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
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.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Our system is perfect in all detentions centers, jails and prisons. InmateAid helps navigate the rules and nuances that exist in an industry with varying rules and regulations. If it is the phone service, and your inmate gets moved, InmateAid is the only company that will make changes in your account (like a new number if they get moved) at no additional cost. Let us know what you wish to accomplish and we can help guide you through successfully.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
All you have to do is register the InmateAid number as a land line. Be prepared for having to jump through hoops as the prison phone carrier Securus is a little more difficult to deal with than others, but your rights are protected and there is nothing that prohibits you from using our number and receiving lower priced calls. The FCC website endorses ["Low Cost Inmate Call Routing Services"](https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-323495A1.pdf) as a viable way for families to connect with their loved...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
In most cases, you will need to do at least one of the two, and sometimes both depending on how the facility handles calls.
At Hoke Correctional Institution in North Carolina, calls are handled through a contracted phone provider. That means:
Option 1: You set up and fund the phone account (best option)
Create an account with the prison’s phone provider
Add money to your account
Your husband calls you and the cost is deducted from your balance
This allows you to pay for the calls directly...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
A month without a call after setting up a phone account is frustrating, and there are several reasons it could be happening that have nothing to do with whether he is trying to reach you.
The first thing to check is whether your number is on his approved call list. Setting up a funding account and getting a number added to the approved contact list are two separate steps. The money being there does not automatically mean your number is cleared...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Absolutely. It does not replace any phone carrier that is in place at the county jail, it makes their calls cheaper by making the inmate's outbound call a local call. There is a big price difference between local and long distance pricing dialing out of a county jail. If your number is not local, email us the name of the jail and your phone number. We will run a diagnostic on the computer to see if there is enough of...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
InmateAid's discount phone service works by providing a local phone number that reduces the per-minute cost of calls from long distance to local rates. The savings come from the difference between those two rate tiers.
At Rikers Island, which is located in New York City, calls are already being billed at local rates because the facility is in the same rate center as most New York City phone numbers. There is no long-distance rate to reduce, which means an InmateAid local...
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