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 service is NCIC, however, the InmateAid Service will cut the NCIC call price in half. If you would like to get an honest estimate, email us your telephone number and we'll let you know if this discount could be applied to your account
Subject: Inmate phone calls
This depends on your phone number. If you would like an honest estimate, email us (aid@inmateaid.com) the name of the facility with your phone number and we will let you know the pricing options
Subject: Inmate phone calls
InmateAid numbers are selected by software matching the rate calculator prices for all numbers as they relate to the prison pricing and then delivering them to you via email and text
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The standard policy is that minutes do not carry over from one month to the next. InmateAid's phone service runs on a month to month basis and each billing cycle resets regardless of how many minutes were used in the previous period. Unused minutes from one month do not accumulate into the next.
That said, if there was a legitimate reason the service went unused, whether a transfer, a stretch in the hole with no phone access, a medical situation, or...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, but they cannot make one call after another. The is a bank of phones that are for use by all of the inmates. Inmates might have to wait 30 minutes or more to get a phone to use. After their call, the system will not allow for another call for 30 minutes or more (giving others the opportunity to make calls).
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The facility at Kintock in Philadelphia runs through GlobalTel*Link, also known as GTL or OffenderConnect. To receive calls you will need to set up an account at offenderconnect.com first. That is the carrier side of the equation and it is not optional since GTL holds the contract at that facility.
Here is the part worth paying attention to. Philadelphia numbers are among the most expensive in the GTL system. Local calls in major metro areas like Philadelphia can run significantly higher...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Correct, they must first go through Admissions and Orientation. Once they have completed that successfully, they will be allowed to make phone calls and have visitation.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Each InmateAid phone line is set up for one forward-to number at a time. That means the InmateAid number your inmate dials routes to one specific number on the outside, whether that is yours or someone else's.
If your inmate needs to reach multiple people at the discounted rate, the solution is to set up multiple lines, one for each person who wants to receive calls at the lower price. Each line has its own InmateAid number that forwards to a...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
There is no limit, it's up to the amount of money available on the inmate's phone account.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
yes, in most cases
