An inmate making a phone call in prison

What to Do When Your Friend Calls You from Jail

When a friend or family member is jailed, seeking the help of a licensed bail bonds agent is one of the first things you should do.

There are also some other things that you must keep in mind when someone calls you from jail. This puts you in the best position to help them and makes things easy for them too.

Below, we’ve put together some advice about this:

1. Accept the Charges

Inmates usually make collect calls to people on the outside, which means it’s on you to accept the charges for their calls. If you refuse to do this, your imprisoned friend or relative will be required to pay for the call themselves.

Prisoners are charged exorbitant rates for phone calls. This is a fact that has been covered extensively in the media.

Not that long ago, the national average for one 15-minute phone call ranged from $5.74 to $24.82.

Don’t add to your loved one’s miseries by forcing them to pay for their phone calls.

2. Be Available

Most prisons or correctional facilities have a fixed window of time every day in which prisoners can use their phone privileges.

Once you’ve established the ‘phone time’ with your loved one, make sure you’re around to receive the call. If it helps, you can even agree on a schedule and set aside that time from your day for their phone call.

Even though for you it’s just 10 minutes or so away from your other activities, for them it means a great deal.

3. Offer Support

Remember that while your loved one is incarcerated, you’re their link to the outside world.

When they call you, they’ll likely need encouragement, support, and positivity. Offer them these things, and listen to them patiently as they tell you about their day. Most inmates understand that there is little their family and friends can do to help them, which is why they usually just need someone to listen to them.

Giving them your time and attention when they call you is a gesture they’ll appreciate.

4. Don’t Ask for Details

Prison phone calls are recorded and monitored. Accordingly, you shouldn’t ask your imprisoned loved one for details of their alleged offenses or pester them for information.

Remember that whatever they’re saying over the phone isn’t private, and in fact, can be used against them in legal proceedings or parole hearings. If you don’t keep your curiosity in check, you might get them in trouble or make things more complicated for them.

As a rule of thumb, always discuss their feelings, emotions, and day-to-day life inside the prison. Don’t start talking about their case or share something relevant you saw on the news, which is something they should only discuss with their lawyer.

Since 2010, we’ve helped Indianians avail affordable bail bond service through our family-owned-and-operated 24-hour bail bonds agency.

From affordable bail bonds in Fulton County, IN, and Whitley County to 24-hour bail bond services in Huntington County and Kosciusko County, people looking for licensed bail bondsmen know they can rely on us every day of the week.

If you or someone you know is in need of a 24-hour bail bonds agent, get in touch with us right away.

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