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Must read Terms of Service & Privacy Policy and be at least 18

 
tamikagolson

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tamikagolson

Trump now has a jail call service????
trumpjailcalls.com

 
tamikagolson

Hey everyone Now im using a new cheap jail call service They are accepted in all jails since the FCC made it illegal for the jails to block them JailJack.com - Cheap Jail Call Services

 
februarymoon

You are making calls to Nevada? Your loved one is presumably not in prison then. Is he out on parole? In a halfway house?

 
sparky1979

Hi,
I'm new here in this Forum. Just been navigating my way around and landed here. Thanks Saskatchewanian - your info is very useful to me. I live in Denmark and will be making calls (hopefully!) :o soon to my loved one in Nevada. I'm so looking forwards to that!:yup:

 
wonderfulmarri…

Cool! SEE, learned something new today :)

 
Anonymous

Lots of states allow overseas calls...Texas is just not one of them

 
wonderfulmarri…

Mel, how comes that you can receive calls when you are overseas? I thought inmates are not allowed to call overseas? You say that it makes it okay cause he works, "A" works too but don't get paid in the GREAT state of TX :) unfortunately. What provider are you guys using if I may ask?
...an hour *SIGH*....awesome! Does it get cut off after 20 min or do you get to talk an hours with no cut off?

 
wonderfulmarri…

Don't know what happened...tripleposted :(

 
melanieann

We try to save aswell. So Ibraheem calls once or twice in the week just for 10 mins they cost about $3 then he will call three times over the weekend but they are long calls for an hour. Yes I am so lucky I know to get an hour on the phone. Our calls are so cheap we are lucky. Ibraheem also works so it makes it ok.

 
wonderfulmarri…

Easy peoples :) We're all good! I actually haven't really "looked" for options because I've been well aware of my options trough the one and holy Securus :)
BUT, I came across this by accident after I was wondering for a while and researching for a while that there is no other option in my opinion that is legal and follows the guidelines for TDCJ
BUT, still...there are people they try to convince me otherwise and I just haven't considered it yet. Someone for example has told me to get a local Area Code for Livingston from my phone provider which is T-Mobile because that way the calls would be only charged LOCAL instead of long distance. Not sure if it is true, like I say people told me that is what they do but when I called holy SECURUS and had asked them they had seem to not wanting to give me detailed information. They could have said it is 28 cents no matter where you are located in the states, but they said, well we would have to see how our system will calculate that then. We don't know that ahead of time ...so that is what kind of surprised me. Like I said, I really don't care about the money as long as my kids are taken care of and all bills are paid but it really IS TOO MUCH money. Yes, I do get about 3 calls a day, since I have made it through my surgery and stuff and we know that I'll be okay, it is a BIG relief where we are able to be stronger and not having to talk 3 times a day. I get at lease one a day but mostly two and if I have it my way THREE :)
I really want to try and get better though because considering on top of the regular charges I throw approx. $200 towards T-Mobile for my contracted 2 cell lines. Anyway, not complaining, just sayin'.
I do plan long term though to limit the charges though because really, in about 4 more years that'd be the downpayment for a house or some land or something :)
I am VERY grateful for all the calls we have, I feel for all those who NEVER get calls or only very limited and I think it is amazing how y'all are doing that but like I said, even though I get a lot of calls, I don't take them for granted. We actually do write about 3 letters per week and still know what to talk about but really ... nothing like a good oldfashioned letter anyway <3

 
NorthernLight

[QUOTE=februarymoon;1103011]Be grateful you have calls at all. As with many things in life, some people [U]can only dream[/U] of that which you take for granted.[/QUOTE]

To [I]suggest [/I]that she takes phone calls for granted is a bit [I]ridiculous[/I]. You said yourself that you have choices so why does she need to be grateful? She is only trying to see if there are cheaper options out there. I'm pretty sure she's gotten the information she was looking for.

 
februarymoon

And to suggest that I have no choice is ridiculous.

I have plenty of choices. I could (and will be doing anyway) move to where I can get calls. I could break up with him tomorrow if it bothered me that much and move on with someone else. I could break the rules. I could go there every other week and get calls when I'm at his parents' place. I have several choices and made this one.

 
NorthernLight

Actually it is because she asked for advice on how to budget. ;)

 
februarymoon

First, this isn't about who can get calls and who can't. You handle it because you have no other choice. If you had the option of phone calls I imagine you would be receiving calls as well.

