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
If a monthly payment is declined, your discount phone number is not permanently lost. InmateAid holds the number for you and no one else can be assigned that number while your account is being resolved.
Once the payment is made successfully, the number is reinstated and your inmate can continue using it without having to go through the facility approval process again. The number stays yours.
If you added funds to your card and believe the payment should now go through, contact...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, that is exactly how it works.
After you receive your local number, you still need to set up and fund an account with Global Tel Link (GTL).
Here is the process:
Get your new local number
Contact GTL or log into your account
Add that number as the approved number for calls
Deposit funds into that account
Once that is done:
Your inmate calls the new number
GTL connects the call
You are billed at the lower local rate instead of long distance
So the local number reduces the cost, but GTL still handles and charges...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
This is a genuinely difficult situation and options are limited, but there are a few things worth trying.
Contact the facility's chaplain. Ask specifically whether the facility has an indigent communication program that allows inmates with no funds to make at least one call to notify family. Some jails have provisions for this, particularly for recently arrested individuals who have not yet had any contact with the outside. The chaplain is often the most accessible person to ask.
Ask about a free...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
No, inmates are not allowed to have cell phones at Cooper Street Correctional Facility or any other prison.
Cell phones are considered contraband, and being caught with one can lead to:
Disciplinary action inside the facility
Loss of privileges (phone, commissary, visitation)
Additional criminal charges and more time added to the sentence
How communication actually works:
Inmates must use the facility’s approved phone system
Calls are monitored and recorded
They can only call approved numbers
About call costs:
Calls can be expensive, especially if they are long distance
Using a local number setup can reduce the cost significantly
There is no legal...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Our program will bring the cost of each phone call to the lowest possible price - but it depends on the facility, where it is located and who the current provider is that services that facility. A good general range is from $0.50 - $3.00. Most calls are in the $1.25 - $1.75 range. Let us know the details and we will try and give you a more accurate rate.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Phone numbers purchased through InmateAid are processed overnight and assigned by 7am the following morning depending on where your order falls in the processing queue.
What Happens After You Purchase
Once your order is complete it enters the overnight processing queue. Numbers are assigned and activated in the order they are received. If you purchased early in the day your number will typically be ready by 7am the next morning. If you purchased late in the evening it may take until the...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
International calls from US correctional facilities are handled at the carrier level and GTL in particular can be inconsistent in how they explain the options to international callers. Getting different answers from the same company is frustratingly common.
Here is the most reliable solution for your situation.
The US Number Solution
The cleanest way to receive calls from a US federal or state facility to a UK number is to obtain a US phone number and have it forwarded to your mobile. Here...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
If you are already in the same city as your sister and your number is considered local to the jail, then the discount phone service likely will not benefit you.
Here is why:
Jails contract with a single phone provider for all inmate calls
That provider charges different rates for local vs long distance calls
The discount service works by giving you a local number to reduce long distance costs
In your case:
If your number is already local, your sister is already calling you at the lowest available rate
There is no long...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
If your fiance has registered the number through the facility's phone system and is still unable to get through, there are a few possible explanations worth working through before assuming the number itself is the problem.
Confirm the number is fully approved. Registering a number through a service like OffenderConnect is one step, but the facility's phone provider also needs to process that registration and activate the number on their end. That approval is not always instant and can take a...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
This is a known and deliberate practice by Securus, and understanding why it is happening helps explain what can be done about it.
Background: prison phone carriers like Securus were previously blocking local numbers from being used to receive inmate calls, effectively forcing families to use long distance numbers and pay the higher rates. A federal lawsuit challenged that practice and Securus lost. Rather than simply comply with the ruling, Securus shifted tactics. They are now classifying certain local numbers as...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Buenas tardes, Para poder verificar su linea necesito que me mande su nombre, apellido y el numero de telefono asignado por InmateAid. De todos modos queria clarificarle que nosotros ofrecemos unicamente la línea local, que es la forma en que se reduce el precio de la comunicacion. Usted todavía tiene que seguir abonando a la compañía de teléfono de la prisión para que el recluso pueda usar las instalaciones de telefono. Por favor register el numero asignado por Inmateaid en...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Go to your My Account area on the website. Click on Discount Telephone Service, click Add a Local Line, then select the state, the facility name, your telephone number and the calling plan you wish to buy. Go to checkout and then the pay page. Enter your debit card or credit card and pay. You will get an email confirmation of your purchase and in about an hour, you will get your new local telephone number emailed to you to...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
InmateAid's discount telephone service is exactly what you need, and getting it set up is straightforward.
Here is how it works. InmateAid provides you with a local phone number in the same rate center as your son's facility. Instead of your son dialing a long distance number and triggering expensive long distance rates through the prison's phone carrier, he dials the local InmateAid number instead. That call routes directly to your existing phone. The prison's carrier still handles the call, but...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Our service provides a local number to make the calls through the prison telephone service much
cheaper than if your inmate is calling you long distance. You can call
us and we can help you set this up 866-966-7100.
If you are
more comfortable doing it online, go to the My Account section and
click on Discount Telephone Line. Click the red button "Add a Local
Line". Enter the state, facility, inmate name and id number, YOUR
telephone number and...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Buchanan County Jail is a smaller county facility, and smaller jails typically operate with phones accessible directly within the housing pod rather than through a centralized phone bank with scheduled access windows. In that kind of setup, inmates can often make calls throughout the day and into the evening as long as they are not locked in their cells. There is no set calling schedule posted because the phone is simply available when the pod is open.
That said, there are...
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