Two Ways to Pay for Phone Calls from Illinois DOC Facilities (Which One Is Right for You)

Staying connected with someone in an Illinois Department of Corrections facility? Here's what you need to know: ICSolutions handles all IDOC phone services. You can pay for calls two ways - set up a Friends & Family prepaid account through ICSolutions, or fund your loved one's trust/commissary account so they can purchase minutes themselves.

Friends & Family prepaid is the "you pay directly" option. You create an account through ICSolutions, add money, and that balance covers incoming calls. This works well if you want to manage call costs yourself rather than relying on your loved one's commissary funds.

1. Create a Friends & Family prepaid account with ICSolutions - start an account specifically meant to fund calls from someone in an IDOC facility.
2. Add funds to the prepaid balance - deposit the amount you’re comfortable spending on calls.
3. Use the prepaid account to cover calls - once it’s funded, the prepaid balance can be used to pay for calls connected through the IDOC phone system.

Your other option: fund their trust/commissary account. They can then buy phone minutes through commissary whenever they need them. You handle the funding; they decide when to purchase minutes.

Both options work - it comes down to who manages the money. With Friends & Family prepaid, you control a call-specific balance. With commissary minutes, you fund their trust account and they buy minutes alongside whatever else they need. Want to keep call spending separate from daily needs? Prepaid is more straightforward. Prefer to support their account and let them handle purchases? Commissary might be the easier day-to-day option.

• ✓ I want to manage call spending directly → Friends & Family prepaid (ICSolutions)
• ✓ I’m comfortable funding my loved one’s account and letting them buy minutes → Minutes purchased through commissary
• ✓ I want call funding kept separate from commissary needs → Friends & Family prepaid (ICSolutions)
• ✓ I prefer one deposit that my loved one can allocate (including phone minutes) → Minutes purchased through commissary

Questions about calls? Contact ICSolutions Customer Service at 888.506.8407 or Customer@icsolutions.com. If you accidentally blocked a number and need it unblocked, reach out to them at the same number or email.

Ready to get started? Head to ICSolutions - they're the only phone provider for IDOC facilities. From there, you can set up a Friends & Family prepaid account or fund your loved one's trust account so they can buy minutes.