How to Send Money for Phone Calls to Someone at ECI: AdvancePay vs PIN Debit

When someone is incarcerated at ECI, you'll see two common setups for phone funding. AdvancePay is a prepaid option tied to your phone number. When your loved one calls and you accept, the cost comes out of that prepaid balance. The other option, ConnectNetwork PIN Debit, puts funds into the incarcerated person's phone-related debit balance instead. Facilities offer both because they solve different problems: one pre-pays calls to a specific outside number, while the other gives the incarcerated person spendable phone funds on their account.

AdvancePay is the prepaid route. You add money to a prepaid telephone account connected to the phone number where you want to receive calls. When your loved one calls and you accept, charges are deducted from that balance. Maryland DPSCS guidance commonly points families to AdvancePay at certain facilities, which is why many people start here. It lets calls come to your cell phone or home phone without relying on the incarcerated person to have funds available.

ConnectNetwork PIN Debit works differently. Instead of prepaying calls to your outside phone number, you're depositing money into the incarcerated person's phone-related debit account (often called PIN Debit or offender phone). This gives them more control over placing calls because the funds sit on their side of the phone system, not attached to a particular outside number. Just be careful to choose the correct deposit type. A PIN Debit deposit is not the same as adding money to an AdvancePay prepaid balance.

1. Start a PIN Debit deposit in ConnectNetwork. Look for the deposit option labeled for PIN Debit (offender phone) so the money goes to the phone account side, not a prepaid number.
2. Select the correct incarcerated person. Double-check the identity details shown in the system before you submit payment.
3. Follow the on-screen payment prompts. Enter the required payment information and review the confirmation screen.
4. Confirm the account details match what you intended. If the system shows an account number or PIN Debit designation, verify it before you finalize the transaction.

Expect fees depending on how you add money and which option you use. Before submitting any payment, review the payment portal's terms and the fee details shown at checkout. Fee schedules can change, so check what the portal displays for your specific transaction at the moment you're paying.

Next Steps

• ✓ Decide where you want the money to sit: AdvancePay (prepaid to your phone number) or ConnectNetwork PIN Debit (deposit to the incarcerated person’s phone-related debit balance).
• ✓ If you choose PIN Debit, use ConnectNetwork and follow the prompts carefully so you pick the correct deposit type and the correct person.
• ✓ If you choose AdvancePay, confirm the prepaid account is attached to the phone number you actually want calls to come to.
• ✓ If you’re not sure which option ECI is using for your loved one’s calling setup, contact ECI and ask what phone funding method applies to their housing and phone access.

Need to reach the facility for clarification? Contact Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) at 410-845-4000. The mailing address is 30420 Revells Neck Road, Westover, MD 21890. For in-person visitation requests, email ECI.InmateVisitation@maryland.gov.