Setting Up a Prepaid Phone Account for Shelby County Jail (NCIC) — Lower Costs, More Flexibility

Shelby County Jail uses NCIC (Network Communications International Corporation) for inmate phone service. If you’re setting up an account, adding funds, or looking up how the system works, NCIC’s information is listed at www.ncic.com.

With NCIC, you're choosing between collect calls and a prepaid account. Most families go prepaid for one reason: cost control. Prepaid accounts typically have lower per-minute rates than collect calls at Shelby County Jail. Want to see the numbers before you commit? The jail posts NCIC calling rates and connection fees on its Phone Information page.

NCIC prepaid accounts at Shelby County Jail come in two flavors: one tied to a specific inmate, or one tied to your phone number that allows calls to up to 10 designated numbers. Which you choose affects who controls the calling list and how flexible things can be.

• ✓ Lets the inmate call up to 10 phone numbers you designate
• ✓ The numbers you list must not be blocked
• ✓ You (the account holder) fund the account

A phone-number account works best when you want tight control over which numbers can be called. You fund it, and the inmate can reach only the specific numbers you've designated - as long as those numbers aren't blocked. An inmate-specific account takes a different approach. It's tied to the person, not a short list of numbers. According to Shelby County Jail's NCIC information, these accounts let an inmate call any unblocked phone number - handy if you need more flexibility than a fixed list allows.

1. Use inmate account funds for prepaid phone time - Inmates can purchase prepaid phone time using funds in their inmate account through the jail commissary kiosks.
2. Follow the on-kiosk prompts in the housing area - The commissary kiosks are in the living areas, and the instructions are posted right on the kiosks.
3. Add cash to the inmate account at the lobby kiosk (if needed) - Cash deposits can be made at the Lobby Kiosk in the visitation area. It accepts $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills, and there’s a $3 charge per transaction.

If your loved one needs to figure out the purchase process from inside, the jail posts instructions directly on the commissary kiosks in the living areas. That's the quickest reference when they're standing at the kiosk.