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.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Depending on who the carrier is, you should be able to call there and add the new number to the existing account and take the old one off. Some will make you create a whole new account and have the remaining balance returned; they won't transfer the money.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
This depends on the facility and the carrier they have a contract with. Some calls are a low as six cents a minute versus fifteen dollars for the same call. Our Service can reduce this cost in most cases. If you tell us the name of the institution and your phone number we will give you an honest estimate whether our Service can help or not, BEFORE you sign up.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
it should be available immediately. sometimes there are situations where the phone access for inmates are not available.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
It's just one number
Subject: Inmate phone calls
It is asking for your number (the number that the inmate's call will forward-to). The number we provide is then used by the inmate to make the calls cheaper
Subject: Inmate phone calls
We would be happy to help you set it up, call 866-966-7100.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
¿Cuál es tu hijo's nombre? Veremos el recluso localizadores hemos de Texas para ver si podemos encontrar su número para usted.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
For 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 Crowley County is a...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, 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 are paid...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Unfortunately no, this is a prepay service
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Probably, 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 moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
No, unfortunately all of the prison/jail phone carriers have gone to monopolistic systems sharing revenue with the facilities.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
In 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 phone number...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
He can call as long as there is money on the account.
