Setting up an account
Inmates initiate every call; you cannot call into a facility. To receive calls you (or the inmate) must set up a prepaid account with the facility's contracted phone vendor. The four largest vendors are ViaPath (formerly GTL), Securus, ICSolutions, and HomeWAV. Account setup takes ten minutes online; you will be asked for the inmate's ID, the facility name, and a payment method.
Per-minute rates
The FCC's 2024 inmate-calling rules cut maximum per-minute rates dramatically. As of 2025, in-state and interstate calls are capped at $0.06 per minute for prisons and $0.07–$0.12 per minute for jails depending on facility size. A 15-minute call now generally costs under $2.00 — a fraction of pre-2024 rates that ran $5–$15 for the same call.
Approved call list
Federal inmates can list up to 30 approved phone numbers; most state DOCs allow 10–20. Adding a number requires the recipient to accept a callback verification (or submit a signed authorization form). Once approved, calls are limited to 15 minutes and are recorded — assume staff and law enforcement may listen.
Related: trusted reentry directory.
Electronic messaging
Most vendors offer e-messages (sometimes called "stamps") as an alternative to calls and letters. You buy a block of stamps; each message you send costs one stamp; the inmate spends a stamp to reply. Photos and short videos cost more. E-messages are typically delivered within hours but are screened by staff before release to the inmate.
Related: family support resources.
Tablet calls and video
An expanding number of facilities issue tablets that allow inmates to make voice and video calls from their housing unit. Voice tablet calls are billed at the same per-minute rate as the wall phones. Video calls are usually $0.20–$0.25 per minute and are scheduled in 15- or 30-minute blocks.
Related: prison consulting services.
If a call sounds wrong
If a call ever asks you to wire money, buy gift cards, or pay a "release fee," hang up and report the number to the vendor and to the facility. Genuine release does not require payment to anyone outside the official surety-bond process.