Phone & Video Calls in Kentucky (KY DOC)

How phone calls work

Kentucky DOC’s phone service is provided through Securus Technologies. Friends and family set up and fund a Securus account at securustech.net or by calling 1-800-844-6591. The incarcerated person places calls from the housing unit; families cannot call in. To receive calls, set up the account first and have the person’s full committed name and Kentucky DOC inmate number ready.

Per-minute call rates and the service fees that apply to deposits and account transactions are set by the vendor and change over time. Confirm the current rate and fees with Securus at the point of payment, since they are charged in addition to the cost of the call itself.

Video visits, tablets, and messaging

Unlike phone service, video visits, tablets, and electronic messaging are not documented consistently across Kentucky’s institutions, and the options can differ from one facility to the next. Some facilities may offer video visiting, tablet access, or messaging; others may not, and the vendor and pricing are not posted as a single statewide standard.

Because of this, confirm directly with the specific institution what video, tablet, or messaging service is available there, how to register, and what it costs before counting on any of it. The facility’s own page on the Kentucky DOC site and its main phone line are the places to verify current options. Video visits, where offered, are a separate service from in-person visiting; see Visiting a Kentucky prison for in-person rules.

Attorney video visits

Kentucky DOC operates a separate attorney video visit program for legal calls between an incarcerated person and their attorney. This is a legal-access service, distinct from the family video options above, and it is arranged through the Department of Corrections rather than a family account. An attorney seeking to use it should confirm the current process and scheduling with the institution or the Department of Corrections.

Sending money

Phone calls, any tablet or messaging service, and the trust account that an incarcerated person draws on are funded separately. For depositing to a person’s account, see Sending Money.

If the person is in a county jail

A large share of people serving state sentences in Kentucky are held in county jails rather than DOC prisons. A county jail runs its own phone service, accounts, and rules, which are not the same as the Securus setup described above. Check the Kentucky Offender Online Lookup (KOOL) at kool.corrections.ky.gov to confirm where the person is currently held. If they are in a county jail, contact that jail directly for its phone and account procedures. See Intake, classification, and transfers for more on why some state inmates are held in county jails.

Verify Before Acting

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