Phone calls from New York State prisons are free. They have been since August 1, 2025, when the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced the change. New York joined California, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Minnesota as a free-call state.
The announcement came just months after a significant period of disruption: a wildcat corrections officers' strike ran from February 17 to March 9, 2025, resulting in extended facility lockdowns, and nine prisoner deaths during that period. The free call policy was announced in July 2025 as DOCCS worked to rebuild family connections that were strained during the strike.
New York City's jail system made calls free even earlier - effective March 8, 2023. This article covers both systems.
DOCCS uses "incarcerated individuals" throughout official materials.
PART 1 - NEW YORK STATE PRISONS (DOCCS)
Phone vendor: Securus Technologies (existing agreement; calls now free)
Free calls effective August 1, 2025
"Those calls are free of charge effective August 1, 2025."
No Securus account needed. The official DOCCS phone page states: "Since phone calls are free beginning August 1, 2025, a Securus account is no longer needed."
If you had a Securus account with a balance before August 1, 2025: request a refund of your unused balance at securushelp.com/how-do-i-close-my-phone-account/
Free call structure
Every incarcerated individual receives 3 free calls per week of up to 15 minutes each. These calls are added to their accounts every Saturday at the start of business.
After using all 3 weekly calls, additional calls are still free but limited to 30 minutes each.
Calls are permitted daily including holidays from 7am to 11pm.
Calls reach: United States, Canada, and US Territories (American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Midway Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands).
How to receive calls
Since Securus accounts are no longer needed, you simply need to be on the incarcerated individual's approved telephone list.
Approved telephone list: Each incarcerated individual may have up to 15 phone numbers on their approved calling list. Numbers are added or deleted only at the request of the incarcerated individual. Changes are generally made quarterly when the individual meets with their Offender Rehabilitation Coordinator (ORC). To be added, write to the incarcerated individual and ask them to request your number at their next ORC meeting.
If you do not want to receive calls: Notify the facility in writing. Your number will be removed from the telephone system. The incarcerated individual will be notified in writing that you've been removed and may face disciplinary action for attempting to contact you.
Call rules and restrictions
All calls are monitored and recorded.
Prohibited call categories - incarcerated individuals may not call the following unless they are an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, or uncle):
- Current or former DOCCS employees and their families
- Current or former employees of federal, state, or local criminal justice agencies (police, district attorneys, correctional agencies, probation) and their families
- Jurors involved in their conviction and those jurors' families
- Judges involved in their conviction or indictment and those judges' families
- Non-incarcerated crime partners
- Residences of crime victims (unless written Superintendent authorization obtained)
- Persons covered by a court Order of Protection that prohibits phone communication
Additional prohibitions:
- No call forwarding
- No third-party calls
- No calls to 1-800 numbers
- No calls for the purpose of harassment or intimidation
DOCCS facilities
DOCCS operates approximately 40 state correctional facilities across New York State.
Incarcerated individual lookup (DIN search): nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov/
Parolee lookup: publicapps.doccs.ny.gov/ParoleeLookup/default.aspx
Facility list: doccs.ny.gov/facilities
DOCCS contact:
1220 Washington Ave, Building 4, Albany, NY 12226-2050
Phone: 518-457-8126
Contact form: publicapps.doccs.ny.gov/DOCCSWebContactForm.aspx
PART 2 - NEW YORK CITY JAILS (NYC DOC)
New York City's jail system - which includes Rikers Island and five borough facilities - is operated by the New York City Department of Correction (NYC DOC), a completely separate agency from DOCCS. NYC made phone calls free from its jails effective March 8, 2023.
NYC jails phone vendor: ViaPath/ConnectNetwork (GTL)
NYC DOC contact: nyc.gov/site/doc/index.page
NYC DOC inmate lookup: nyc.gov/site/doc/people-in-detention/inmate-lookup.page
Facility note: The Rikers Island complex and five borough facilities (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island) all use the same NYC DOC phone system.
PART 3 - NEW YORK COUNTY JAILS (57 counties)
Outside of New York City, New York has 57 counties, each operating its own county jail. County jails contract phone services independently. DOCCS free-call policy does not apply to county jails - only to DOCCS state correctional facilities.
Common vendors at NY county jails include Securus Technologies, ViaPath/ConnectNetwork, and ICSolutions. Rates and procedures vary by county.
How to find the current vendor for a county jail: Go to the county's official website or the county sheriff's website and look for "Inmate Telephone" or "Jail Services." Call the jail directly if not posted online.
What to do before the first call
For a DOCCS state facility:
1. Find the incarcerated individual's DIN number and current facility at nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov/
2. Write to the incarcerated individual asking them to add your phone number to their approved list at their next ORC quarterly meeting
3. No account setup or funding required - calls are free
4. Wait for the individual to initiate the call
For an NYC DOC jail:
1. Look up the individual at nyc.gov/site/doc/people-in-detention/inmate-lookup.page
2. Create a ViaPath/ConnectNetwork account if needed (calls are free but account registration may still be required for call routing)
3. Wait for the individual to call
For a New York county jail (outside NYC):
1. Find the individual through the county jail's website
2. Identify the current phone vendor
3. Create an account with that vendor
4. Add funds (county jails are NOT covered by the free call policy)
5. Wait for the individual to call
Frequently asked questions
Are New York State prison calls really free?
Yes. Free since August 1, 2025 for all DOCCS state facilities. No Securus account or funding required.
How many free calls per week?
3 calls of up to 15 minutes each, distributed every Saturday. After those 3, additional calls are also free but limited to 30 minutes each.
I had a Securus account. What happens to my balance?
Request a refund at securushelp.com/how-do-i-close-my-phone-account/ or call Securus at 1-800-844-6591.
How do I get on the approved calling list?
Write to the incarcerated individual asking them to add your number. They request the addition at their next quarterly ORC meeting. Up to 15 numbers are allowed on the list.
Are NYC jail calls also free?
Yes. NYC made city jail calls free effective March 8, 2023 - a separate policy from DOCCS.
Do county jails outside NYC have free calls?
Not automatically. Each county jail contracts independently. The DOCCS free-call policy covers only DOCCS state facilities. Check the specific county jail for its current vendor and rates.
What happened during the 2025 strike?
From February 17 to March 9, 2025, a wildcat strike by DOCCS corrections officers resulted in extended lockdowns at state facilities. Nine incarcerated individuals died during the strike. Phone access was severely disrupted. DOCCS later announced the free call policy in July 2025 as part of its recovery effort. ====================================================================
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