Staying in Touch

Communication Options Overview

There are several ways to stay in touch with someone who is incarcerated, each with its own costs, limitations, and procedures. The main options are phone calls, video visits, email/electronic messaging, and traditional mail. Most facilities offer multiple options, but availability varies by facility and state.

Phone Calls

How Prison Phone Systems Work

Most incarcerated people cannot make calls directly to the outside world. Instead, they initiate calls through a prison phone system, and the facility’s designated service provider connects the call. As the person receiving the call, you’re responsible for having funds or an account set up before they can reach you.

The incarcerated person typically has limited phone time and must follow facility rules about when calls can be made (usually during recreation hours or evenings). They cannot choose who to call—calls can only go to numbers that have been approved and verified by the facility, or in some cases, to any number if it’s set up with an account.

Major Service Providers

Three companies dominate the prison phone market in the United States:

• GTL/ViaPath: Operates in many states and offers both collect calls and prepaid account options
• Securus/ICSolutions: One of the largest providers, offering collect calls and prepaid accounts
• JPay: Offers phone calls, video visits, email, and commissary services through an integrated platform

Which provider serves a facility depends on the prison’s contract. You’ll need to contact the facility or check its website to find out which provider handles communications there.

Phone Account Types

There are generally two ways to pay for calls:

• Collect Calls: The incarcerated person initiates the call, and you accept the charges. You pay per minute at the time of the call, either through your phone bill or a temporary account. This is more expensive but requires less advance setup.
• Prepaid Accounts: You deposit money into an account associated with a phone number. When the incarcerated person calls that number, funds are deducted from the account. This is cheaper than collect calls but requires advance planning.

Phone Call Costs

Historically, per-minute rates varied widely between states and providers, and advocacy groups such as the Prison Policy Initiative documented communication costs as one of the largest ongoing expenses for families of incarcerated people. Federal rate caps adopted in 2024 are changing this picture as they phase in (see Federal Regulation of Prison Phone Rates below), and some states have gone further — California, for example, made voice calls from state prisons free.

Because the caps, state policies, and provider contracts are all in transition, the rate at a specific facility is the only reliable figure. The facility’s provider posts current rates when an account is set up, and the state guides on this site carry sourced rates where the corrections department publishes them.

Video Visits

Overview

Video visits (also called “video visitation” or “remote visits”) allow you to visit someone without being physically present at the facility. You connect through a computer or phone app, and the incarcerated person joins from a visitation kiosk in the facility.

Video visits don’t replace in-person visits—they supplement them. Most facilities allow both, and some facilities that have limited in-person visitation capacity encourage video visits as an alternative.

How to Set Up

Video visit setup varies by facility and provider:

Video Visit Costs

Video visit fees are separate from phone call charges. Pricing models vary by provider and facility — some charge per minute, others charge a flat fee per session, and some systems include a free allowance. The provider’s website shows the price for a specific facility before a visit is booked, and the state guides on this site carry sourced rates where the corrections department publishes them.

Requirements

• You need a device with a camera and microphone (computer, tablet, or smartphone)
• A reliable internet connection
• To be on the visitor list for the facility (rules vary)
• To follow the facility’s video visit dress code (usually similar to in-person visit requirements)

Email & Electronic Messaging

Overview

Some facilities allow electronic messaging through apps or tablet devices. The most common platforms are:

• JPay: Offers email and messaging through an integrated app and tablet system available in many facilities
• Securus/ICSolutions: Offers email in some facilities
• Facility-specific systems: Some facilities operate their own email or messaging systems

How It Works

If a facility offers electronic messaging, you can send messages (similar to emails) from outside. The incarcerated person can read messages and reply through kiosks or tablets in the facility. Messages are monitored and screened by facility staff.

Costs

Email and messaging services vary:

• Some facilities offer limited free messaging
• Others charge a small fee per message, set by the provider
• Some use a subscription model (monthly fee for unlimited messaging)

Important Considerations

• All messages are monitored: Facility staff read every message before it reaches the incarcerated person. Do not include sensitive legal information or personal details you want to keep private.
• Delays are common: Messages may not be delivered immediately. Expect a delay of hours to days before the person receives it.
• Limited formatting: Most systems strip formatting, links, and attachments. Plain text only.

Traditional Mail

The Basics

Traditional postal mail is the cheapest way to communicate—just the cost of a stamp. Letters are screened by facility staff but are a way to share longer messages, documents, and photos.

How to Send Mail

Address letters to:

[Incarcerated Person’s Name]
[Inmate Number, if known]
[Facility Name and Address]

Contact the facility to get the correct mailing address if you’re not sure. Some facilities have multiple units with different addresses.

What Can Be Mailed

Rules vary significantly by facility and state, but typical restrictions include:

• Photos: Usually allowed, but some facilities limit the number or require them to be unfolded and loose (not in frames)
• Cards and letters: Generally allowed, but may have restrictions on what can be written (no instructions for illegal activity, codes, etc.)
• Books and magazines: Often allowed but may need to come directly from the publisher (not used). Check your facility’s specific policy.
• Money: Generally NOT allowed through mail. Use official commissary deposit methods instead.
• Packages: Usually not allowed or only under strict conditions. Most facilities do not accept general packages from visitors.

Timeline

Expect 1-3 weeks for mail to reach someone who is incarcerated, depending on location and facility mail processing. Some facilities are slower than others.

Things That Get Mail Rejected

Federal Regulation of Prison Phone Rates

The FCC’s Rate Caps

The Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the rates charged for calls from prisons and jails, including in-state calls that earlier federal caps did not cover. In 2024 the FCC adopted an order setting new per-minute rate caps and addressing certain additional charges.

• What it covers: per-minute caps for both in-state and out-of-state calls
• Implementation: the caps and their effective dates have been phased in and adjusted over time, and some facilities were given additional time to comply

What This Means for Current Rates

Because the caps, effective dates, and provider contracts have all changed over this period, the rate at a specific facility is the only reliable figure. Confirm the current per-minute rate and any fees with the facility or the provider that serves it. The FCC publishes the federal caps in effect through its incarcerated people’s communications services materials.

What the Caps Do Not Cover

The FCC’s rate caps focus on the cost of phone calls. Families also encounter other charges — such as video-visit fees, electronic-messaging fees, and fees charged by payment vendors to add money — and the extent to which these are regulated has been the subject of ongoing FCC proceedings. Confirm which charges apply at a specific facility with the provider that serves it.