WMH, I send a check with a specific amount of money every payday. Normally enough to get 8-10 calls a week. He normally calls just on Saturday and Sunday but every once in awhile he makes it out of his cell a little early and he calls me in the morning. Those calls are about 4 minutes long because I have a strict bus schedule that I have to adhere to or I'd be late for work. He doesn't do that often and it's a surprise when he does. Even though those calls are short they are my favorite. :)

Doing a little math I figured you talk 111 times a month or about 3 times a day? I will say that I would never ever spend that type of money on phone calls. I think I probably spend a little too much as it is. If I talked to him 3 times a day we'd run out of things to say and never write letters. I do like my letters from him. :) Think about it...if you limited your calls to even one time a day that would only be $160 or so a month. You CAN budget. Just set a limit and don't send more than that. If you've been talking this much it will take getting used to but you would save $440 a month! Since you live in Texas use the money to go visit, which are much better than phone calls any way you look at it.

Added thought: There is NO other option besides using Securus. If some people are using other carriers then they eventually WILL get caught.

And it's not about how other people choose to spend their money either...

Just saying....

 
NorthernLight

First, this isn't about who can get calls and who can't. You handle it because you have no other choice. If you had the option of phone calls I imagine you would be receiving calls as well.

WMH, I send a check with a specific amount of money every payday. Normally enough to get 8-10 calls a week. He normally calls just on Saturday and Sunday but every once in awhile he makes it out of his cell a little early and he calls me in the morning. Those calls are about 4 minutes long because I have a strict bus schedule that I have to adhere to or I'd be late for work. He doesn't do that often and it's a surprise when he does. Even though those calls are short they are my favorite. :)

Doing a little math I figured you talk 111 times a month or about 3 times a day? I will say that I would never ever spend that type of money on phone calls. I think I probably spend a little too much as it is. If I talked to him 3 times a day we'd run out of things to say and never write letters. I do like my letters from him. :) Think about it...if you limited your calls to even one time a day that would only be $160 or so a month. You CAN budget. Just set a limit and don't send more than that. If you've been talking this much it will take getting used to but you would save $440 a month! Since you live in Texas use the money to go visit, which are much better than phone calls any way you look at it.

Added thought: There is NO other option besides using Securus. If some people are using other carriers then they eventually WILL get caught.

 
februarymoon

Northern light is out of state, hence the higher cost.

Skype and google voice are not permitted within the TDCJ and no matter how much you love or miss him no phone call is worth losing privileges and/or going to the hole for. If SW and I can manage a very long sentence without them, anyone can. And I'm the most impatient person on the planet.

 
wonderfulmarri…

However, I do not take the calls for granted because I am well aware of others not being able to receive calls from their LO. Thinking about SW for example. But really, there are people, trying to spread the word that they are talking to someone in Polunsky over a Google voice or Skype Number and I do not believe it because I am well aware of their T&C and I would not want to take the slightest chance of getting him in trouble loosing our phonetime over it. So HOW do you actually BUDGET the time you purchase for calls. I have not been able to budget it up so far, I guess I am too weak :) I have spend last month about $600 for calls only, this month we're trying to do a little better :)
Northern, if I may ask, why do 20 min cost you $7.80 and me "only" $5.40? I know that when he purchases the min through the Commissary it is about 2ct cheaper per min.

 
NorthernLight

The only option is through Securus. You are lucky that your calls only cost $5.40. Mine cost $7.80 for 20 minutes. I know how you feel though and I just budget a certain amount each paycheck and then I don't even think about the cost or it would drive me crazy.

 
februarymoon

There are very few options when it comes to calls from a TDCJ unit. Either the inmate calls collect, the inmate buys a phone card from commissary or you buy pre-paid phone time. Either way, it costs just over $5 a call. It is what it is. Be grateful you have calls at all. As with many things in life, some people can only dream of that which you take for granted.

 
wonderfulmarri…

We are talking through SECURUS, since they are contracted with the Polunsky Unit in TX. We pay for 20 min $5.40 and it adds up to be a small fortunate per month. Is anyone here calling the Polunsky Unit, that found out an alternate Option?

 
Sabs

I recommend Ear 2 Ear for phone calls, especially if you're somewhere in Europe. They deal with GTL for you and a 15 minute call is only $2. There's no connect fee and no monthly charges, which makes them much cheaper than most other services. I'm using this service for quiet some time now and it's great.

 
NorthernLight

Please be careful when signing up for any of these services. I don't personally know anything about them or if they are legitimate but many prisons do not allow you to receive calls through these companies. Carefully check the specific DOC or BOP website where your loved one is to make sure that you know what all the rules are.