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Calling an Inmate 

Calling an Inmate  

If you have a friend or family member incarcerated, you are aware of the numerous communication hurdles that the circumstance immediately creates. When an inmate is arrested and taken to jail, they are permitted just one phone call, the First Amendment (freedom of expression), the Fifth Amendment (due process), and/or the Sixth Amendment (the right to counsel).  

Most of the time, they might not reach their intended receiver, and the next time they can make a phone call is when they are detained in the county jail or sentenced to prison.  

In such a case, if you are worried about the whereabouts of your inmate, you can only find them by conducting an inmate search or contacting the jails by phone or in person. This is because you cannot call your inmate by their phone or call the prison where they are being detained or incarcerated and request to speak to them.  

Instead, only inmates can make an outgoing call to you rather than receive an incoming call. This method of an inmate phone call is regarded as “collect calling.” 

When Can Your Loved One in Jail Call You? 

Inmates cannot make phone calls until they have completed the screening and orientation process. This usually includes the booking process, profile creation, mugshots, and a comprehensive medical, physical, and psychological evaluation during the Admissions and Orientation.  

Additionally, inmates are prohibited from receiving mail or having visitors while going through the intake and classification procedure, which might take a day or many weeks. After that, they may utilize their phone call privileges.  

Inmates can call you at different times of the day or night on specific days, depending on the prison they are in. the time they can call also is affected by the offender level or tier they are in or the housing unit they have been placed in.  

Prisons have their own specific hours and dates inmates can make outgoing calls to their friends and loved ones. Some prisons allow inmates to make phone calls at night, in the morning, or during the day. The prison controls the period an inmate can talk to their loved ones. Nonetheless, most will be given for 15-45 minutes.  

Be aware that all phone calls and conversation between you and the inmate is being recorded. Therefore, you should be very careful with the information you converse over the phone.  

Factors That May Affect an Inmate’s Ability to Make Calls 

The following circumstances might occur and limit an inmate’s capacity to make phone calls: 

  • Newly incarcerated inmates who are yet to complete their admissions and orientation processes cannot make a phone call.  
  • When the inmate does not have sufficient funds in their credit phone call account.  
  • In case they are using collect calls, the receiver does not have sufficient funds in their phone. 
  • Some prisons limit who an inmate can contact, allowing only approved family members or others on their list of authorized visitors. 
  • If the correctional facility locks down, the prison administrators ban all phone call services.  
  • Limited access to prisoner phones may come from severe weather or power outages. 
  • Restricted telephone access privileges due to disciplinary issues or increased number of users. 

How do you receive phone calls from your loved one in jail 

Upon incarceration, all inmates are provided with a form that they must fill in at least five contact numbers. Note that the number of the numbers an inmate can include on their inmate contact list is not limited to five. Some prisons will allow more or less depending on various policies the inmate must meet.  

However, since not all inmates can remember the contact details of their loved ones or friends, they may add or replace your name and contact information later. To ensure they get it right, you can send your number through a letter to the inmate. Or you can ask them to add you when you visit them in prison.  

However, in some states, the prison will require you to register your number and name with the Department of Corrections for the inmate to include you in their contact list.  

Reasons why you are not receiving calls from your inmate? 

Being on the inmate’s contact list does not mean you will receive a call from them. Some instances may hinder you from receiving a call from your loved one in prison. For instance: 

Collect calls do not work on cell phones 

Collect calls cannot be received via cell phones; in that case, you need to have an inmate phone call provider even if you have funds in your phone. You can create an account with any service provider approved or provided by your inmate’s correctional facility. The service provider agency will automatically transfer the call to your cell phone.  

Some phone call providers automatically block all incoming collect calls without even notifying the user. You could contact your service provider to inquire if they block incoming collect calls.  

Your telephone service provider 

Telephone service providers may stop collect calls. To ensure that your account is set up to collect calls, you can contact the customer service department of your phone provider. 

Using a Google Voice Number 

If you are using Google Voice, then you won’t be able to receive inmate calls as Google Voice cannot accept collect calls or cover the calling party’s phone call costs. The funds on the number can only be utilized by the owner rather than cater for an incoming call as collect calls tend to charge the receiver.  

In addition, Google and other VoIP services cannot assist with these calls since it is not associated with the telephone systems or policies of the correctional facilities in the US.  

Inmate Phone Calls Providers 

Most correctional facilities, such as prisons, jails, and transitional centers, have unique, limited telephone networks that convicts can use to call loved ones, friends, and other people. Inmates are only authorized to contact approved phone lines and only under certain conditions governed by the institution under the unique laws and regulations governing phone calls in these facilities. 

