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 short answer is yes, and the math makes it clear quickly.
InmateAid does not replace the phone system at the jail or prison. Your family member still calls out through the facility's phone service the same way they always have. What InmateAid does is give you a local phone number to receive those calls on. That single change drops the per-call rate from long distance to local, and the difference between those two rates is where the savings come from.
Here...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Yes, jails do restrict calls, and new arrivals often go through an intake or orientation period before phone access is activated. That window is usually about a week, but at some facilities, it can extend longer depending on how backed up the intake process is or whether any holds or classifications are pending on the case.
Two weeks with no contact at all is on the longer end and worth following up on directly. Call the facility and ask to speak...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
No, and there are risks on both sides of that call. Prison and jail phone calls are recorded and monitored. Every number an inmate calls, and every conversation on those calls, is logged and available to law enforcement. Calling someone with an active warrant creates a documented connection between the inmate and a person who is currently wanted, which is the kind of detail that prosecutors and investigators pay attention to.
For the inmate, regular contact with someone who is a...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
InmateAid is not a replacement for GTL or a portal into their system. What it provides is a local phone number matched to the same rate center as the jail, which triggers GTL's lower local calling rate rather than the more expensive long-distance rate applied to numbers outside the area.
To activate the savings, you need to add the InmateAid local number to your GTL account rather than keeping your original number as the contact number. You can do this by...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Depending on who the carrier is, you should be able to call there and add the new number to the existing account and take the old one off. Some will make you create a whole new account and have the remaining balance returned; they won't transfer the money.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
This depends on the facility and the carrier they have a contract with. Some calls are a low as six cents a minute versus fifteen dollars for the same call. Our Service can reduce this cost in most cases. If you tell us the name of the institution and your phone number we will give you an honest estimate whether our Service can help or not, BEFORE you sign up.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
it should be available immediately. sometimes there are situations where the phone access for inmates are not available.
Subject: Inmate phone calls
It's just one number
Subject: Inmate phone calls
It is asking for your number (the number that the inmate's call will forward-to). The number we provide is then used by the inmate to make the calls cheaper
Subject: Inmate phone calls
We would be happy to help you set it up, call 866-966-7100.
