Making a prison phone call used to be a daunting task, and worrying about the cost and finding the right number to dial was frustrating. Thankfully, there are now inmate calling services that make it easy for friends and family members to get in touch with their incarcerated loved ones.
This article covers how one can set up prison phone services for the first time. The basics of calling an inmate and do's and dont's while making a call to an inmate.
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How does prison phone services work?
Prison inmates have very few ways to communicate with the outside world. Phone calls are one of the most important means of communication for inmates and their families. In most cases, prisoners can make phone calls to their family and friends. The calls are usually collect calls. In some cases, the prison may allow inmates to place calls to certain pre-approved phone numbers. There are many inmate phone services in the US. Some of the best are listed below:
What Is A Collect Call?
When someone is in jail or prison, it might not be easy to communicate with them. Your friend or family member is suddenly confined to a cell and is only permitted to eat, drink, sleep, or speak with visitors when they are instructed to. The most often asked question is, "How do I call my inmate?" You will never be able to phone your inmate; they will only be able to make outbound calls to you. These calls are known as collect calls, and you have to set up an account with the telephone provider before you are allowed to receive such calls on your phone.
A Collect Call collects the money from your phone provider or your credit card when the inmate calls your phone. So it's important to set up an account with the prison phone provider before you can receive calls.
How To Set Up An Account With A Prison Phone Service?
Below are the major telephone providers across the US prisons:
- Securus
- GTL
- IC Solutions
- Quickel
Depending on the provider of the facility, you can choose to set up an account with any one of them. There are many plans on offer from these providers. So you should be able to find one that meets your needs. Setting up an account with inmate phone calls service is easy. You need to provide some basic information, including the name and inmate ID number of the person you're trying to call. You can also choose to add funds to your account to don't have to worry about running out of minutes.
How Much Does A Prison Phone Call Cost?
Prison inmates are people who have been convicted and sentenced to a specific term of imprisonment in a penal institution. They are usually kept in a secure facility operated by the state or federal government. In the United States, prison inmates can make phone calls to people who are not incarcerated. The cost of those calls varies from state to state.
Prison calling can be expensive, but there are ways to keep the cost down. The average price of a 15-minute call is $3.95. However, you can reduce that cost by limiting the time.
Do's and Dont's While Making a Prison Phone Call
It would help if you kept in mind a few things when using these services to call an inmate.
- Remember your phone calls are being recorded and tracked. So don't provoke the inmate in doing something illegal.
- Your phone calls are private and cannot be recorded for evidence in court.
- Your call length has some monthly/weekly limit, so it would be a good idea to keep things short.
- Remember to note the phone call timings, it can vary depending on the facility and type of facility.
Staying In Touch With Your Inmate
When you have a loved one in prison, staying in touch is incredibly important. Not only does it help to maintain the relationship, but it can also be a vital connection during trying times. Thankfully, there are several ways to stay in touch using prison phone services.
The most common way to communicate with an inmate is by making a call. Rates for prison phone calls are often more expensive than standard phone calls, but there are ways to reduce the cost. You can also send messages through the prison's messaging system or purchase prepaid calling cards.
Reducing The Prison Phone Call Expense
There are many services online that can help you reduce your call expenses. The most loved hack is using google phone. In this technique, you will need to set up a free phone number with google. Now you can use this to receive calls, and no money will get deducted. But this has limitations and may not work for all providers. We don't encourage to use of any of these techniques. Remember, these might be considered fraud in prison, and you and your inmate can get a penalty because of this.
Final Thoughts
Although the world is booming with internet techs, prisons are still stuck with old communication methods. It is mostly because of restricting prisoners from getting connected to the outside world more often. Prison phone calls thus remain one of the most used methods to communicate with family and friends. We hope with the techs evolving; video visitation can replace the phone calls to an extent. We also hope that prison phone providers will reduce the enormous amount of money they charge.