Usually, the inmate’s family covers the expense of these calls through their commissary or phone account, or the convict must make collect calls. Various approved agencies handle inmate phone calls in state, county, and federal correctional facilities. They include the following: 

Nonetheless, there are state and county-based phone call providers. You can check your local county sheriff’s office website for available providers. 

Paying For Inmate Phone Call Services 

There are several ways to pay for the inmate telephone service to ensure that your inmate can always call you when they wish. First of all, you need to consult with the prison where the inmate is incarcerated to get information on which service provider is authorized to handle inmate phone calls. It can be either of the above service providers. 

Afterward, you can create an account with them where you can either set one of the following two accounts: 

AdvancePay/ Pre-Paid Account 

With an advancePay account, you can fund the account by buying the inmate some minutes, and they can make unlimited phone calls provided they have minutes available on their account. Unlike regular collect calls, you are not mandated to have funds on your phone for the call to go through. Instead, the charges will be deducted from the inmate’s account. 

Debit Account 

On the other hand, a debit account will also offer unlimited phone calls to your inmate. However, here you will be charged all the funds the inmate has used during the billing period, which may be weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on the account you set up for your inmate.  

Inmate Phone Call Services Providers Contact Information 

For any questions regarding calling options, please contact: 

Saving the Cost of Inmate Phone Calls  

Prison life is expensive for both the inmates and their loved ones, who support them through funds and visits. In that case, you should ensure that you save as much as possible, especially avoiding expenses like phone calls.  

Phone calls are important, but when utilized incorrectly, they can be a burden due to the ever-rising call charges. You can save funds by limiting the length of time and frequency of calls an inmate makes to you.  

You may establish a routine that the inmate can utilize to call you. For instance, set up a call every week on a specific day and for a limited time. This will inform inmates when to call and plan on the available phone call services funds. In addition, since inmates incur a connection charge per phone attempt they make, having one weekly conversation is far less expensive than numerous short calls per day.  

In addition, always list the key questions and topics you wish to discuss with the prisoner. Going straight to the point can help reduce the awkward silences and conversational lulls that may occur when you have no strategy or anything to say.  

If you are responsible for funding the inmate’s phone account, then you can set up a credit account where you allocate funds that you think they can utilize for a while, and if they are over, then the inmate cannot make a call. Such accounts will help you control your inmate’s spending and ensure they do not waste their minutes. 

How to Block Inmate Calls 

There are several ways you can prevent prisoner calls. First, you can decline any incoming call at any moment by hanging up or pushing “1” as directed by the service provider. The inmate will be told their call was rejected before the line is disconnected. 

You can also hit “6” to permanently ban any phone call from the correctional facility. You must provide a 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) to confirm the block. Note that the PIN you issue will be required when you change your mind and want to unblock these calls. 

You can also contact the services provider’s customer support line, and they can assist with blocking future calls from a facility.  

However, if the inmate threatens you, you must contact your local law enforcement organization to get a Personal Protection Order. In addition, you may register with your state’s Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINELink) to receive incarceration status changes of the inmate, such as their; 

  • When they have been released from prison 
  • In case they escape from prison 
  • When placed in solitary confinement 
  • When they are transferred to another prison 
  • In case there is a change in their release date 

On the other hand, you should get in touch with the Superintendent at the prison where the convict is currently being kept if you frequently get unsolicited mail or calls from an inmate. The prison administration will conduct a fair and unbiased evaluation of your request. The inmate may be subject to a written correspondence restriction and/or a telephone restriction if approved.  

Benefits of Calling an Inmate 

Maintaining Family Ties 

Initially, inmates could only talk to their loved ones after their sentencing. This is because they were not permitted to receive visitation or make phone calls. In return, inmates became desperate and hopeless as they did not know if their families still remembered them or, worse, knew their whereabouts or how they were doing. 

Nowadays, inmates can call their loved ones as they please, provided they are permitted to do so by the prison administration and know how their family members are doing.  

It is Therapeutic 

Inmates’ phone calls are a privilege they must ensure they preserve. To ensure that they preserve these privileges, inmates must behave, thus, reducing the level of indiscipline in prisons. 

In addition, talking to a loved one helps the inmate calm down and makes them want to change even more and become law-abiding citizens.  

Saves on cost 

Phone calls are cheaper compared to in-prison visitations or video-visitation. In addition, they do not require a big process of editing a background like in video visitation or traveling to the prison on the physical visitation.