HOW TO RECEIVE JAIL CALLS ON A CELL PHONE It is never easy when a loved one is in jail. The emotional and financial upheaval that follows affects everyone involved. Prison rules do not permit you to call inmates. Inmates can use a payphone to call approved phone numbers.
Problems With Jail Calls When an inmate makes collect calls through the prison system, you accept the charges and pay them with your monthly phone bill. You will need a landline as cell phones do not allow collect calls. If your loved one is incarcerated in a different area code, the collect call will be a long distance call. A long distance call from prison can inflate your phone bill considerably as prison service providers charge per minute per call and a connection fee with every call. If you have only a cell phone, you cannot receive calls from jail.
How To Receive Jail Calls On A Cell Phone Prepaid collect calling accounts and debit calling accounts are two ways by which you can receive jail calls on a cell phone. Prepaid Collect Calling The prepaid collect option allows you to set up a prepaid calling account for your phone. Every time a collect call is received by the prepaid number, the charges are deducted from the account. Prepaid collect accounts can be set up for all types of phones, including cell phones. As long as there is balance in your account, you can receive jail calls on a cell phone. Debit Calling Accounts Besides collect calls, inmates can make calls using prepaid phone accounts set up through a third party vendor. Under this scheme, the inmate buys debit minutes from the prison commissary. These debit minutes can then be used to call friends or family. Inmates can call any approved phone numbers with their debit account, including cell phones. Friends and family can also buy debit minutes for the inmate, which are credited to his/her account.