Why you can't call an inmate at Dauphin County Prison — and how ViaPath phone/tablet accounts work
Trying to reach someone at Dauphin County Prison and hitting a wall? That's because the phone system doesn't work like a normal
At Dauphin County Prison, inmates can’t receive personal incoming calls, and the facility does not provide long-distance incoming calls to inmates either. That means you can’t call the jail and have staff connect you to your loved one for a regular conversation. If there’s an emergency, the facility handles verified emergencies as needed, but for everyday updates they encourage families to communicate by writing.
Setup Viapath
- ✓ Call ViaPath (formerly GTL) to set up a phone account: 800-483-8314
- ✓ Or create your account online through ConnectNetwork at www.connectnetwork.com
Dauphin County Prison also uses ViaPath for tablets in general population. Those tablets can include both free options and paid services, so it’s common to hear families talk about “tablet money” separately from phone calling. If you need to add funds for tablet services, you can do it through www.gettingout.com or by calling 1-866-516-0115.
One detail that trips people up: at Dauphin County Prison, the phone account is set up based on your phone number. It isn’t built around the inmate’s name or their DCP# the way some other systems feel like they are. So when you’re setting things up, think “Which phone should they be calling?” first.
Because the account is tied to a specific phone number, any funds you apply to that number generally limit calls to that one number. If you want your loved one to be able to call more than one phone (for example, your cell and a spouse’s cell), the workaround is setting up multiple accounts using different phone numbers.
Calls at Dauphin County Prison are scheduled, and each scheduled call is limited to 15 minutes. Your loved one is the one who has to schedule the call on their side and then tell you what time to expect it, so it helps to keep your phone close when they say they’re planning to call.
To use the phone system, inmates need a phone PIN. At Dauphin County Prison, inmates usually receive their PIN number the next business day after they’re incarcerated. If you’re trying to set things up immediately after someone is booked in, that short delay is often the reason calls aren’t happening yet.
Note: If a PIN is lost, the inmate must send a request slip to the Deputy Warden of Security to have it reissued. It’s worth treating the PIN like a password and keeping it written down somewhere safe.
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