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.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The frustration with GTL is completely valid and extremely common. They operate as the exclusive carrier at thousands of facilities, which means no competition and no incentive to keep rates reasonable. Families end up paying whatever GTL charges because there is no alternative on that end of the call.
The first thing worth fixing regardless of whether you use InmateAid is to stop accepting collect calls. Collect is the most expensive rate GTL offers, and every call you accept that way...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
This comes down to how the two systems interact, and it is worth understanding before assuming something went wrong.
InmateAid does not replace the facility's phone carrier or eliminate their charges. What InmateAid does is analyze the carrier's own rate data to determine whether a different forwarding number can get calls to you at a lower published rate than what your current number generates. If your number is already being billed at the lowest tariff the carrier offers for your location,...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
A full month of silence from someone who was calling regularly is not normal, and it deserves a direct explanation.
Facilities do not restrict phone access without reason, but they also do not notify family members when they do it. If your man received an incident report for a rule violation, loss of phone privileges for three to six months is a standard consequence. That penalty gets imposed quietly on their end and the people waiting for calls on the outside...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
county jail phones are almost all day and evening. they are on at about 8:00 am and are cut off at about 9:00 pm.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
No, there must be funds on the account. If you choose to accept a collect-call, the per-minute rate is at the highest allowed by law so we encourage folks to avoid this route.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Phone access in prison is generally manageable. Phones are busiest first thing in the morning and before lights out. Most calls are limited to 15 minutes, so even during peak times the line moves steadily and inmates typically get their turn without much difficulty.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
County jails generally have a more straightforward phone access process than state or federal facilities. The primary requirement is that the inmate has money available on their account to cover the cost of the call. Once that is in place and the basic intake process is complete, which typically takes up to 24 hours, phone access is available during the facility's designated calling hours.
The call list question is worth clarifying. At many county facilities, inmates can dial any approved number...
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Inmates will receive a receipt of deposit in their daily mail.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
they do not roll-over unfortunately
Subject: Inmate phone calls
We have an algorithm that tells our system what number is the lowest priced. We use all of the carrier's own rate calculators to determine if we issue a line or not.
Here is a link to the Securus' Rate Calculator (https://securustech.online/#/rate-quote). This rate calculator allows the customer to see what the rates are for their number and any other number to compare it with. Once you see the big difference in the rates for various phone number locations, you can see...
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