Phone and Video Setup
A printable walkthrough for setting up prison phone calls and video visits — finding the provider, creating and funding an account, and fixing calls that stop coming.
Three things about prison phones that surprise most families: calls only go one direction (the incarcerated person calls out; you cannot call in, and a missed call cannot be returned); every state contracts a private company to run the system, and you deal with that company, not the prison; and the company differs by state. The state’s Phone & Video guide on this site names the provider and its rates.
Setting up phone calls
- Find the provider for the person’s facility. The state’s Phone & Video guide and each facility page on this site name it — common ones are Securus, ViaPath (GTL), and ICSolutions.
- Create an account with that provider using the phone number the person will call. Using your legal name, matching your visitor paperwork, avoids mismatch problems later.
- Fund the account. A small first deposit is enough to test the connection. Deposit fees vary; the provider’s published fee schedule is the authoritative price list.
- Tell the person the number. At many facilities they must add it to an approved call list on their end before the system will connect.
- Answer the first call. It arrives from an unfamiliar, often out-of-state number, and an automated message announces the call and asks you to accept — stay on the line through the prompt.
Setting up video visits
- Video visiting usually runs on a separate system, sometimes with its own account, even when the same company provides it. The state guide names the video provider.
- Sessions are typically scheduled in advance — commonly one to three days ahead — and time slots can fill quickly.
- Dress code applies on camera, sessions are monitored and may be recorded, and recording on your end is prohibited.
- Complete the provider’s device and connection check before the first scheduled session, not during it.
Messaging and tablets
Many states also offer paid electronic messages and photo sharing through a tablet provider. The state’s Mail & Packages or Phone & Video guide covers what is available and who runs it.
If calls stop coming
- Check the account balance first — an empty account is the most common cause.
- Check whether the number got flagged as spam. Phone carriers sometimes silently block the system’s numbers; saving the number as a contact prevents this.
- Check the locator. A transfer can change the facility, the provider, and the account setup all at once.
- A facility lockdown suspends calls — this resolves on the facility’s timeline, not the provider’s.