If you’ve seen enough movies, you surely know that every prisoner gets their ONE phone call. But is that how it works in reality? Not really, because that ONE phone call is actually the FIRST phone call to find immediate help for one’s situation. But during the inmate’s time in any type of prison, he or she can get phone time depending on his or her situation.

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All prisoners must be allowed reasonable contact with their attorney, but other phone communications can differ significantly depending on the facility, inmate’s behaviour, and even the number of phones in the facility. And many prisons regard phone access as a perk or a privilege, which can be earned.

Where all prisons are the same – inmates can only place calls; they can’t receive calls. Incoming calls to prisoners are allowed only in case of emergencies.

Also, many prisons insist on inmates providing a list of up to 10 phone numbers, and then approving it.

Regarding the number and length of phone calls, in federal prisons before the 1980s there was a limit of one personal phone call in three months. A lot has changed since then, and now each prisoner can get up to 300 minutes each month (400 in November and December), with a 15 minute limit per phone call.

In most state prisons, there are individual phone call limits of 15-30 minutes, but usually no limit on the number of calls. But depending on the state and the prison, this can be limited with a total number of monthly minutes (i.e. 240 minutes in Texas state prisons) or with shorter per phone call time.

The situation is not as bleak as one sees in the movies, but there are many limitations and there is always the problem of prison phone call prices.

What are your experiences with talking to a loved one, or connecting from inside a prison?

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