Pre-Paid
If you are unable to receive collect calls directly through your telephone service, you may choose to set up a prepaid account. Once funds are prepaid, the incarcerated resident will only be able to call you, but not use those funds to call anyone else.
Pin Debit
Another option that does allow inmates to make calls to more than one person is the PinDebit system. PinDebit, another way to pay for collect calls, allows inmates to call phone numbers on their allowed number list.
Not every facility offers PinDebit accounts, and of those that do, some have monthly limits.
Calling Cards
Calling cards may be purchased through each facility's commissary department. With this method, the recipient of the collect call will not be charged for the call.
However, not every correctional institution offers calling cards
Call CSA at (800) 849-6081 for information.
Calling Options
Collect calling is provided to customers who have telephone numbers that can accept, and be billed on their local telephone bill, for collect calls.
Prior to any collect call being connected, the system will perform a series of validation checks to verify the ability to bill the call. These checks include but are not limited to:
- Verification that the called number can accept collect calls
- Verification that the servicing local telephone company can provide billing services
- Verification that the telephone number being called is not blocked
- Verification that the telephone number being called has not exceeded any toll billing thresholds
The most typical telephone numbers that fail validation include cellular telephones, telephone numbers with collect call blocks, and telephone numbers where the servicing local telephone company does not provide billing services.
In the event that the telephone number fails the validation checks, the customer will still have the ability of setting up a prepaid account.