Phone & Video Calls in Connecticut (DOC)
Connecticut made all prison communication free — phone, video, and messaging cost families nothing. How calls work, how video visits are scheduled, and what still costs money on tablets.
Free phone calls
Under a 2021 law (the first of its kind in the country), Connecticut covers the cost of prison communication, and calls have been free to families since 2022. The vendor is Securus. Calls are outgoing only — the inmate places them; you cannot call in — to numbers on the inmate’s approved list (up to about a dozen). Calls are capped around 15 minutes, are recorded and may be monitored, and the inmate can also place a couple of privileged (attorney) calls a month on non-recorded lines.
Video visits
Video visits are also free, run on Microsoft Teams (a free download). Eligible inmates get at least one 30-minute video visit a week, with up to three adults, scheduled through the DOC’s online Visit Request Form (you need a valid email; the visit is confirmed when the Teams link arrives). Video visits supplement in-person visiting and are recorded. In-person visiting is covered in Visiting in Connecticut.
Messaging and tablets
Connecticut issues tablets (through JPay, a Securus company) that support electronic messaging, which is free to families under the same law. What still costs money is non-communication content — music, movies, and games — and the tablet media account that pays for it is capped at $150. Families set up a free account at jpay.com to message.
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Sources
This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.