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

Yes, and we want to make sure every customer understands exactly what they signed up for before any confusion sets in. After you place an order with InmateAid, you will receive a confirmation email that walks through how the service works, what to expect, and what steps come next. Whether you have set up a discount phone line, sent a letter, or arranged another service, that follow-up communication is designed to answer the questions most people have before they think to...

Yes, that is exactly how it works. The number you received is a local phone line that forwards directly to the phone number you provided when you signed up. When your inmate dials it, the call routes straight to you. Before that first call can happen, there is one step that needs to be completed on the facility's end. Your inmate needs to register the new number through the prison's phone system. In the federal system that means submitting it to...

Processing delays on new discount phone numbers are usually tied to order volume, and holidays are the most common cause. When a holiday falls the day before, overnight and same-day orders back up and take longer to work through than normal. It is not a technical issue with your account, just a queue that is running behind. If your number is still showing as pending, it is actively being processed. Orders do not get lost in the system, they just take...

Pending means your phone line has been ordered and is in the queue waiting to be assigned. It is not active yet, but it is being processed. Under normal circumstances, you can expect to receive an email confirmation with your new number within one to two hours of placing your order. If there was a holiday the day before, processing may run a bit longer than usual due to backlogged orders. It will clear, just not on the standard timeline. You do...

There are no true unlimited calling plans in jails or prisons like you would see with regular cell phone service. Facilities like East Carroll Detention Center contract with one phone provider only (such as Securus Technologies), and that company controls all calling options. Because of that setup, there is no competition and no outside company can offer unlimited calling. What you may be hearing about are subscription-style plans, not unlimited calling. For example: Some Securus plans allow a set number of calls per month (like up to 100 calls), not unlimited  Calls still have time...

When an inmate is newly transferred to a prison, it is normal for them to spend time in intake, classification, or temporary housing before being placed in general population. There is no exact timeline because placement depends on several factors: Classification review based on criminal history and custody level Available bed space in the appropriate housing unit Safety considerations, including separation from other inmates Medical or administrative screening In many cases, this process takes a few days to a few weeks, but it can be longer if the facility is crowded...

There are a few with the name "Florence" in them.  Some are county, some are state and some are federal facilities.  Check the Prison Directory on the home page for details. To visit, you need approval from the facility.  You will fill out a form and submit it (some require a small fee to run a background check). Once approved, you are permitted to visit.  Make sure to read the rules about what you can bring and how to dress. ...

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate international calling for inmate usage. We are working diligently with our software engineers to come up with a service that will give the international member a solution. It is high on our priority list to complete and will happily place you on a growing list of people interested in this service. You can use InmateAid to write letters and send photos through our system at very reasonable rates. Your inmate can write you back through InmateAid,...

Yes, you still need to set up and fund an account with the facility’s phone provider, even if you are using an InmateAid local number. The local number you received from InmateAid does not replace the jail or prison phone system. It simply gives your inmate a local number to call instead of a long distance one, which lowers the cost per call. Here is how it works: You get a local number from InmateAid You set up a separate account with the facility’s phone carrier using that number You...

Inmate debit calling works like any prepaid phone program. You fund an account through the facility's contracted phone carrier and your inmate uses that balance to make outgoing calls to approved numbers. As long as the account has funds and the number they are calling is on their approved list the calls go through. Number approval timeline How long it takes for a new number to be approved varies significantly by facility and phone carrier. In the best case approval is immediate...

If you are traveling from out of state, many facilities in Tennessee will consider granting a special visit or extended visitation time, but it is not automatic. Your boyfriend will need to request this in advance by submitting a special visit request through: His counselor Unit team Or the staff member who handles visitation approvals These requests are often approved for long-distance visitors, especially when travel is significant, but they are usually limited and not granted frequently. It is important to know: You must be approved on his visitor list...

With discount phone services like InmateAid, your inmate will not automatically be notified when you set up or fund the service. That is because the system works by giving you a new local phone number, not by directly adding money to his existing account. Here is how it works: You are assigned a new local number that is tied to your account You must send that number to your inmate so he knows what to dial He will call that number instead of your regular number to get the...

If your inmate is trying to dial the new number and cannot get through, the line itself is most likely working fine. The issue is almost always on the facility's calling system end, and it comes down to how the inmate's phone account is funded. Here is how the service actually works. InmateAid does not replace the jail's phone system. What we do is provide you with a local phone number that routes to your regular phone. The purpose is simple:...