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posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:17a

I apologize if this has already been covered, my brother is now incarcerated and since we are on opposite coasts, I am desperate to find a semi-affordable PAYG cell-phone account to set up that is local to him. Are there any non-month-to-month deals that have minutes lasting longer than 1 month? I'd like to be able to purchase a nice hunk of minutes that will last a few months since I have no idea when he might call.
Thank you so much for any help/advice you can give!

ps. I tried various searches, but my brain is so scrambled from trying to navigate all this stuff, I can't think straight anymore.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:17a
Member Summary
Most Recent Posts

If I understand this correctly, if I wanted to not have to pay long distance fees to call someone far away I'd just (4)enter... (more)

fraggerman (Apr. 26, 2012 @ 1:07p) |

Independent of the suggestions regarding Google Voice & whatever restrictions might be in place for outbound calls the following... (more)

idfubar (Apr. 26, 2012 @ 8:15p) |

You can get a google voice phone number any where you want (if they are available). If you get one local to someone else,... (more)

jimates (Apr. 26, 2012 @ 8:27p) |

 

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posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 5:51a

virgin has $35/mo unlimited, not sure they allow cellphones in the joint tho
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 6:57a

pay per minutes I take it.

pageplus (verizon towers) minumum is $10 (100 minutes) and must be refilled within 4 months.

All other PAYGO must be refilled within 30 or 90 days in general. $100 refill cards do last a year (GoPhone and TMobile at least).

Tmobile exception. If you purchase a $100 card, then it give you gold status. From that point on, you only need to refill a minimum of $10 ONCE A YEAR.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 7:36a

Um, don't they have to call collect when they call from prison? You will pay outrageous phone bills and the connection isn't always good. I don't think this will work.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 7:50a

Better make sure he can have one first. PagePlus Cellular also has a $80 card that gives service for a year and 2000 minutes. You can only get it through PagePlus dealers and not directly through them.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 7:51a

briarycliffs said:   Better make sure he can have one first. PagePlus Cellular also has a $80 card that gives service for a year and 2000 minutes. You can only get it through PagePlus dealers and not directly through them. I think they are asking for a phone for themselves so the brother's calls aren't long distance. But I thought inmates have to call collect, which wouldn't work for this.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 8:02a

Virginia's link Have you looked at the state's link to see what the best way to minimize costs is?
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 9:23a

If you are looking for a phone that is local to the jailed brother so that he doesn't have to call long distance, why not setup a Google Voice number. Although I am not sure if you can call collect to that number.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 10:56a

I can't believe no one has asked this question yet- what is he in for?
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 11:15a

nyseGUY said:   I can't believe no one has asked this question yet- what is he in for?

MPITA

Can't believe you couldn't figure it out.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 11:23a

If cell ph is for brother, use PagePlus and fill with $80 for 2000 mins that's good for one year. If cell is for you, get a local number by finding out what the area code & ph prefix (first 3 digit of 7 digit ph #) is and ask for a number with the same area code and prefix. If it is for you, you don't even have to have cell ph, just use magicjack and get a local number for the prison so he can make local calls.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 1:01p

As another user has posted above your best solution is to get a Google Voice Number and it won't cost you a dime. You can get a local number almost anywhere and all the phone calls that go to that number are forwarded to your number for free.
This is what you need to do.
1. Go to http://www.google.com/voice
2. Sign up for a google account if you haven't already or just log in.
3. Since this is your first time using the service you will be asked to choose a phone number.
4. Enter the zip code of the area he is located and pick one of the phone numbers free.
5. Then you need to enter your own phone number where you will receive his calls.
Give him or anyone the phone number in step 4 and all those calls will be forwarded to your own phone.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 1:29p

You do need to make sure the zipcode used is the SAME as the jails zipcode. It is real easy to get outside the local calling area which would make it a long distance call. Just an FYI for those who dont know...a lot of jails and especially all federal prisons let the inmates setup a phone account and put so much money into it. I know federal lets you use i think 300 minutes worth of time a month. It costs the inmate 35cents a minute for long distance calls and I believe only 10cents a minute for local calls. So it can save the inmate a good bit of money if he or she can call "local". In this instance it is not a collect call, but you will have to get service and pay for it and the inmate will also have to pay on his end. Some jails may be different. But again as a lot of jails and prisons are out in the middle of nowhere you have to make sure you are registering the phone with truly a local number.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 1:51p

Wheezy said:   I apologize if this has already been covered, my brother is now incarcerated and since we are on opposite coasts, I am desperate to find a semi-affordable PAYG cell-phone account to set up that is local to him. Are there any non-month-to-month deals that have minutes lasting longer than 1 month? I'd like to be able to purchase a nice hunk of minutes that will last a few months since I have no idea when he might call.
Thank you so much for any help/advice you can give!

ps. I tried various searches, but my brain is so scrambled from trying to navigate all this stuff, I can't think straight anymore.

 

Are you planning on giving the phone to the person in jail?
I don't know of any jail where they do not make you use their service at very high costs, you cannot even use a calling card from those phones.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:13p

The way I read the OP is that OP is looking to have a phone # that's local to the jail bird calls the OP, the # will be local. Again, google voice will be the best solution which also allows the OP to block the call when the s/he don't feel like it.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:18p

shopliftinginva said:   Um, don't they have to call collect when they call from prison? You will pay outrageous phone bills and the connection isn't always good. I don't think this will work.

Yes, the inmate buys phone time from the Canteen and registers the phone numbers he wants to call with the prison. Then he can have "menage a trois" phone calls with the outside. Don't ask me how I know.


posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:18p

For $3 a month you can get a virtual toll free 800 or similar number.
Of course you cannot call a toll free number from a jail phone for free.

