Phone & Video Calls in South Carolina (SCDC)

Staying in touch with an incarcerated person in South Carolina runs through ViaPath Technologies (formerly GTL / Global Tel*Link). ViaPath provides the phone system, the GettingOut messaging service, and the video-visit scheduler. Vendors, rates, and features change, so confirm the current details on the SCDC Family page and in the relevant account before relying on them.

Phone calls and setting up a ViaPath/GTL account

Calls are placed by the incarcerated person using a Personal Identification Number (PIN) issued within about a week of admission. A person on the outside cannot dial in to the prison; calls go out from the person inside to approved numbers.

There are two common ways to pay for calls:

AdvancePay (prepaid by family). A family member or friend opens an AdvancePay account through ConnectNetwork.com and adds funds; calls to that number are then paid from the balance.
The incarcerated person’s own debit account, funded from their trust/commissary balance.

SCDC has published a flat phone rate of 5.5 cents per minute (stated as effective February 1, 2019). Calling hours are set by SCDC and custody level — SCDC has listed phone access for medium and close custody male inmates as 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (as of October 27, 2025).

Electronic messaging (GettingOut)

SCDC offers electronic messaging through GettingOut, a ViaPath product, at gettingout.com (with iOS and Android apps). Setting up messaging requires a valid email address and a Visa or MasterCard credit, debit, or prepaid debit card. Messages are reviewed by the facility and are not instant; availability and any per-message cost are set by SCDC.

Tablets

SCDC makes tablets available to incarcerated people. Tablet features can include messaging, phone access, and media such as music, e-books, and FM radio, depending on the person’s status and the facility. Tablet messaging and calling connect to the same ViaPath/GettingOut accounts described above; confirm which features are available to the specific person and how they are funded.

Video visits

South Carolina handles video visits through the SCDC (ViaPath/GTL) system at scdoc.gtlvisitme.com — the same platform used to schedule in-person visits. The visitor must be on the incarcerated person’s approved visitor list before scheduling, and video visits can be joined from a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

South Carolina schedules video visits through the SCDC (ViaPath/GTL) scheduler (scdoc.gtlvisitme.com), the same platform used for in-person visits. For the visitor-list requirement, registration, and how video visits relate to in-person visiting, see Visiting in South Carolina.

Verify Before Acting

Confirm the current details with SCDC and the relevant vendor before relying on any plan. Phone service runs through ViaPath/GTL; the published rate is 5.5 cents per minute, but confirm the current rate, fees, and calling hours. Families prepay calls through an AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com; the person’s own debit calls are funded from their trust balance — and neither is the same as adding commissary money (see Sending Money in South Carolina). Electronic messaging is through GettingOut (gettingout.com). Video visits are scheduled through scdoc.gtlvisitme.com and require being on the person’s approved visitor list — see Visiting in South Carolina. Confirm the person’s current institution and which features and accounts apply before adding any funds.

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.