Phone & Video Calls in Illinois (IDOC)
ICSolutions provides phone calls, tablets, video visits, and electronic messaging for Illinois prisons; how families set up and fund an ICSolutions account, plus the 2025 switch away from Securus and GTL.
Communications for Illinois prisons run through ICSolutions (ICS), the Illinois Department of Corrections’ communications vendor. ICSolutions handles phone calls, tablets, video visits, and electronic messaging. This replaced the prior arrangement, in which phone service was provided by Securus and video visits and messaging by GTL (Global Tel*Link / ConnectNetwork) — a change IDOC made in 2025.
How phone calls work
Incarcerated people in Illinois place outgoing calls to numbers on their approved calling list — they cannot receive incoming calls. To be called, a person must write to the incarcerated individual and ask to be added to that list.
ICSolutions is the only provider IDOC uses for individual-in-custody telephone service. Calls can be paid for two ways:
- A prepaid ICSolutions account funded by family or friends.
- The incarcerated person’s trust (commissary) account, used to buy calling through the prison.
For phone questions, IDOC directs families to ICSolutions customer service at 888-506-8407 or Customer@icsolutions.com.
Setting up and funding an account through ICSolutions
Families register with ICSolutions to create and fund a prepaid account, then use it to pay for calls, electronic messages, and video visits. Registration and deposits are handled through the ICSolutions system. Adding the incarcerated person’s IDOC ID number during setup helps link the account correctly.
Sending money to the person’s trust account for commissary is a separate process from funding a communications account — see Sending Money in Illinois.
Tablets
Tablets in Illinois facilities are provided by ICSolutions. Tablet access is administered by the prison and the division’s rollout, and availability and features vary by facility and by the person’s status. As the system completes its transition to ICS tablets, families may fund their ICSolutions prepaid account to cover messages, calls, and video visits used on the tablet. Confirm tablet availability with the specific prison.
Electronic messaging
IDOC offers electronic messaging through ICSolutions’ CorrLinks system (corrlinks.com) at all facilities except the Adult Transition Centers (ATCs). Messages are screened and monitored, and IDOC applies a delay before incoming and outgoing messages are delivered.
Messages sent through the prior GTL system (ConnectNetwork) will not be delivered — electronic messaging now goes through ICSolutions’ CorrLinks. Families who used the previous vendor should set up messaging through ICSolutions and verify the correct product before sending.
Video visits
Illinois offers video visits through ICSolutions at all facilities except the ATCs, after transitioning this service from GTL in 2025. Visitors register and schedule through ICSolutions. Because video visits are part of the visiting program — including registration, scheduling, and per-day and per-week limits — they are covered in detail in Visiting in Illinois. When registering, entering a prior GTL Visitor ID can help link an existing record during the transition.
Verify Before Acting
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.