Phone & Video Calls in Nebraska (NDCS)

How phone calls work

Nebraska’s phone vendor is ViaPath (formerly GTL), and families use it through ConnectNetwork. The incarcerated person places all calls — there are no incoming calls. To receive calls, set up a prepaid AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com, through the app, or by phone, tied to the number you want the person to reach; the cost of each call is drawn from that balance. The incarcerated person can also pay from a debit account they fund themselves.

NDCS does not publish a per-minute calling rate. The price is set in the ViaPath contract (and is subject to federal rate caps) and shown when you set up the account, so check the current rate in ConnectNetwork before funding it. Nebraska has not made calls free.

Video visits

Nebraska offers two separate video options:

• The Virtual Visitation Program (VVP) is run by NDCS and scheduled the same way as an in-person visit, through the facility’s page on corrections.nebraska.gov. The visitor supplies their own device and internet connection, and the same approved-list and ID rules apply.
• VisNow is a video chat through the person’s ViaPath tablet, in 15-minute sessions, for visitors who are on the approved phone and messaging lists.

The women’s prison (NCCW) has also run a separate JPay video pilot. Because the options and any prices change, confirm what is available on the facility’s visit page.

Tablets, messaging, and photos

NDCS issues ViaPath/GTL tablets on the GettingOut platform, which handle electronic messages, e-cards, photos, video-grams, and VisNow video chats. (Incoming paper mail is handled by a separate vendor, TextBehind — see Mail & Packages.) Per-message and per-item prices are set by the vendor and change, so confirm them in the app before sending.

Verify Before Acting

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