Phone Calls - We pay $20 for 15 minutes!

When I saw that someone was only paying $5 per call, I felt that they were lucky. My son calls collect once a month and GCI (it was MCI) charges us $20 for a 15-minute call. We have been paying that for 18 years!

It makes me feel really good that Folsom Prison receives 44% of the fee charged to us. Where does the money go? Probably to the staff retirement fund.

 Staff retirement fund....or more redtape, in general!

I think I only pay $5 for a 15 minute call because I am only about 140 miles from the prison. 

I found this in one of the groups I belong to.... The GTL Inmate Telephone System contract expires on November 30, 2007. A new contractor, SECURUS, is presently implementing a transition/replacem ent service which will be phased in on a by-institution basis beginning this week. For your information, the scheduled cut-over date for Sumter CI is December 4, 2007. Depending on progress made during the interim, there is a possibility that the Sumter CI cut-over date may be sooner, but is not expected to be any later. As you indicate, flyers and posters have been sent to the institutions announcing this forthcoming change to the inmates. Additionally, the Department is working to establish a website link which will also describe the Inmate Telephone System and provide answers to commonly asked questions for inmate family and friends. SECURUS is a new service provider. They are not associated with the previous MCI/VERIZON/ GTL groups. For your question on costs of calls, I have provided the following rate extract from the contract - COLLECT CALL SURCHARGE: The Contractor shall provide inmate telephone COLLECT CALL service at the following surcharges and rates: TYPE OF CALL “TO CONNECT”SURCHARGE RATE PER MINUTE Local Coin $.50 $0.00 Local Extended Area $.50 $0.00 Inter-lata $1.20 $0.04 Intra-lata $1.20 $0.04 Interstate $1.20 $0.04 PREPAID CALL SURCHARGE: The Contractor shall provide inmate telephone PREPAID CALL service at the following surcharges and rates: TYPE OF CALL “TO CONNECT”SURCHARGE RATE PER MINUTE Local Coin $.50 $0.00 Local Extended Area $.50 $0.00 Inter-lata $1.02 $0.04 Intra-lata $1.02 $0.04 Interstate $1.02 $0.04

 

HI,

Do you know if they are going to offer international calls??? We finally got reasonably priced calls $15 per 15 mins and Im really hoping we dont have to go back to $40 for 15 mins.

This would be devastating for inmates that have loved ones overseas, my Husband is in CA and we still spend about $500 per month on calls but when he's in Ca and Im in Australia what can you do???

 

Thanks:)

I too thought that someone who has calls that only cost 5 bucks is so lucky.  i pay 20 bucks per call too and some months it becomes harder than others depending on the money flow and we only talk once a week.  I really hope that when the connect charges are removed it makes some difference.  Unfortunatley i wont hold my breath.

$20.00 for 15 min is just crazy! I live 250 miles from where my son is and even when he was 500 miles away i only pay $5.00 for 15 min. I feel for ya'll $20.00 for 15 min that is Criminal!

LOL,, when my husband was here at county we paid 3.80 cents for a 45 munute phone call,  now I pay 20.00 for a 5 minute phone call,,,,,    I am really concerned for when they get the phones in place, cuz i know that he will be on that phone calling me as much as he can, and truthfully we can not afford that, He ran my phone bill up to 900.00 once before and that was with the 3.80 cent calls guys.......... Imagine the 20 calls,.....  He called me at least 8 times a day.....  I always loved to hear his voice but when i got the bill i was like,, UGHHHHH..