Prison Phone Calls

We are so used to just picking up the phone and making a call to whoever we want to talk with whenever we want to hear their voice.  With technology today, we are used to having instant and inexpensive access to people 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  When someone goes to prison, all of that changes abruptly! In this blog, we will cover prison phone calls.

It is a shock for both your man and for you to suddenly not be able to talk to, text message, or email on demand.  I guarantee you are both going through withdrawals!  The good news is that you WILL still be able to communicate with each other—and even talk on the phone.  So what are the rules about phone calls? The question to ask, are cell phones allowed in prisons?

Can inmates get calls in prison?

Although nearly every prison has phones for the inmates to use, every prison has their own rules about how and when the phones can be used. The one rule that is the same is that you will not be able to call him.  He will have to call you.  Most of the time, this will be a collect call.  And a time-limited, expensive collect call!

Prisons have a specific carrier they use for phone calls and you will probably need to create an account with the carrier or register to receive calls (create you account here).  In some prisons, the prisoners can purchase a phone card from the commissary (the store within the prison) and use the cards as debit cards for phone calls.  They will need to have money in their account in order to buy the phone card though.

Cell phones are not permitted inside the prison.

They are working on getting devices into some prisons that will be similar in their function to a cell phone, but they will not actually be a cell phone as we know and use them out here.  You cannot even bring them into the prison with you when you visit, so leave them in your car, or lock them up in a locker in the waiting room (read more about prison visiting rules).

[bctt tweet=”Phone calls are an important part of staying connected when a loved one is in prison. To get started, follow these simple steps:” username=”CathyTijerina”]

1. Check with the institution to find out the phone call rules
2. Find out who the service carrier is for phone calls
3. Ask if you need to register to receive calls and register if you are required to do so
4. Determine how many calls you can afford each month
5. Set a schedule for calls with your man when you can both talk

Even though phone calls from prison cost more, it is worth the investment in your relationship.
Remember that you will only have a few minutes to talk (typically 10-15 minutes), so be prepared to make the most of your time on the phone. For more talking points and conversation starters, read this article I wrote.

We are rooting for you!

Cathy

 

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