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
Which immigration detention center? The rates depend on the carrier the facility chooses. In most cases we can make their rates substantially cheaper. Send us the name of the facility and your phone number and we will give you an honest estimate.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes in most cases. Where that is not an option, an InmateAID number is a land line that can forward to any cell phone anywhere. The inmate dials a land line and it rings on your cell phone. You still pay the carrier for the call, but in cases where our numbers are used, the price of the call from the carrier is reduced by up to 80%.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
If the system your person is incarcerated in requires phone bill verification as part of the number approval process, that requirement applies across the entire system regardless of custody level or facility type. Moving to a work camp does not exempt an inmate from the verification requirements that govern the broader DOC phone system. The rules travel with the inmate, not with the facility.
That means if phone bill verification was required at the previous facility, it is still required at...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
The Discount Phone Service is not a replacement for the phone service at the jail or prison. Each facility as only one carrier. That carrier can set their rates to whatever they can get away with. We have discovered over the many years of helping the families of inmates that a "different phone number altogether" may make the calls from your inmate cheaper.
We provide you the best number for your inmate's location. That number is given to the inmate and...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Each inmate has a billing cycle for their phone use. It begins on the date of their internal approval to use the Trulincs system. It can be any date of the month and the renewal is on that same date the following month. If your inmate's date is on the 15th, then on November 15th, they will get 400 minutes to span until December 15th when they would recharge for another 400 minutes.
With this question, InmateAid is offering 50% off...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
All TDCJ state prison facilities, where Wheeler (Texas) is affiliated ,use SecurusTech. The price for a call to any number in the state of Texas is about $4,00 (for 15 minutes). We can save $1.00 per call with one of our numbers (that would call-forward to yours).
If you want Wheeler (Georgia), they also use Securus. The price for a local call is $1.95, all other calls are $3.15. We can save you $1.20 per call with an Alamo Georgia phone number...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
It can be a great deal or it could be no savings at all. We would advise you to email us the name of the facility and your phone number. We will give you an honest estimate of the possible savings.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
There are three Moore County Jails, one in TX, TN and NC. They all have different carriers. Your number is in Colorado and in all cases we can get you a better rate, but the savings vary. Please let us know if we can help you further.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The number provided is active and operation when it is emailed to you. You must give your inmate the number - if you would like a coupon code to send the number via postcard or letter, please let us know we'd be happy to provide one at no charge.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
This is a common frustration and it almost always comes down to pressing the wrong option on the automated prompt.
Every inmate phone carrier runs an automated recording before connecting the call. That recording walks through several options, typically something along the lines of press one to accept, press two to hear rates, press five to block future calls, and similar choices depending on the carrier. The exact prompts and numbers vary between carriers, and pressing the wrong one, particularly a...
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