Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

That’s actually how it’s supposed to work. The number you’re issued is set up to receive calls at the lowest possible rate from the facility. Different phone rates apply depending on the area being called, so using that assigned number helps reduce the cost. Your personal phone number is set as the “routed to” destination behind the scenes, meaning calls go through the lower-cost number first and then forward to your phone. It may look a little confusing in the account, but everything...

If your inmate is housed in Robstown and you are calling from a San Antonio number, you are currently paying $0.21 per minute because the call is being treated as a long distance connection. By setting up a local Robstown number, that same call drops to $0.06 per minute — a savings of $0.15 per minute. On a 15-minute call that's a saving of $2.25 per call. If you talk daily that adds up to over $60 a month back in...

At the Segovia Unit, inmates are permitted one remote video visit per month at no cost. These visits must be scheduled in advance through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Online Visitation Portal.  Key Video Call Rules Monthly Limit: Inmates are restricted to one 60-minute video visit per month. Cost: Tablet-based video visits at Segovia are free of charge. While some other Texas units use the paid Securus platform ($10.00 per visit), Segovia typically utilizes the free TDCJ portal system. Scheduling: Visits must be scheduled through the Online Visitation Portal. Slots often...

InmateAid is a public Q&A forum where former inmates answer general questions about the prison system. It is not a direct messaging service — your loved one cannot see or receive anything submitted here. To actually get a message to someone who is incarcerated, InmateAid offers several services that deliver directly to them at their facility: Letters and photos, postcards, and greeting cards can all be sent from your phone or computer and delivered as real physical mail that your loved one...

If InmateAid is showing your inmate at a different facility than you expected, it is most likely because he has been transferred. The federal Bureau of Prisons moves inmates regularly and often without much advance notice to families. Transfers happen for several reasons. The most common is a change in custody status, as an inmate's remaining sentence gets shorter, their security classification may be reduced, which can result in a move to a lower security facility. This is generally a positive development...

Women transferring from Anson Correctional Institution typically transition through programs contracted or partnered with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Since Anson CI functions as a designated reentry facility, most women begin their transition planning directly inside the institution before release. Here are the most commonly used transitional housing options for women leaving Anson CI: The Center for Community Transitions is a 30-bed residential work-release program in Charlotte that helps women in the final stages of incarceration transition back to their...

Getting the account set up is the right first step. Here is what happens next. Remember that the inmate must always initiate the call from inside the facility. You cannot call them directly. Once your new local number is active in your Account Dashboard, your inmate needs to add that number to their approved call list through the facility's phone system. The process for adding a number to the approved call list varies by facility. At most institutions, your inmate submits the...

Video visitation works differently depending on the facility. Not all prisons and jails offer it and those that do typically use a contracted service provider such as Securus, GTL, or JPay. Here is how to get started. First confirm whether your loved one's facility offers video visits at all. Check the facility's official website or call them directly. InmateAid's facility directory has contact information for over 2,500 facilities nationwide if you need help finding the right number. If video visits are available, you...

There are two ways to see your incarcerated loved one. In-person visitation and video visitation. Both require preparation and both are governed by the rules of the specific facility where your inmate is housed. In-person visitation In-person visits take place at the correctional facility itself. Before you can visit you must be on your inmate's approved visitor list. Your inmate submits your name to their case manager who initiates a background check and approval process. This can take anywhere from a few...

Setting up calls with your nephew starts with understanding how the prison phone system works and where InmateAid can help. First the basics. You cannot call your nephew directly. All calls must be initiated by the inmate from inside the facility. Your nephew needs to have money on his phone account to make any calls at all. If his account is empty, no calls can happen regardless of what service you use. InmateAid's Send Money service can help you put funds...

You cannot call your inmate directly. This is one of the most important things to understand about staying in contact with someone who is incarcerated. All calls must be initiated by the inmate from inside the facility. There is no number you can dial to reach them directly. The phone system in correctional facilities is outbound only for inmates. When your inmate can call depends on several factors. First they must have money on their phone account. Without funds available they cannot make...

Hi Theresa. Yes, InmateAid's discount phone service may be able to help you reduce the cost of calls from your stepson at the Lexington facility. Here is how it works. The rate you pay per minute depends on the relationship between your current phone number and the number your stepson calls from inside the facility. If your number is already local to the Lexington area you may already be paying the lower rate of around $0.06 per minute. If your number is considered...

The cost of calls from jail or prison depends on several factors including the facility, the phone carrier contracted by that facility, and the distance between the facility and the number being called. Most facilities use contracted phone carriers such as Securus, GTL, or ICSolutions. Rates vary by carrier and by facility but typically fall somewhere between $0.06 and $0.21 per minute for domestic calls. Historically, the biggest factor affecting your rate was distance. Local numbers cost less than long-distance numbers. That...

This is a common misunderstanding and the short answer is that the facility is mistaken about what InmateAid actually does. InmateAid has no direct relationship with any jail, prison, or correctional facility in the United States. We are not a service that operates inside facilities, interfaces with their phone systems, or requires their approval or cooperation. The facility cannot block InmateAid because InmateAid does not interact with them in any way. Here is what InmateAid's discount phone service actually does. When your inmate...

Transfers happen for several reasons and without knowing the specific circumstances, it is difficult to say with certainty which applies to your son. Here is an honest breakdown of the possibilities so you can better assess the situation. The positive reasons for a transfer close to release include a reduction in custody classification. As inmates approach their release date their security level is often reviewed and reduced, resulting in a move to a facility that better matches their lower risk level....