InmateAid is able to provide you with a new number that will allow your loved ones to speak with you at a lower rate than if they called your number directly. Most often prison phone companies charge very high calling rates unless your phone number is located where they have the lowest calling rates. We get you a new number that provides the lowest calling rates from the prison phone company - you still have to sign up with them and pay them for the local call. 

Often that is a new number that is local to the prison, but sometimes the long distance rate is less expensive than the local rate. Either way, we get you the best rate possible. When the inmate calls the new number, we automatically connect that call to your permanent phone number.

InmateAid provide local or long distance telephone numbers only; this means your inmate will be placing a call through the prison phone company to a number with the best rate and you will avoid paying crazy telephone rates - savings that are only possible by having a new number that gets you the lowest rate possible.

NO. InmateAid only provides a local number that is forwarded to your current phone line. It can be a cell number or a landline. The rates being charged by the phone companies working with the prisons are unbelievably high. The only way to beat them is to have an InmateAID line so that the cost per call is at the lowest per-minute rate the prison phone company offers.

Regardless of the outbound calling format (whether Securus, OffenderConnect GTL, IC Solutions, or another prison phone company), you have to fund the prison account for the inmate to call out. However, it is often cheaper for an inmate to call an InmateAID number than your existing one. We are simply providing a NEW NUMBER to get you the cheapest rate from the prison phone company. We are not replacing the prison telephone service provider.

The number that you opened the first account with is your original number. When your inmate calls from the prison or jail, the time of the call is charged at the existing rate. When you get a NEW number from InmateAid, you will have to establish a new account with the service.  You are going to be paying a substantially lower rate with this NEW line than with your original line.

Since you are pre-paying for the prison phone service for your inmate (i.e. IC Solutions, GTL, Securus, PayTel), you may have to treat this new number as a NEW ACCOUNT with them as they often will not allow you to move money from the old number to the new number.

The savings vary from each state and even from facility to facility. They are determined by how much the prison phone provider charges for long distance telephone calls. The savings can be as much as 90% but are typically less than that.

Yes, InmateAid can help you if your loved one is in a county or local jail and can provide you with a new InmateAID number in most cases. Prison phone company rates vary from facility to facility. Sometimes a local line is cheaapest and other times a long distance line is cheapest. Using the InmateAID number can help you save up to 70% on each jail call.

Many people assume if the area codes are the same as the jail facilities the call will be local but quite often the call will be considered long distance. We take the guesswork out of the situation and get you the cheapest rate possible.

InmateAid does not own the lines. We pay for them when you order them and the phone company has a No Refund Policy. The phone line is the commodity, not the minutes used. The minutes do not rollover to the next month, either. The term you select is the term the line "rental" is good for. Please make sure you understand, once the line is issued to you, there are No Refunds.

Prison phone companies don't block all lines, they do so in cases where the savings are the greatest. When they block you from paying $1.65 per call (with our numbers) instead of $12.85 for your current number it is for obvious reasons. You are entitled to procure local lines to save money, the government is not opposed, nor are the prisons, jails and detention centers. Only certain prison phone companies don't like it.

There are no restrictions in the United States using ANY telephone number you choose. The telephone lines were deregulated in 1969.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website endorses "Low Cost Inmate Call Routing Services" after denying a petition brought by Securus Technologies®, for blocking lines - now blocking is against federal law. We know certain prison phone companies occasionally still block lines. If that ever happens with an InmateAid number we will replace the blocked number for you at no charge.

InmateAid's longtime policy has been to replace phone numbers on active accounts at NO CHARGE, no matter the reason. If your inmate gets transferred, email us the new location and we will have a new number for you, usually within an hour of your request. If the line gets blocked, we replace the number, no questions and no cost.

If you exceed the minutes included in your plan, it's a straightforward process to address. Our unlimited plan is priced at $29.95, just $10.00 more than the 1000-minute plan. If you surpass the 1000 minutes allotted in your plan, your line will be deactivated. However, you can easily reactivate it by clicking "UPGRADE PLAN" and selecting the unlimited plan. Once upgraded, you can continue using the service for as many calls as you need without worrying about minute limitations.

Certain prison phone companies have been charging local numbers $12-15 per call and the long-distance calls are about $3.00 per call. It is a move that is aimed at confusing people who look to "Low-Cost Routing Services" to save money. This is not in all cases but we are seeing it in about half the cases. When the discounts are reversed, we simply get long-distance numbers for local people.

Certain prison phone companies' websites have Rate Calculators that you could use to see what the calls cost before signing up with us or them.

Prison phone companies such as GTL and Securus may label our service as a scam because we offer an alternative solution that bypasses their system, which is designed to maximize profits from incarcerated individuals and their families. Our approach provides a way to access lower call rates, offering relief from their exorbitant charges. However, if you're already benefiting from the lowest rates available, our service may not offer additional savings.

Many of these companies provide rate calculators on their websites, allowing you to compare the costs of calls using your current phone number versus utilizing a new local or long-distance number. Additionally, the government has recognized the value of services like ours, with the FCC endorsing "Low Cost Call Routing Service" to help individuals save money on prison calls.

Yes, InmateAID can save you and your inmate money in federal prison. Our specialized phone service, priced at just $5.00 per month, is tailored for Federal Inmates. With InmateAID, you get local numbers in most cases, costing only 6 cents per minute for calls within the same area. For long-distance calls, it's 21 cents per minute making your inmate's monthly phone bill excessive. Despite the $5.00 fee for the local line, you still save $45 monthly based on 300 minutes, totaling $540 annually!

People that speak to their inmate more than once per week are our most satisfied user. High volume callers are saving hundreds of dollars per month. You have to justify getting the number from us with the savings. Only you know how much you talk, and more importantly how much you WANT to talk.

By using an InmateAid number, you are lowering the price of the call. You can talk longer for a lot less money! Prisons contract with only one prison phone company to provide outbound inmate calling services for each prison, jail or detention center. The prison phone company has no competition. We don't replace the prison phone company, we are simply providing a number that makes their call price less (based solely on the telephone number). People that come to InmateAid are already getting gouged, they are looking for a better option.

You have to use the prison phone company regardless. We use call-forwarding to help you get around different rates for local or long distance calling. We provide you with a number that gets you the lowest rate possible for each call. For people that speak to their inmate every day, the savings per month can exceed well over $100.00. 

Some companies have a Rate Calculator on their site. You may use these links to check their current calling rates:

Amtel

ICSolutions

Paytel

Securus®

GTL/OffenderConnect

Telmate

*WE ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE LISTED PRISON PHONE COMPANIES IN ANY WAY.

Remember, InmateAid is not replacing the phone service at the jail or prison; we are using call-forwarding numbers so you receive calls from your inmate at the cheapest published rate, legally. You are going to pay the company that has the contract for all inmate calls. In 75% of the cases, a different phone number makes a world of difference in the price. We find the best option for savings, your inmate dials the new number, and the calls ring on your existing cell or home number. It's that simple.

Do the math. You are looking into this because the calls are really expensive. If the InmateAid number saves $5.00 per call, it doesn't take long to have the price difference pay for your InmateAID number. If you talk to your inmate every day for a month, you save $5.00 x 30 days or $150.00 in real savings. This explains why our customers love paying two companies.