Phone & Video Calls in Alaska (AK DOC)

How phone calls work

Alaska DOC’s phone vendor is Securus Technologies. Calls are placed by the prisoner from phones on the housing unit; families cannot call in. To receive calls, a friend or family member sets up a prepaid AdvanceConnect account with Securus and adds money to it. A prisoner cannot set up the account.

Set up an account at the Securus website or by calling 1-800-844-6591. Have the prisoner’s full name and facility ready.

All calls are recorded and monitored, with the exception of privileged calls (for example, calls with an attorney). Phones are available for roughly 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. Three-way calls, call-forwarding, and calls to toll-free or 900 numbers are prohibited.

Call rates and free calls

The DOC’s published rate is $0.085 per minute for all calls, and the DOC states that each prisoner receives two free calls per month. These figures are officially published, but call rates can change through tariff filings, so confirm the current rate with Securus before funding an account. Securus also lists the service fees that apply to deposits and account transactions; review those fees at the point of payment, as they are charged in addition to call costs.

Video visits and tablets

Alaska does not have an established video-visiting or tablet-messaging program. The DOC’s family materials describe in-person visiting and do not list video visits, tablet messaging, or e-messaging as offered services. Do not assume any of these is available. In-person visiting is the norm in Alaska; for how visits work, see Visiting. If you want to know whether any video or tablet option exists for a particular facility, confirm directly with the DOC or the facility.

Sending money

The trust account that the incarcerated person draws on is separate from the AdvanceConnect phone account. For how to put money on a prisoner’s account, see Sending Money.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Staying in Touch.