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
The phone service at a particular correctional center is set up through a bid process. In this case, Global Tel*Link has the contract for all inmate outbound calling and to tape record the calls - essentially a monopoly. Therefore, you have to use them to receive any calls. The choice is whether you pay GTL for a long-distance call (to your number) or a local call (to a number that we get you). If you are already local, we cannot...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
The minutes do not rollover unfortunately.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The inmate has to either use a phone card purchased through the commissary, or you will have to set up a pre-paid account with IC Solutions. The cost of a local call is less expensive than the cost of a long distance call. The price difference is why people use InmateAid.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Whichever phone company has the contract with the prison/jail your inmate is in, you will HAVE to use them. Getting the local number is good if Global Tel*Link is the provider. If it is Securus, then we need to check their published rates to see which number will work best. Securus' rates are sometimes worse for local numbers and better for long distance numbers. The only way to know for sure, and to get an honest assessment of whether getting...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
“Ask the Inmate” is not a direct communication link to a
particular inmate, it is a question and answer forum between you and a former
inmate who knows how things work on the inside. To communicate, you can write
letters or send photos - you will have to go to your My Account area and click
on the Inmate Page and then click "Letters". You will be able to
communicate to them through there.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, you can update your phone number at any time and there is no charge to make the change.
Life circumstances change and so do phone numbers. Whether you switched carriers, got a new number, or just need to update what is on file, the process is straightforward and does not cost anything.
One thing worth keeping in mind is that the phone number your inmate calls you on may also need to be updated on their approved contact list through the...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, the local number we give you forwards to your pre-paid cell phone, the only person dialing this number will be your inmate calling you from the jail. It will not affect your cellphone, your number or interfere with any incoming calls
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The best that our service could do for you is cut the price of the calls down to just under $2.00 per call instead of what you are paying. You have to do the math and see if saving $2.00 per call is worth $20 per month. You would have to be speaking more than 10 times per month to cover the cost of the service.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Free phone calls are usually in the county jail when first booked, but it is not a guarantee. We don't think that they offer a free call in the state system
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The prison phone system is confusing at first but once you understand how it is structured, it makes more sense.
Most correctional facilities award an exclusive contract to a single phone provider through a bidding process. Securus is one of the largest and holds contracts at thousands of facilities across the country. When an inmate moves to a new facility that uses Securus, all outbound calls from that facility run through Securus, regardless of what you have set up elsewhere. There...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
You will need to let them know. If you need a coupon to use our letter system, please email us a request and we will be happy to help you.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes. There are no contracts and no long-term commitments. You pay month by month and can cancel at any time without penalty.
If you do not want the service to renew automatically each month, just let us know and we will turn off the auto-billing. You stay in control of the account the entire time.
A lot of families are in situations where the need for discounted calls comes and goes, whether a loved one gets transferred, released, or circumstances change. The...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Keep in contact with the chaplain, that is the best advise we could give. Most of the movement restrictions inside the prison change to keep the inmates on their toes.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
We have a large selection of local lines for USP Canaan in Waymart, PA. Click here to get started. The real question is, why didn't you come here first?? :))
Subject: Inmate phone calls
You have to get the number to your inmate. No facility will pass on messages to inmates (as a general strict rule). If you would like to use our letter service on the house, email us at aid@inmateaid.com and we will send you a coupon code with instructions on how to write your inmate and inform them of the new number to dial out.
