Do you have family or friends that are incarcerated? Despite their conditions inside a correctional facility, you can still have constant communication with them through inmate phone calls provided by prison management.
You may have questions about the current communication technology used to make inmate calls inside prisons, the number of phone calls inmates get in one day, the cost of phone calls, and the one who pays for these services.
This article offers a guide for prisoners, their friends, and families on how prison calls are set up and made. This write-up also talks about the types of phones and gadgets used in modern-day prisons and how these gadgets slowly change how communications are made with people in prison.
Sites like LookUpInmate.org have a comprehensive database of inmate records and prison information in the United States. If you need more details about putting money on the phone for jail calls, check this blog.
Rules and Regulations on Prison Calls to Inmates
Prisoners don’t have the freedom to use communication devices inside their cells. These gadgets include cell phones, tablets, and other portable devices. But, what’s allowed is their right to communicate with others, provided they do it through the telephone system set up by the correctional facility.
There are rules and regulations implemented inside a prison facility, which anyone wanting to call an inmate should follow. These regulations are the following:
- The correctional facility monitors prisoner phone calls for safety and security purposes.
- Phone calls are limited to the number of calls or minutes the inmate can pay for and according to the facility’s operational hours. Flexible hours for specific inmates may be considered for inmates with families in different time zones.
- Inmate calls can be interrupted when upon suspicion of illegal activities.
- Inmate calls can be interrupted if the call compromises the security and safety of the correctional facility.
These are the significant limitations placed on prison phone calls. It’s always the right of an inmate to communicate with the outside world. Still, it’s also the responsibility of correctional officers to uphold the law and secure the community’s safety.
The Communication Technology Used in Prison Calls
The advancement of technology revolutionized how people communicate. Even in correctional facilities, many gadgets are now used to cater to the communication needs of inmates inside prisons.
In states like California, inmates are given access to phone calls, tablets, and kiosks. The move is made to provide inmates with an easy way to access communication with their families and relatives but also rehabilitation programs. It’s a move slowly gaining popularity in other prisons in the country.
Gadgets lent to prisoners are tablets and other modified gadgets that can access selected streaming sites, music, and rehab programs.
For most correctional facilities, telco networks currently provide telephone services to inmates inside prisons. These companies have contracts with the prison management to provide communication access to incarcerated people.
How to Set Up Phone Calls to Inmates
Anyone’s right to communicate with their family is never lost when one goes to prison. It’s an obligation that any correctional facility must provide. Though, for the facility’s security, the prison management has all the right to set up regulations on how prisoners access these rights.
If you have an inmate that’s your relative and want to communicate with them regularly, you will need to do these steps to set up a phone call.
First, you’ll need to talk with the prison facility and get their list of requirements to set up a phone call. After this, you’ll create an account for your incarcerated loved one. Inmates are given either a PIN (Personal Identification Number) or a smart card which they will use to access the telephone system in the facility.
Payments are made through collect calls or by prepaid accounts. You can advance the payments for your inmate through a check or money order. In any case, you’re the one who will pay for the phone calls your inmate will make.
There are two ways to pay for these services. One is to have it included in your monthly phone bill. The other is for you to set up a prepaid account. You can replenish this prepaid account monthly or whenever needed. You need to know the phone rates in your local, state, or federal prison to know how much you’ll be spending on inmate phone calls.
The cost of a phone call varies depending on the phone service provider. But it’s now charged by the minute to make payments and calculations easier and standardized.
An inmate is given the freedom to talk to their loved one anytime. Still, the facility may need to limit the number and length of calls per inmate to cater to everyone in the queue for using the telephone system. Also, inmates can use telephones during operational hours, though there are cases of international calls and time zones.
In conclusion, inmate calls are among the rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. So, take advantage of this right to keep in touch with family or friends currently in prison. They‘ll need all the moral support they can get from you at this time of need. Rehabilitation comes not only from the correctional facility but also from the love of a supportive family eager to see them become a better person.
References
- Tablets and Telephone Calls
https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/family-resources/tablets/
- Correspondence/Phone/Internet