Inmates inside the Massachusetts Department of Correction initiate every phone call — you cannot dial into a MA DOC facility. To receive calls you (or the inmate) must open a prepaid account with Securus, the contracted phone vendor for the Massachusetts system. Account setup takes about ten minutes online: you'll provide the inmate's MA DOC ID, the facility name, and a payment method. Most vendors run a same-day verification call to confirm your phone number before the inmate's first call goes through.
Per-minute calling rates dropped sharply under the FCC's 2024 inmate-calling rules. As of 2025, in-state and interstate calls inside Massachusetts prisons are capped at six cents per minute; jails of any size are capped between seven and twelve cents per minute. A standard 15-minute call now generally costs under two dollars — a fraction of pre-2024 rates that ran five to fifteen dollars for the same duration. MA DOC bills the call to the prepaid account associated with the called number, and unused balances roll forward indefinitely or are refunded on request.
Related: trusted reentry directory.
MA DOC typically caps the inmate's approved-call list at fifteen to twenty numbers. Adding a new number requires the recipient to accept a callback verification or submit a signed authorization form, and the inmate must wait through a 24- to 72-hour cooling-off period before the new number is active. Calls are limited to fifteen minutes and are recorded; assume corrections staff and law-enforcement investigators may listen. Calls to a verified attorney number are exempt from recording when the attorney has filed the proper notice with the facility.
Related: family support resources.
Securus also operates the Massachusetts tablet program at most MA DOC facilities. From a unit-issued tablet, an inmate can place a wall-phone call from their bunk at the same per-minute rate, send and receive electronic messages (often called “stamps”) for one stamp per outgoing message, and add photos or short video clips for additional stamps. Video visits scheduled through the tablet usually run twenty to twenty-five cents per minute. If a call ever asks you to wire money, buy gift cards, or pay a release fee, hang up and report the call — those are scams, not legitimate MA DOC business.
Related: prison consulting services.
Related on InmateGuide: For facility-specific rules, see Ash Street Jail, Barnstable County Correctional Facility, Barnstable County Jail and House of Correction, or browse all Massachusetts facilities. Compare with Massachusetts Visiting Rules and Hours, Massachusetts Mail and Photos, Massachusetts Sending Money to an Inmate. For an interstate overview, read our general phone calls and messaging guide.