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
It really depends on the facility, they all have a separate set of rules. Inmates get a handbook when they are first processed which has all of the rules and regulations. The telephone privileges are in this handbook. If you would like us to try and find out what the particular rules are in your inmate's situation please let us know where they are incarcerated.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Phone access in jail is not a right, it is a privilege, and facilities set their own rules about how often inmates can call and for how long. What feels arbitrary or unfair from the outside is simply the reality of how custody works.
At some facilities, particularly smaller or more restrictive jails, inmates may only be permitted one call every day or two, with calls cut off at 12 or 15 minutes. A 300-minute monthly allotment is a federal Bureau...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes. The InmateAid discount number cannot work independently of the prison's phone system. Every correctional facility operates under an exclusive contract with a phone provider, and all calls placed from inside must go through that provider's system. In this case that provider is GTL, also known as Global Tel Link.
Here is exactly what needs to happen for the discount line to work:
Open an account with GTL if you do not already have one. When setting up that account, use the...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Whether a call from a prison is billed as local or long distance has nothing to do with where you physically live. It is determined by whether your phone number falls within the same rate center as the facility. A rate center is a geographic designation used by phone carriers to calculate call pricing, and it does not always align with city or state boundaries.
If you already have a Philadelphia area code number and your husband's facility is in the...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Letter delivery time:
When you send a letter through InmateAid, it is typically printed and mailed quickly. Most letters arrive at the facility within 1 to 3 business days.
After that, the timeline depends on the facility:
Mail is opened and inspected for contraband
It is then delivered at mail call
This can add a few extra days depending on staff workload and procedures
So overall, most inmates receive letters within a few days to about a week.
Phone call limits:
There is no single rule for all facilities. Call time depends on...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Having a family member held by ICE is a stressful and often confusing situation, especially when you are not sure how basic things like phone calls work. Here is what you need to know.
ICE detention facilities, including contract facilities like South Louisiana Correctional Center, use the same type of contracted phone systems found in most jails and prisons. Your brother can make outgoing calls, but he cannot receive incoming ones. All calls originate from his end.
To receive his calls, you...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Not every facility can be serviced with a local discount phone line. Coverage depends on the phone carrier contracted to that specific jail or prison, and in some cases a local number simply cannot be obtained for that area.
When InmateAid is unable to procure a local line for a facility after a customer has placed an order, we issue a full refund. You will not be charged for a service we cannot deliver.
If you are setting up a new account...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
No. The InmateAid discount phone number is not a collect call system and should not be used as one. Accepting collect calls defeats the purpose of the service and will not produce the savings you signed up for.
Here is how it actually works. InmateAid provides you with a local phone number that forwards to your existing phone. Your fiancee dials that number through the facility's phone system the same way he would dial any other approved number on his list....
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, you still need to do business with the prison phone company - their role is to monitor all of the calls and they have a monopoly arrangement to do so. Instead of registering your old "long distance number" and paying $15-18 per call, you register the new "Local number" and Global Tel can only charge the local line fee - approximately $1.75 per call.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
No. Inmates cannot receive incoming phone calls. The phone system inside jails and prisons is outbound only. Your inmate initiates every call from their end, and there is no way to call them directly at the facility.
They also do not have access to the internet, so you cannot reach them through email or any online platform directly.
If you need to notify your inmate of a new phone number, the most reliable method is a letter. Write down the new number...
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