Setting Up Phone Calls from Kewanee: ICSolutions vs. Commissary Minutes

People in custody at IDOC facilities - including Kewanee Re-entry Center - can't receive incoming calls. They place outgoing calls to numbers on their approved calling list. So before anything else, write to your loved one and ask them to add your phone number to that list. Until they do, funding an account won't matter because they still won't be able to reach you.

One way to cover call costs is through an ICSolutions Friends & Family prepaid account. You create the account in your name, add funds, and your loved one uses that balance when calling approved numbers like yours. This setup works well if you'd rather pay for calls yourself instead of pulling from their commissary money.

The other option: fund their IDOC trust/commissary account so they can buy phone minutes through commissary at Kewanee. The money goes onto their account first, and they decide how to spend it - phone minutes being one option. This route makes sense if you're already adding commissary funds and want to keep everything in one place.

IDOC started transitioning phone services from Securus to ICSolutions on February 3, 2025. The rollout happened facility-by-facility over about two weeks, so exact timing varies depending on when each location switched over.

Had money in a Securus Advance Connect account? Those funds don't transfer automatically to ICSolutions. You'll need to contact Securus directly for refund information at 1-800-844-6591 or through securustech.net.

Practical Checklist

• ✓ Write the person in custody and ask them to add your phone number to their approved calling list.
• ✓ If you want to pay from your side, create and fund an ICSolutions Friends & Family prepaid account.
• ✓ If you’d rather they buy minutes, add funds to their IDOC trust/commissary account so they can purchase phone minutes through commissary.