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
Not unless they have a smuggled, illegal cellphone in their cell
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The answer depends on where you live relative to the facility. Prison and jail phone carriers charge different rates based on whether the receiving number is local to the facility or long-distance.
If you live in Arkansas and your number is already local to the Wynne area, you may already be getting the lower in-state rate. InmateAid can still potentially reduce that further by identifying whether a local forwarding number would trigger an even cheaper rate with whatever carrier Cross County...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
yes, all of the phone systems have a prompt to check your balance of time remaining
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes. The forwarding number on your InmateAid account points calls to whatever phone number you designate, and that number can be updated when your situation changes. Email aid@inmateaid.com with your account details and the new number you want calls forwarded to, and the team will make the change.
This is worth doing promptly. If the forwarding number on file is no longer active, calls from your inmate will not connect and he will not know why. Updating the number quickly avoids...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Inmates control their own approved phone list. They can add and remove numbers themselves through the GTL phone system at the facility, typically using the kiosk or the phone unit interface, without needing staff involvement to make those changes.
If your person has forgotten what numbers are currently on their list, the simplest way to get that information is to ask their counselor. The counselor can print out a report of the current approved numbers on file. That gives them a...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
This can be fixed. Email aid@inmateaid.com with the correct facility name and the team will update the account at the phone company end. The forwarding number gets reconfigured for the right location so calls from your dad's actual facility will route through correctly.
Include your account details and the correct prison or jail name in the email so the team can identify the account and make the change without back and forth. These corrections are handled regularly and should not take...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, that is accurate. Processing facilities are the most restrictive environment an inmate will typically encounter in the Georgia system because they are transitional by design. The rules at Piedmont are tighter across the board compared to a regular housing assignment, and the limited phone schedule you described reflects that. Two 15-minute calls on alternating days, with Mondays being a phone blackout, is consistent with what processing centers impose while inmates are being classified and assessed before permanent placement.
On tablets:...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
When you receive the new number (via email, SMS text, and on the My Account Dashboard), the line is already active and loaded with minutes
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Phone access during quarantine is extremely limited. The quarantine period functions similarly to the SHU in terms of communication restrictions, meaning phone privileges are reduced to roughly one call per week rather than the standard schedule. Do not count on regular contact during those first two weeks.
There is also the orientation piece to consider. Even after quarantine ends, most facilities require inmates to complete an Admissions and Orientation process before full phone privileges are activated. If those two things overlap,...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, the service follows your partner wherever they go. The forwarding number InmateAid provides routes calls to your phone regardless of which facility your partner is calling from.
The one thing to be aware of is that different facilities use different phone carriers, and the carrier determines the rate structure. A number that produces the lowest rate at a county jail may not be the optimal number for the prison he moves to. When the transfer happens, let InmateAid know the...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, the inmate initiates the calls. If there is money on their books, they can call anyone.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, that is exactly how it works. Give the InmateAid forwarding number to your inmate and have him add it to his approved call list at the facility. When he calls that number, it routes through to your phone while triggering the lower rate that InmateAid's number was chosen to produce.
InmateAid does not replace the prison phone system. Your inmate still calls through whatever carrier the facility uses, whether that is Securus, GTL, or another provider. What InmateAid does is...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
yes, it works perfectly with all carriers, too
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, email us (aid@inmateaid.com) your new information and we will make that change for you
Subject: Inmate phone calls
You have a few options, and which one works fastest depends on your situation.
The most reliable method is sending a letter or postcard with the new number written clearly in the body of the message. InmateAid's letter and postcard service works well for exactly this kind of thing, and your personal address stays private in the process. Allow the usual 6 to 7 days for it to clear the mailroom and reach your inmate.
If timing is tight and your old...
Read more