IDOC Phone Transition & How to Pay for Calls: What Southwestern families need to know
If your loved one is at Southwestern Corrections Center, phone calls are about to change. Here's what's happening in early 2025, what transfers automatically, and how to keep calls going without interruption.
IDOC is switching phone providers from Securus to ICSolutions, starting as early as February 3, 2025. The rollout won't happen all at once - each facility transitions on its own schedule, and the statewide switch should take about two weeks. Your loved one will get details specific to their facility's transition date, so timing may vary depending on the location.
Here's some good news: during the vendor switch, phone credits and the approved phone list (PAN) for someone in custody should transfer automatically to ICSolutions. That means the people already on the calling list - and any credits on the inside - carry over rather than resetting to zero.
What won't transfer is money you've added to a Securus Advance Connect account as a friend or family member. Those balances stay with Securus, so you'll need to contact them for refund information after the transition wraps up. IDOC recommends keeping enough in your Securus Advance Connect account to cover one to two weeks of calls leading up to the switch - that way you're not stuck mid-transition with no way to connect.
How to Pay
- ✓ Friends & Family prepaid (ICSolutions) - You set up and fund an ICSolutions Friends & Family prepaid account for Illinois IDOC using the ICSolutions facility page IDOC points families to, then calls are billed against that prepaid balance.
- ✓ Minutes purchased through commissary - You add money to your loved one’s trust/commissary funds, and they use that money to buy phone minutes from commissary.
Under ICSolutions, IDOC's published domestic rate drops to $0.008 per minute - down from the previous $0.009 per minute. A small savings, but it adds up over time.
Heads up: Expect a one- to two-day phone service interruption when your facility switches over. If calls suddenly stop for a day or two around the transition, that's a known part of the changeover - not an emergency.
Running into problems after your facility moves to ICSolutions? Contact ICSolutions Customer Service at 888-506-8407 or Customer@icsolutions.com. For questions about money left in a Securus Advance Connect account - including refunds - reach out to Securus directly. Those balances don't transfer to the new system.
- Confirm where your facility is in the rollout - The change starts as early as February 3, 2025 and happens on a facility-by-facility schedule, so timing depends on where your loved one is housed.
- Set up your ICSolutions Friends & Family prepaid account - Use the ICSolutions facility page IDOC directs Illinois families to for account creation, then add funds so calls can bill against your prepaid balance.
- Handle any leftover Securus Advance Connect funds - Those balances won’t transfer, so plan to contact Securus for refund information after the transition.
- Save ICSolutions support details - Keep 888-506-8407 and Customer@icsolutions.com handy in case you need help with call issues.
Tip: Keep enough funds in Securus Advance Connect to cover about 1–2 weeks of calls before the switch, and plan for a possible 1–2 day service gap during your facility's transition.
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