Learn About Securus Inmate Calling

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help.

Learn Everything You Need To Know About Securus Inmate Calling

Securus Technologies is a U.S.-based communication provider for incarcerated persons. Their headquarters are in Dallas, Texas, and their services are used by more than a million people in prisons across the States. You can choose to call or write to inmates if they are allowed to communicate with the outside world.

What You Should Know Before Using Securus Inmate Phone Services

The first thing you should know about contacting inmates over the phone is that you cannot really call them. They are the ones that can make a call to you. This is usually done via collect calls (landlines only) or prepaid phone accounts provided by third parties.

Besides phone calls, Securus enables video calls on phones, tablets, and PCs.

You should also bear in mind that you won’t be able to talk to inmates whenever you wish. Depending on the facility’s rules and regulations, there are scheduled slots for phone calls. Usually, it is between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., but make sure to check this on the facility’s website if the information is available.

Who Can Make Securus Inmate Calls?

In most facilities, you will have to be on the prisoner’s approved telephone list. When an inmate is admitted to prison, they provide a list of phone numbers to the jail staff. You may not be on that list if they didn’t have your number at the moment, but you can always include it in a letter you send to an incarcerated person.

Inmates can use Securus or any other phone service company to call:

  • Friends
  • Family
  • Support groups
  • Legal representatives

If you happen to fit into one of those categories, you should know that conversations with inmates are recorded, so avoid talking about the crime they’ve committed or any other incriminating or sensitive details. Personal matters, non-related to their case, are an appropriate topic of conversation.

How To Use Securus Inmate Phone Service?

You should always check the rules of the specific facility your imprisoned loved one is in before making a phone call. First, check if you are on the inmate’s approved telephone list and if they are permitted to call you. Then, see if the prison allows collect calls, or if other companies like Securus might be used.

In case Securus has a green light, you should know more about its services and options. You can choose between three product options:

  1. Advance Connect—you use the prepaid calling option that lets you manage how much you want to spend on inmate calls
  2. Inmate Debit—you can add funds to the inmate’s calling account, and they will be paying for the calls
  3. Direct Bill—you receive monthly charges directly to your account. You will need a credit check to be eligible for this option

How To Connect With an Inmate With DoNotPay

DoNotPay is the easiest way to get in touch with an inmate you care about. If you wish to avoid the complicated steps needed to contact your incarcerated loved one, turn to our app for help.

You can contact them by sending a letter instead of calling, which is a better option since they get to keep the message. These are the instructions you’ll need to follow:

  1. Open DoNotPay in your and log in to your account
  2. Find and click on the Connect With an Inmate category
  3. Choose one of the three possible features:
  • Send a Personalized Letter
  • Locate Someone
  • Virtual Mailbox

How To Send a Personalized Letter to an Inmate With DoNotPay

The world’s first AI Consumer Champion can help you write to a prisoner without trouble and stress usually involved in the process. Skip going to the post office and be done with the procedure from the comfort of your home.

You also won’t have to trouble yourself with addressing a letter to an inmate correctly because we can do that instead of you. Write a letter to an inmate via our app, and we will make sure they get it as soon as possible. Follow these simple steps:

  1. Open the DoNotPay prison feature
  2. Fill out the fields with the requested information—the inmate’s name and ID
  3. Write your message directly in the textbox or upload it
  4. Attach photos to the letter if you wish to
  5. Choose one of our customized letter templates (Holiday themes, for example)

Once you finalize the steps, we will print and send the letter to your loved one.

How To Receive Letters From Prisoners With DoNotPay

It means a lot to prisoners to receive a letter from their loved ones, but sending one is also beneficial for their rehabilitation and mental state. DoNotPay has ensured that this option is available and made the process simple and effective. These are the required steps:

  1. The person who is in prison sends the letter to our address
  2. DoNotPay digitizes the letter
  3. We send the letter to you

Once we send it, you will be able to access the letter in your Virtual Mailbox. No need to worry about your letter getting lost, DoNotPay will deliver it safely to your account.

How To Locate an Inmate With the Help of DoNotPay

DoNotPay can help you find your prison pen pal fast and easy, whether they are in a federal, county, state, or ICE detention center. Follow these easy steps to learn where the prisoner you care about is located:

  1. Open the DoNotPay prison feature
  2. Enter the name of the prisoner
  3. Enter the state the prisoner is located in

Once you are finished with this simple questionnaire, we will locate the inmate and provide the name and location of the facility.

What Can You Send to Inmates?

In case you decide writing to or hearing from your incarcerated loved one isn't enough, and you wish to send them something more, you may do so, but with certain restrictions. There are numerous rules and regulations on what can be sent to inmates, so be sure the item you wish to send is on the ‘allowed’ list.

Even with all the rules, it is still simpler than visiting an inmate, so definitely consider it. Take a look at some of the most common items and whether they are permitted:

You Can SendYou Can’t Send
  • Postcards and greeting cards
  • Paperback books directly from the publisher
  • Personal letters
  • Photos and newspaper clippings
  • Clothes they can wear to court appearances
  • The whole newspaper
  • Cigarettes
  • Cash
  • Photos that contain nudity or any other explicit content
  • Letters with coded messages
  • Letters that are perfumed or have lipstick marks on them
  • Locks of hair
  • Food

Other Ways DoNotPay Can Help You Out

DoNotPay can help you find and meet an inmate without trouble. If you want to write to a prisoner, we can provide you with a sample letter and guide you through the process. If the inmate you wish to contact is your spouse or a love interest, we have the tips for the best inmate love letters.

If all goes well, you might want to learn more about the rules regarding prison marriage and how to marry an inmate in a county jail.

Open DoNotPay in your and let us help you with any of the following tasks:

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