In most places, you have to wait for an inmate to call you, but prepaid calls may be allowed. Inmates are limited in when and how long they can talk on the phone. You can call the prison for information or in case of an emergency.
The rules governing calling a prisoner may depend on the country where a person is incarcerated and the particular prison. In most places, however, a person has to wait to receive a call from an inmate rather than calling an inmate. An individual can, however, call a prison to obtain information about an inmate or learn the rules for visiting, providing money, or sending mail. In an emergency situation, a person can also contact a corrections officer and leave a message for an inmate. For example, this may occur if a family member has been seriously injured or died.
In most jurisdictions, there are no mechanisms for calling an inmate. Instead, you have to wait for an inmate to call you if you want to communicate with them by phone. Usually, inmates are allowed to make collect calls, which means you will be charged for the call if you accept it. Many people find inmate calls to be quite expensive, as they are usually billed by the minute.
Depending on the prison in which the prisoner is being held, prepaid telephone calls may be permitted. With this type of arrangement, you can send a prepayment on behalf of the prisoner, which will allow them to call you without using collect call service. In some cases, this can be cheaper than accepting collect calls. In fact, some prepaid inmate calling services charge flat rates for these calls instead of per-minute rates.
While inmates are generally allowed to make collect or prepaid calls, they are typically limited in terms of when and for how long they can converse on the phone. Therefore, you may want to make an effort to remain available when the inmate is likely to call. Also, many inmates will only allow inmates to call people who are on the inmate’s approved phone contact list.
You can call the prison for various reasons other than calling an inmate. For example, you can call an inmate to find out the rules for things like visits, adding money to an inmate’s account, or sending mail and packages. Often, however, this information can be obtained by visiting a prison’s website instead. You can also call a prison in case of an urgent situation that cannot wait until the prisoner calls you. For example, you can leave a message for a prison official in the event of the death of a prisoner’s family member or similar situation.
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