Phone Calls to Anamosa: Costs, How Calls Work, and How to Get on an Inmate's Approved List

Here's the most important thing to know about phone calls at Anamosa: the Iowa Department of Corrections doesn't accept incoming calls. Your loved one has to call you. Standard calls - local, intrastate, and interstate - run $0.06 per call. International rates are different.

You can't call in and get connected to someone inside. Iowa DOC phone service only works one direction: the offender places the call, and they can only dial numbers on their approved calling list. If you're waiting on a call that never comes, check whether your number is actually on that list.

1. Make sure your number is added - the offender must add your phone number to their approved calling list before they can call you.
2. Wait for the offender to place the call - calls have to be initiated from inside; you can’t start the call from your end.
3. Don’t rely on an “incoming call” option - Iowa DOC facilities do not accept incoming phone calls to connect you to an offender.

Local, intrastate, and interstate calls from Iowa DOC facilities cost $0.06 per call. International calls are priced separately and vary. If you're outside the U.S. or your loved one needs to call internationally, check the current Iowa DOC rate information for exact pricing.

Where does phone-call money go? Iowa Code chapter 904.508A authorizes the Department of Corrections to maintain an inmate telephone fund, which collects the revenue from these calls.

The Board of Corrections directs those proceeds back toward offender-related benefits - things like legal services, religious accommodations, education, and victim services.

• ✓ Inmate telephone fund authorized under Iowa Code chapter 904.508A
• ✓ Proceeds directed for offender benefits
• ✓ Legal services
• ✓ Religious accommodations
• ✓ Education
• ✓ Victim services

Your number has to be on the offender's approved calling list before you can receive calls. You can't add yourself from the outside - the offender has to add you first.

1. Give your loved one the exact number to use - the offender has to add your phone number to their approved calling list.
2. Ask them to confirm it’s been added - if calls aren’t coming through, double-check that the number on the list matches what you’re answering.
3. Follow any Iowa DOC procedures they’re required to use - the offender may need to complete whatever internal steps are required to update their approved calling list.

Even at $0.06 per call, costs add up if you talk often. Plan your top topics ahead of time and keep calls focused. If you need to cover a lot - updates, family logistics, coordination - agree on priorities so the paid time goes toward what matters most.