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
Subject: Inmate phone calls
InmateAid numbers are selected by software matching the rate calculator prices for all numbers as they relate to the prison pricing and then delivering them to you via email and text
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The standard policy is that minutes do not carry over from one month to the next. InmateAid's phone service runs on a month to month basis and each billing cycle resets regardless of how many minutes were used in the previous period. Unused minutes from one month do not accumulate into the next.
That said, if there was a legitimate reason the service went unused, whether a transfer, a stretch in the hole with no phone access, a medical situation, or...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, but they cannot make one call after another. The is a bank of phones that are for use by all of the inmates. Inmates might have to wait 30 minutes or more to get a phone to use. After their call, the system will not allow for another call for 30 minutes or more (giving others the opportunity to make calls).
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The facility at Kintock in Philadelphia runs through GlobalTel*Link, also known as GTL or OffenderConnect. To receive calls you will need to set up an account at offenderconnect.com first. That is the carrier side of the equation and it is not optional since GTL holds the contract at that facility.
Here is the part worth paying attention to. Philadelphia numbers are among the most expensive in the GTL system. Local calls in major metro areas like Philadelphia can run significantly higher...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Correct, they must first go through Admissions and Orientation. Once they have completed that successfully, they will be allowed to make phone calls and have visitation.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Each InmateAid phone line is set up for one forward-to number at a time. That means the InmateAid number your inmate dials routes to one specific number on the outside, whether that is yours or someone else's.
If your inmate needs to reach multiple people at the discounted rate, the solution is to set up multiple lines, one for each person who wants to receive calls at the lower price. Each line has its own InmateAid number that forwards to a...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
There is no limit, it's up to the amount of money available on the inmate's phone account.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
yes, in most cases
Subject: Inmate phone calls
There are three ways phone calls work from a county jail, and understanding the difference between them matters because the cost varies dramatically depending on which option you use.
The first is the inmate paying from their own account. If money has been deposited onto their books, the cost of each call gets deducted directly from their trust account when they dial. This is the standard setup and the one most families use once they have funded the account.
The second is...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Securus Technologies holds the exclusive contract at East Central Arkansas Community Correction Center in West Memphis, which means there is no choice between carriers. Every call your inmate makes goes through Securus, regardless of what number they dial. That monopoly is not going away.
What you can control is the rate Securus charges for those calls, and that rate is determined entirely by the phone number being dialed. Securus structures its pricing by number type, and the difference between the most...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
The inmate cannot receive calls, they have to initiate them. If you are out of the country, the inmate will have to pay the international rates for the company that has the service contract at the facility to call you.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
MIght be Securus blocking your line to prohibit you from saving money. Here is what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has to say about their illegal tactics:
Commission Ruling Opens Doors For Low-Cost Call Routing Service For Inmates And Their Families
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-323495A1.pdf
Petition for Declaratory Ruling of Securus Technologies, Inc - EDOCS
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1990A1.pdf
Subject: Inmate phone calls
If you are really worried, we would advise you to call the facility and ask to speak to their counselor to see if they have any recent restrictions.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The number that you give your inmate is placed on their call list which is through their Trulincs account. When the calls come through the federal prison phone system, there is no caller ID. Normally it will say UNKNOWN. FYI, there is nothing "private" in prison, every call is listened to.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
yes, as long as there is money on their books
