Calling incarcerated loved ones over the phone is probably the quickest way to reconnect with them. You don’t have to be present in prison physically, but you can get in touch with people you care behind bars.
You may have questions about inmate calls and thoughts on properly setting up a call with prisoners. You may have wondered about the kinds of phones permitted for making these calls, the time limit when speaking to inmates, and the topics to avoid when talking to them.
This short read guides you on how to call an inmate. It also covers valuable tips and topics to avoid when initiating communication with inmates. This write-up also gives examples of devices used for making these calls with prisoners.
You can visit sites like lookupinmate.org and learn more about phone calls with inmates and the regulations of prison facilities. You can also explore the site and get information on other prison facilities in the country.
Do’s and Don’ts When Calling an Inmate
The Bureau of corrections promotes communication between inmates and their relatives. But, these communications should comply with the existing regulations imposed by the correctional facilities. Here are the do’s and don’ts when calling an inmate.
- You can only receive calls from inmates.
- You can pay for inmate calls through collect.
- You can also pay for an inmate call by setting up a prepaid account for them to use.
- You can’t make inbound calls to an inmate.
- You can’t receive collect calls on your cell phone.
- You can’t prevent inmate calls from not being monitored by the correctional facility. You should be mindful of the topics you’ll discuss during these monitored calls.
To set up an inmate phone call, you have two options. Pay for the calls made by the inmate through call collect charges or set up a prepaid account for your inmate by signing up with third-party telephone providers working with the prison.
In most cases, you have limited time when calling an inmate, but it depends on the prison. You should talk to correctional officers about their regulations regarding call times.
Gadgets and Devices Used for Inmate Calls
Communication technology has significantly increased in the 21st century. Many prisons upgraded their telephone systems to meet the information age standards.
For inmates that prefer to collect calls to pay for the service, they still use a landline phone hooked to a monitoring system. The party on the other line must also have a landline for the transaction.
Some prisons use gadgets with downloadable apps to communicate with their relatives. These programs have effectively developed ways to monitor calls and video conference conversations.
Some correctional facilities have used artificial intelligence to aid their monitoring system. Though still in continuous development, these programs may recognize speech patterns and be able to flag in real-time suspicious phone calls.