How to Set Up Phone Calls with Someone at Madison Correctional Facility: AdvancePay, PIN Debit, and Collect Calls
When calls won't go through, it usually comes down to two things: the type of phone account and whether your number is approved. Here's how AdvancePay, PIN Debit, and collect calls work at IDOC facilities like Madison Correctional Facility—plus what to do when collect calls won't connect.
Madison Correctional Facility uses three main phone account types: AdvancePay, PIN Debit, and a Trust/Debit Link-style account for certain tablet services. AdvancePay works like prepaid collect calling tied to one specific phone number - when you fund it, the incarcerated person can only call that funded number. PIN Debit flips the arrangement. It puts calling costs on their side, letting them pay for calls from their own funds and dial any facility-approved numbers. Their PIN Debit balance can come from commissary or trust funds, which works well if you'd rather support their general account and let them decide when and who to call.
Note: You can also deposit money into the incarcerated person’s Trust Fund for commissary purchases, and those funds can be used to support PIN Debit calling.
Before any calling option works, your number has to be on the approved list. The incarcerated person must complete and sign an Incarcerated Individual's Telephone List with up to 20 names and phone numbers. Only numbers on that list can be dialed. If you're not getting calls, check whether your number was added correctly and is still active on the list.
Collect calls are what many families expect, but they have a major limitation in IDOC: they can't go to cell phones, office phones, or hospital numbers. This restriction explains most "why won't the call come through?" situations - especially if your main number is a mobile or you're trying to receive calls at work.
When collect calls won't work, your practical options are AdvancePay or PIN Debit. Want calls to reliably reach one specific number? AdvancePay handles that - fund the number you want called, and calls draw from your deposited balance. Prefer to let the incarcerated person control their calling and reach any approved numbers? PIN Debit is usually the better fit. They can fund it themselves through their commissary or trust account.
To add funds by phone, IDOC has toll-free numbers for each account type: AdvancePay at (800) 483-8314, PIN Debit at (855) 706-2445, and Trust Fund at (888) 988-4768. Use the right line - each number routes to funding for that specific account.
- ✓ Add funds through the provider’s website or app (when you want to manage balances and payments online)
- ✓ Add funds by phone using the IDOC toll-free numbers for AdvancePay, PIN Debit, or Trust Fund
- ✓ Use Trust Fund deposits when you want to support commissary purchases and help fund PIN Debit calling through the incarcerated person’s account
Sending a money order instead? Follow the instructions carefully. Make it payable to "TouchPay Holdings, LLC" and include the offender's full name plus their OID number so the deposit credits correctly. Maximum amount per money order is $300.
Practical-tips
- ✓ Make sure your number is on the incarcerated person’s signed Telephone List (they’re limited to 20 names/numbers)
- ✓ Double-check the number is written correctly on the list - one wrong digit can stop calls
- ✓ Don’t rely on collect calls if the number you want called is a cell phone, office phone, or hospital number
- ✓ Use AdvancePay when you want calls to reach one specific funded phone number
- ✓ Use PIN Debit when you want the incarcerated person to pay for calls from their own funded balance and call any facility-allowed numbers
- ✓ Keep an eye on balances and add funds before they run out so calls don’t cut off unexpectedly
- ✓ Add funds by phone if you need help: AdvancePay (800) 483-8314; PIN Debit (855) 706-2445; Trust Fund (888) 988-4768
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