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
It’s very simple to update your number.
If you change your phone number, just send us your new forward-to number, and we will update it on your account.
What this means:
Your InmateAid local number stays the same (the one your inmate dials)
We simply change where those calls are forwarded to
Your inmate does not need to learn a new number
How to request the change:
Email us with your new number
Include your current number and account details if possible
We will make the change quickly, and there is no charge for updating your...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
We are working on an international calling solution that should be available before the end of the month, early May 2017 at the longest. We will let everyone know by email promotion.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
They are a definite benefit if you talk more than 5-6 times a month. We can help in most cases and will let you know if we can't. Please let us know if you would like a coupon for a discount to try out the service.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
The general rule is the phones are on at 6am and off at 9:30, seven days a week. Times vary but this is a very good example. Some inmates may have telephone restrictions for disciplinary reasons which would limit usage altogether. Inmates must have money on their account or have a loved one set up a pre-paid account with a carrier. The inmate may dial out during those times and the amount of the call is debited from the account.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, InmateAid's discount phone service works at facilities across the country including Morgan County Missouri in Versailles.
Here is how the savings actually happen. Every county jail contracts with a phone carrier through a government bid process, and because there is no competition built into that system, the rates end up far higher than they should be. InmateAid works around that by providing a local phone number that your inmate dials instead of your regular number. Since local calls are cheaper...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, our services work at every facility in the United States. There are some instances where the phone service does not save money - if that is the case we do not issue a number, we simply refund the transaction. But everything else is reliable and convenient - there is nothing like it on the internet.
If you would like an honest estimate of the phones savings, if available, send us your telephone number and the facility name and we will...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, the Discount Telephone Service would be beneficial if you have a long distance number that is not in the Cullman rate center. The current carrier is Telmate and local lines will save you money.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
If you have a number from InmateAid, we will replace the number at no charge. If this is from another service you will either have to contact the counselor at Adelanto and request the block removed.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
Background checks are usually pretty quick, it should not take longer than five business days. One thing to note, the facility notifies the inmate of the approvals, not the person applying. Therefore, you will have to hear back from your inmate to know when.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
He will not know automatically. Getting the new number to him is something you have to do directly, and the sooner the better so there is no gap in communication.
When you set up an InmateAid phone account, you receive a new number that your husband dials from the facility's phone system. That number does not appear anywhere he can see it on his own. You have to get it into his hands through a letter, a postcard, or if timing...
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