Having someone behind the bar is not easy, especially when it comes to getting in touch with them. Usually, the inmates are only able to eat, drink, sleep, and talk to the visitors when they are allowed. A lot of people are wondering how to call the inmate.
About calling the inmate
- A few things that affect the ability of inmates to make phone calls
There might be some cases that will affect the ability of the inmates to make phone calls, such as:
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- The ones who have not finished the intake process are not allowed to use the phone service.
- Most offenders have phone restrictions due to the facility that is locked down.
- There are not enough funds in the telephone account owned by the inmates.
- The access to inmate phones might be limited due to the bad weather or blackout.
- The access to the phone of the inmates who have a bad record can be restricted.
- A few facilities are really strict as they limit the ones who can be called by the inmates, usually the family members who have been verified or the ones included on the approved list.
- Another possible aspect is that the inmates do not know your phone number. In this case, it is better for you to send a letter with your phone number in it. you might also want to add some phone numbers that might be needed by the inmates.
- Way the calls work
There is a time rule set by all facilities for the inmates to follow. Each facility has its own rule, but most of them only allow the inmates to make a call between hours of 8 AM to 11 PM. Inmates usually are prohibited to make the ongoing calls until the morning roundup and count takes place. If something unexpected happens, the delay is possible. When inmates are locked down, they are not allowed to use phones.
The only thing that is allowed for the inmates is to make outgoing calls. It means the incoming one is a no without exception. There is a pre-paid phone accounts setup offered by third party vendors. One of the companies that offer this phone service is named JPay.
About Phone Time by JPay
You have a chance to help an offender to make phone calls to you or to anyone included on their call list. Each offender with the thing called the Friend and Family AdvancedConnect (Prepaid Phone Time) account offered by JPay is allowed to call you and with a Phone Time account, they are allowed to call people on their approval list.
Unfortunately, it is not for everyone as it is only available in certain states. If the Phone Time option is nowhere to be seen once you log in, it means the facility where your inmate is in does not support this service.
- Way to fund Phone Time
In order to fund the Phone Time account, first of all, click Phone Time on the JPay home page. It is on the Navigation menu. Then, click Buy Phone Time in the Add Funds to Phone Account box. You will also need to choose the offender that you want to fund in the Choose Offender list, which is on the Phone Account page. After choosing the offender, do not forget to select the payment method. If you have gone through this process before, you can choose the previously saved card from the Select card list and if it is your first time, you can click Use a new credit/debit card. In the Enter Amount column, please enter the amount of money that you want to transfer to the offender. Then, click Continue. Lastly, click the Submit button in the Payment Verification box.
- Way to register your phone number
It is needed for you to register your phone number if you have an intention to find the AdvanceConnect account owned by an offender. Your phone number can be registered by dialing the phone number (877) 800-5729. It will be registered with the help of a Correctional Billing Service agent and you will also be provided with a pass code. The pass code is the one that you will need to fund the AdvanceConnect account.
- Way to check the phone purchases
If you want to check the time purchases that you have done in the past, you can do it by checking the phone history. First of all, go to the official website of JPay. When you are on its home page, find the Navigation menu and when you are on it, click Phone Time. There is History on this menu. Please click it. in the thing known as the Purchase History list, feel free to click on an item confirmation number if you want to see the billing statement for the purchase. If you want to see the printed version, you can just click the Print Version and it will be shown.
- Fee schedule
In the Fee Schedule page, you will be able to see the different fees added to the phone time purchases. The number displayed on the screen might vary depending on the original of the payment. For instance, it is different when the payment originates online or over the phone.
To be able to view the fee schedule, the first step is the same as checking the phone purchases, which is heading over to the official website of JPay. On its home page, find the Navigation menu and when you are on it, click Phone Time. On this page and on the Phone Time menu, you will have to find the Fee Schedule and when you find it, click it. It is as easy as that to view the fee schedule.
For more information about JPay phone setup, the official website of JPay is always the best place to visit. You might also want to call the customer service of JPay at i 800-574-5729 if you have something to ask.