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 most reliable way is through a letter. Write to your loved one and let them know you have added funds to their phone account and that call time is available. Mail takes a few days to arrive but it gets the message through in a format they can hold onto and reference.
If timing is tight and you need them to know sooner, sending a message through the facility's electronic messaging platform is faster in systems where that is available....
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Our service is not a replacement for the prison phone service, we get you a telephone number that makes the charges from the provider at that institution less expensive. As long as you are a long distance call from the jail, there will be a savings of about $4.00 per call. You can call the office (866-966-7100) and speak to someone about the specifics or email your questions and telephone number to aid@inmateaid.com and we will give you an honest...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
SEND US YOUR NUMBER AND THE FACILITY NAME - WE WILL GIVE YOU AN HONEST ESTIMATE BEFORE YOU SIGN-UP
Aid@InmateAid.com
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes. You do not need a traditional bank account to fund a prison phone account or add minutes for your loved one.
Prepaid debit cards are the most straightforward alternative and they work exactly like a regular bank card or credit card when making deposits through prison phone providers like Securus, GTL, or ICSolutions. You can pick up a prepaid Visa or Mastercard at most grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores, load it with cash, and use it to make deposits...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
You will have to always pay Securus as they are the company that has the contract where your inmate is incarcerated. In the majority of cases we can get you a number that will bring this $15 call to about $3 but to be 100% certain, we would want to know the name of the facility and your telephone number. We would then direct you to set up a Securus account with the number we provision. The money on that...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
When Securus is the company with the contract for all inmate outbound calling and to tape record the calls, you have to look carefully at the per-call price because they are doing things differently than the other prison phone carriers.. Securus has a rate calculator on their site and we use it to get you the BEST number for inmate calling - and now the local number isn't always your best option. Regardless, you have to use them to receive calls.
The choice...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Inmates cannot accept incoming calls, they have to initiate the call. Local calls are the cheapest - long distance and collect calls can run $15 for 15 minutes, people use InmateAid's Discount Phone Service to get local numbers making the calls from the jail at the cheapest rate.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
It depends entirely on the state and the facility, but yes, some systems have moved to free calls for inmates.
New York and Pennsylvania are two of the most notable examples. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision eliminated charges for calls made from state prisons, making them free for both the inmate and the person receiving the call. Pennsylvania's DOC followed a similar path. These policy shifts were driven by years of advocacy around the financial burden...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
SEND US
YOUR PHONE NUMBER AND THE FACILITY NAME - WE WILL GIVE YOU AN HONEST ESTIMATE BEFORE
YOU SIGN-UP - aid@inmateaid.com
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 more