Phone & Video Calls in Minnesota (MN DOC)
Minnesota's split-vendor setup — ViaPath for phone calls and tablets, JPay for messaging, video visits, and money — and how to set up and fund an account.
How phone calls work
Minnesota DOC’s phone vendor is ViaPath (formerly GTL / Global Tel*Link), and families set up and fund a phone account through ViaPath. The per-minute call rate is set in the vendor contract and is subject to change, so confirm the current rate with ViaPath before funding an account.
Calls are placed on the housing unit’s phones, and the tablets described below can also place calls. The incarcerated person places the call; families cannot call in. To receive calls, set up an account through ViaPath and have the incarcerated person’s full name and OID number ready. ViaPath 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.
Tablets and messaging
Minnesota DOC tablets run through ViaPath, which replaced JPay as the tablet provider in May 2023; tablet distribution rolled out across the facilities through 2024 and 2025. The tablets place phone calls and are the device through which scanned personal mail is delivered. (Incoming personal mail is scanned off-site before it reaches the tablet — see Mail.)
Electronic messaging and email run through JPay, not ViaPath. JPay messaging is stamp-based: a sender buys stamps and a message uses one or more stamps depending on its length and any attachments. Stamp prices are set by the vendor and change, so confirm the current cost with JPay before sending.
Video visits
Minnesota DOC offers video visits through JPay Video Connect, used on the JPay app or website. Video visitation is a separate product from in-person visiting. Because the video schedule and any per-session price are set by the vendor and change, confirm the current video session cost with JPay before booking, and confirm what is offered for the specific facility.
Sending money
Calls run through ViaPath, while messaging, video, and the personal money deposits that fund them run through JPay. For depositing to a trust account — through JPay — and where government or corporate checks go, see Sending Money.
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.