The same $3 can you get you a virtual local number to the jail.


The toll free I use has a 100 minute limit, after that it is like 3¢ a minute.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:23p

try this
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:28p

shopliftinginva said:   try this


Get a local phone number for
as little as $75 one-time fee


Outrageous charge....
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:30p

http://www.voipo.com/cloudnumbers.php


$36 a year for a virtual number.
Toll free or local..
No set up charge.


However there voip service sucks bad.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:33p

Just got good news:

Your Amazon.com order of 5x "Fake Turd Gag Gift" has shipped!
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 2:49p

yesidonoitall said:   shopliftinginva said:   try this


Get a local phone number for
as little as $75 one-time fee


Outrageous charge.... I just know there are strict rules on what kind of phone numbers can be called. In Virginia, no 800 numbers. no prepaid cell numbers, etc. Which is why I posted the first link to Virginia's rules. The 2nd link came from the Virginia DOC website.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 3:00p

shopliftinginva said:   yesidonoitall said:   shopliftinginva said:   try this


Get a local phone number for
as little as $75 one-time fee


Outrageous charge.... I just know there are strict rules on what kind of phone numbers can be called. In Virginia, no 800 numbers. no prepaid cell numbers, etc. Which is why I posted the first link to Virginia's rules. The 2nd link came from the Virginia DOC website.


Not sure what you are saying..
Virtual numbers I refer to are incoming only.
posted: Apr. 25, 2012 @ 5:19p

yesidonoitall said:   shopliftinginva said:   yesidonoitall said:   shopliftinginva said:   try this


Get a local phone number for
as little as $75 one-time fee


Outrageous charge.... I just know there are strict rules on what kind of phone numbers can be called. In Virginia, no 800 numbers. no prepaid cell numbers, etc. Which is why I posted the first link to Virginia's rules. The 2nd link came from the Virginia DOC website.


Not sure what you are saying..
Virtual numbers I refer to are incoming only. Right, but read these rules for Virginia. Taken from their website:
As of February 1, 2010, offenders may make phone calls to cell phones. Families and friends must set up the authorized phone number with Global Tel*Link (GTL) at 1-877-372-4330. The following stipulations apply:

Phone calls to cell phones will be charged the same rate as pre-paid calls.
Offender call lists will remain limited to 15 numbers.
This service does not apply to pre-paid cell phones.
The cell phone number must match the residential address of the family member or friend.
Utilization of the offender phone system is a privilege and responsibility of the inmate population. As with any privilege, inmate phone use may be revoked. The following are examples of services that are not permitted on the offender phone system:

Incoming calls
International calls
700, 800, 888, 900, and similar calls
Calls charged to credit cards, third parties, or any billing other than collect or pre-paid to the called party
Calls transferred to a third party
Call forwarding, call forwarding services, answering services
Calls to pager numbers
Calls to pay telephones
posted: Apr. 26, 2012 @ 4:11a

yesidonoitall said:   Just got good news:

Your Amazon.com order of 5x "Fake Turd Gag Gift" has shipped!

That was as bad as Geico commercials.
posted: Apr. 26, 2012 @ 9:50a

Google Voice (this is a landline type not cellphone)

/Thread
posted: Apr. 26, 2012 @ 1:07p

tepelena said:   As another user has posted above your best solution is to get a Google Voice Number and it won't cost you a dime. You can get a local number almost anywhere and all the phone calls that go to that number are forwarded to your number for free.
This is what you need to do.
1. Go to http://www.google.com/voice
2. Sign up for a google account if you haven't already or just log in.
3. Since this is your first time using the service you will be asked to choose a phone number.
4. Enter the zip code of the area he is located and pick one of the phone numbers free.
5. Then you need to enter your own phone number where you will receive his calls.
Give him or anyone the phone number in step 4 and all those calls will be forwarded to your own phone.


If I understand this correctly, if I wanted to not have to pay long distance fees to call someone far away I'd just (4)enter my zip code and pick a near-by number then (5)enter their number?
posted: Apr. 26, 2012 @ 8:15p

Independent of the suggestions regarding Google Voice & whatever restrictions might be in place for outbound calls the following chart might be helpful:

http://www.cellguru.net/prepaid_compare.htm

I have had a good experience with T-Mobile prepaid, Spot Mobile, and Telna.
posted: Apr. 26, 2012 @ 8:27p

fraggerman said:   tepelena said:   As another user has posted above your best solution is to get a Google Voice Number and it won't cost you a dime. You can get a local number almost anywhere and all the phone calls that go to that number are forwarded to your number for free.
This is what you need to do.
1. Go to http://www.google.com/voice
2. Sign up for a google account if you haven't already or just log in.
3. Since this is your first time using the service you will be asked to choose a phone number.
4. Enter the zip code of the area he is located and pick one of the phone numbers free.
5. Then you need to enter your own phone number where you will receive his calls.
Give him or anyone the phone number in step 4 and all those calls will be forwarded to your own phone.


If I understand this correctly, if I wanted to not have to pay long distance fees to call someone far away I'd just (4)enter my zip code and pick a near-by number then (5)enter their number?
You can get a google voice phone number any where you want (if they are available). If you get one local to someone else, they won't have to pay long distance charges to call it.

You enter a home or cell phone number. Incoming calls to the google voice number ring the phones you put in the list (cell minutes apply). You can also set it up with gmail and have it ring any computer with that gmail account open. You cannot forward a google voice number to another google voice number (except by porting a number already established as a forwarding phone to another google voice account).


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