Montana's state prison phone system works differently from most states in this series. The Montana Department of Corrections (MT DOC) provides every inmate at DOC-run facilities with a tablet, and all communication - phone calls, video visits, messaging, and photos - runs through a single platform called GettingOut.
GettingOut is not the same company as Securus, ViaPath, or ConnectNetwork. If you have accounts with those vendors from contact with inmates at other facilities, those accounts do not work for Montana DOC calls.
The most important rule: the inmate must send you an invitation first. Do not create a GettingOut account on your own before receiving that invitation. The invitation comes from the inmate through their tablet.
MT DOC uses "inmates" and "offenders" in official materials.
MONTANA DOC STATE FACILITIES
Phone vendor: GettingOut (also known as Telmate)
Platform: GettingOut.com
Support: 1-866-516-0115 or GettingOut.com/Help
Tablet access
Every inmate at DOC-run facilities is provided a tablet. The tablet is used for phone calls, video visits, text messaging, and photo sharing. Traditional wall unit phones are also available for phone calls.
Tablet access may be turned off at any time - potentially for extended periods of hours or days - without warning, for security reasons. This is a documented reality of the system, not a rare exception. Do not contact facilities asking when tablets will be back on; they will not provide that information.
How to get started: wait for the invitation
All tablet communication is initiated by the inmate. The inmate sends you an email invitation through their tablet. Once you receive that invitation, follow the link to create a GettingOut account.
Do not create a GettingOut account before receiving the invitation. Creating an unsolicited account does not allow you to receive calls or messages; the inmate's invitation is how the connection between your account and their device is established.
Instructions for creating a GettingOut account after receiving an invitation: cor.mt.gov/_docs/Friends-and-Family/GettingOut_Instructions_MTDOC.pdf
Phone calls
Each inmate receives one free phone call every week. After that one free call, the cost is $0.06 per minute (6 cents per minute).
Calls can be placed from the tablet or from traditional wall unit phones.
$0.06/min puts Montana among the lowest-cost non-free-call states in the country. A 20-minute call costs $1.20.
Video visitation
Each inmate receives one free 10-minute video visit per week. After that, the cost is $0.25 per minute.
Video visits are initiated by the inmate, who connects the tablet to a docking station in their housing unit. Online scheduling of video visits is no longer available - visits are not pre-scheduled through a website or app.
Messaging and photos (tablet only)
Text messages: $0.25 per message
Video messages: $0.35 per message
Photo attachments: $0.25 per photo
All messaging and photo sharing goes through the tablet. Wall unit phones do not support messaging.
Rate context
Montana's 2017 state law (HB 426) capped in-state calls from Montana state prisons at $0.10/min. The current GettingOut rate of $0.06/min is below that state cap and also below the FCC 2025 IPCS Order ceiling of $0.12/min for large prisons.
Policy document: DOC-3.3.7 Offender Access to Audio and Video Calling (available at cor.mt.gov)
Montana DOC facilities
MT DOC operates multiple facility types:
- Secure facilities (DOC-run state prisons)
- Contracted secure facilities (private contract)
- Assessment/Sanction Centers
- Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers
- Prerelease Centers
Facility list: cor.mt.gov/Facilities/SecureFacilities
Offender locator: offendersearch.mt.gov/conweb
VINE (victim notification / inmate location): 800-456-3076 (24/7); have the offender's DOC number or name ready
MT DOC Central Office:
5 S. Last Chance Gulch Street, P.O. Box 201301, Helena, MT 59620-1301
Phone: 406-444-3930 | Fax: 406-444-4920 | Email: corpio@mt.gov
Constituent Services Manager: 406-444-1680
MONTANA COUNTY JAILS (56 counties)
Montana has 56 counties, each operating its own jail. County and city jails are not covered by MT DOC's GettingOut system. They contract phone services independently and are subject to rate caps set by the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) for in-state calls. Montana's PSC has historically set in-state county jail rate caps independently of the FCC's interstate caps.
Common vendors at Montana county jails include Securus Technologies, ViaPath/ConnectNetwork, and others. Always verify the current vendor through the county sheriff's official website or by calling the jail directly.
What to do before the first call
For a Montana DOC state facility:
1. Find the inmate's DOC number and current facility at offendersearch.mt.gov/conweb
2. Wait for the inmate to send you an email invitation through their tablet
3. Once you receive the invitation, create a GettingOut account following the link in the invitation
4. The inmate will place calls to you - you cannot initiate calls to the facility
For a Montana county or city jail:
1. Find the individual through the county sheriff's website
2. Identify the current phone vendor from the jail's official website
3. Create an account with that vendor
4. Add funds
5. Wait for the individual to call
Frequently asked questions
Who provides phone calls at Montana state prisons?
GettingOut (Telmate). This is not Securus, ViaPath, or ConnectNetwork. Support at 1-866-516-0115 or GettingOut.com/Help.
What does a call cost?
Each inmate gets one free call per week. After that, $0.06/min. A 20-minute call costs $1.20.
How do I set up a GettingOut account?
Wait for the inmate to send you an email invitation through their tablet. Do not create an account before receiving the invitation.
What if the tablet is off?
Tablet access can be suspended without warning for security reasons, for hours or days at a time. There is no way to find out when tablets will be available again.
Does Montana offer free video visits?
Each inmate gets one free 10-minute video visit per week. After that, $0.25/min.
Do county jails use GettingOut?
Not necessarily. County jails contract independently. Verify the current vendor through the county sheriff's website. ====================================================================
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