in trying it
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