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
There are three ways phone calls work from a county jail, and understanding the difference between them matters because the cost varies dramatically depending on which option you use.
The first is the inmate paying from their own account. If money has been deposited onto their books, the cost of each call gets deducted directly from their trust account when they dial. This is the standard setup and the one most families use once they have funded the account.
The second is...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Securus Technologies holds the exclusive contract at East Central Arkansas Community Correction Center in West Memphis, which means there is no choice between carriers. Every call your inmate makes goes through Securus, regardless of what number they dial. That monopoly is not going away.
What you can control is the rate Securus charges for those calls, and that rate is determined entirely by the phone number being dialed. Securus structures its pricing by number type, and the difference between the most...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
The inmate cannot receive calls, they have to initiate them. If you are out of the country, the inmate will have to pay the international rates for the company that has the service contract at the facility to call you.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
MIght be Securus blocking your line to prohibit you from saving money. Here is what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has to say about their illegal tactics:
Commission Ruling Opens Doors For Low-Cost Call Routing Service For Inmates And Their Families
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-323495A1.pdf
Petition for Declaratory Ruling of Securus Technologies, Inc - EDOCS
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1990A1.pdf
Subject: Inmate phone calls
If you are really worried, we would advise you to call the facility and ask to speak to their counselor to see if they have any recent restrictions.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The number that you give your inmate is placed on their call list which is through their Trulincs account. When the calls come through the federal prison phone system, there is no caller ID. Normally it will say UNKNOWN. FYI, there is nothing "private" in prison, every call is listened to.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
yes, as long as there is money on their books
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The inmate is notified that they have money in their trust account by their counselor or through the internal communication system (i.e.Trulincs in BOP)
Subject: Inmate phone calls
It depends on the facility and how their phone approval system works, and the answer is different in federal versus state and county systems.
In the federal system, inmates manage their own approved call lists and add numbers directly through the phone system at their unit. There is no automatic flag that cross-references approved numbers against co-defendant status. Unless a specific no-contact order has been issued by the court prohibiting communication between co-defendants, a federal inmate can technically add your number...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
We are not replacing Paytel, we’re getting a number that gets you the lowest rate they offer. In most cases, your calls are $6-7.00 each, we get you the right number that saves over $3.00 per call, it'll pay for itself in only 6 calls. If you talk every day, the service will save a lot more than the $20 fee we charge. That is why this service is loved by thousands since 2012.
