Phone & Video Calls in Michigan (MDOC)
Why the prisoner places the call and how to get on their Personal Allowed Numbers list, the one free 10-minute call each week, the ViaPath phone and video systems, and JPay messaging and tablets.
How calls work
Michigan’s phone vendor is ViaPath (formerly GTL). The prisoner places outgoing calls only — there are no incoming calls — to numbers on their Personal Allowed Numbers (PAN) list of up to 20 numbers, which resets each quarter. The rate is about $0.0735 per minute (set in 2023, plus taxes and fees), and each prisoner gets one free 10-minute call per week. Families can pay by setting up a prepaid AdvancePay account, by prepaid collect, or the prisoner can use account funds; landline collect calls are also possible. Because rates change with the contract and federal rules, confirm the current per-minute cost at the source rather than relying on a fixed figure. MDOC warns that third-party “discount call” resellers are not affiliated with the prison or its vendor.
Messaging and tablets
Electronic messages go through JPay: create a free account at jpay.com, buy “stamps,” and send messages that staff review before delivery to the prisoner’s kiosk or JPay tablet. Stamp prices change, so check the current cost when you send. One photo per page, no collages. Tablets are JPay JP6 devices that prisoners purchase through the prison’s process.
Video visits
Video visits run through ViaPath, scheduled on the same site as in-person visits (midoc.gtlvisitme.com/app), at about $3.20 for a 20-minute call, paid in advance. They supplement in-person visiting rather than replace it, and (except for attorney visits) are recorded. A separate videophone program exists for deaf and hard-of-hearing prisoners — currently free, prisoner-initiated, and distinct from video visitation.
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.