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Telephones

Interview with Carrie, Michael, Roy, Tiff, Lela and Manuel

JM: Did you have regular access to telephones?
Carrie: yes
Michael: did but they didnt work all the time
Roy: Yes. They even let me try a land line phone they had behind a desk to see if I could get someone to pick me up. Collect calls didn't work when I tried calling cell phones. The phone needs to be registered or something.
Tiff: YES. WHEN THE DAY ROOM WAS OPEN.
Lela: Yes, there were 6 pay phones I think. You get a free (30 second or 60 second??) call for each number you call - As long as another inmate hasn't called it before. (Maybe in the past year- I don't know)
Manuel: Yes during the day unless it was shift change or medicine and when they where going to be fed.

JM: What types of charges applied for calling people? How much money would you guess the average inmate spends per week on phone calls?
Carrie: All calls are collect, and it costs about $5.00 each call.
Michael: free for the first call then had to call charges
Roy: They let me make the call for free. There is a pay phone in the holding area too.
Tiff: THERE IS A RIDICULOUS CONNECTION CHARGE OF 3.30 THEN THE CALL IS 12 CENT A MINUTE THEREAFTER.
Lela: If you ordered phone calls yourself they were $3.30 a piece for local calls. If someone put money on their own phone for the inmate to call them it is quite expensive. There's a fee and it's something like $3 for the first minute and so much for each minute after but normally would total around $8 for a 15min phone call I believe. So ordering your own phone credits is definitely the best bet. 15 min maximum for one phone call. It's really hard to say what the 'average' spent on calls a week is. I'd say maybe $10 to 20. But it really depends on if the person is going to be there a while or not and if they obviously have someone on the outside helping them out with money on their account. There are so many people in and out in a few days that a lot of people don't even get the chance to buy phone credits. A lot of people just get in there and then tie up the phones calling every number they know just to let them know they're locked up. (Because the recording when they pick up will say your name and where you're at.) Also, be aware that you cannot leave voicemails on people's phones.
Manuel: It depends how many times you call out I know the average 15 minute calls go for 6.95

JM: Did you need to buy phone cards to call out?
Carrie: It was an option.
Michael: yes
Roy: Not sure.
Tiff: YES. OR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ADDED MONEY TO THEIR ACCOUNTS.
Lela: They have phone credits. So each credit is $3.30 and that would equal one 15 min local call. Out of area Wisconsin calls are 2 credits (6.60) and Out side Wisconsin but in the U.S. is 3 credits. (9.90) The bad thing with phone credits, although cheaper they don't go on til the next day usually around 1PM or 3PM and not on weekends. So you really have to keep up on it and fill out the little while phone slips and get them in the day before and before 3rd shift so they can get approved and they'll take the money off of your account and the credits will be on the next afternoon. If you forget to order credits or don't have the money on your account yet and really need to talk to someone you'll have to call them 'collect' and it'll say there's no money on the person's phone and then direct them to put in their credit card if they so choose to.
Manuel: If you had money on you're books

JM: Did the jail screen your calls?
Carrie: The jail screens some peoples calls, I don't now what makes the decision whos calls they screen and whose they don't, but I do now that when you make a call, it says that all calls are monitored.
Michael: yes
Roy: They dialed it for me and asked who I was calling.
Tiff: iM NOT QUITE SURE IT WAS ALWAYS A AUTOMATED RESPONSE TELLING THE CALLWOULD BE MONITORED DURING THE CALL.
Lela: It says that they are subject to be recorded, but I'm kind of doubtful that they listen to very many conversations since there are so many calls made every day at the same times.
Manuel: Calls are always screen in jail.

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