What Phone Calls from McDowell Detention Actually Cost (and Why the Site Says There’s No Connection Fee)
Trying to budget for phone calls with someone at McDowell Detention Facility? The key detail: calls are billed by the minute. The facility also claims there's no connection fee—which sounds great but can be confusing. Here's what that actually means, the rates published on the facility page, and why you should verify them before adding money to an account.
All calls from McDowell Detention Facility - local, long-distance, and international - are billed by the minute. NCIC handles inmate phone services for McDowell County, so any questions about pricing, accounts, or billing go through them.
Note: The facility says calls are billed per minute and have no connection fees - so you’re paying for the minutes used, not an extra “start the call” charge.
Here's where it gets confusing: the McDowell Detention Facility page shows two different rate sets. One section lists local calls at $0.27 per minute. Another section breaks it down differently - Local $0.17, In-State $0.21, Out-of-State $0.21, and International $0.35 per minute. Both appear on the same page, so treat these as "what's published" rather than a guarantee of what you'll actually pay.
- ✓ Rate set A (published): Local - $0.27 per minute
- ✓ Rate set B (published): Local - $0.17 per minute; In-State - $0.21 per minute; Out-of-State - $0.21 per minute; International - $0.35 per minute
McDowell Detention Facility doesn't accept incoming calls. If you need to reach someone inside, you'll have to wait for them to call you through the approved system.
Three-way calls are prohibited. Trying to add another person to the line can get the call blocked or disconnected - keep it one-to-one.
Before you add money to an account, confirm the current rates. The facility page shows two different price sets, which probably means one section got updated and another didn't. Is "local" billed at $0.27 or $0.17 per minute? Does the in-state/out-of-state breakdown apply to your call? A quick call to verify saves you from funding an account based on outdated numbers.
- Confirm rates with NCIC - McDowell County lists NCIC as the inmate phone provider, and NCIC can tell you what rates apply to your number and call type.
- Call the detention facility to sanity-check what you’re seeing - Ask whether the current published per-minute rate is the single “Local $0.27” figure or the set that includes Local/In-State/Out-of-State/International.
- Verify the rate details before adding funds - Once you know which per-minute schedule applies, then add money to the prepaid account so you’re not surprised by the per-minute charges.
For help with rates, prepaid accounts, or billing, start with NCIC - they're the inmate phone provider for McDowell County. You can create a prepaid account by calling 1-800-943-2189 or visiting NCIC's website. To confirm which rate schedule is currently in effect, contact McDowell Detention Facility directly at (828)-652-2236.
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