Setting Up Phone Calls with Someone at Statesville: Friends & Family vs Commissary-Funded
Getting phone calls from someone at Stateville (Statesville) requires two things: approval to receive calls, and a way to pay for the minutes. Here's how both payment options work so you can decide what fits your situation.
Before any calls can come through, your phone number needs to be on that person's approved calling list. No approval, no calls. Getting added is simple: write to the person in custody and ask them to add you. They're the one who submits the request from inside, so make sure they have your exact name and phone number.
Once you're approved, there are two ways to fund the calls. The first is Friends & Family Prepaid - this is the option when you (on the outside) want to cover the cost. You'll create and fund a prepaid ICSolutions account. IDOC provides the sign-up information for the Illinois Department of Corrections system through its family and friends phone page, so you'll know exactly which provider to use.
The second option is minutes purchased through commissary - sometimes called commissary-funded or inmate-funded calling. It's still an official funding path, just a different payer. Here's how it works: you add money to the person's trust (commissary) account, and they use those funds to buy phone minutes. Think of it this way - Friends & Family Prepaid means you fund a prepaid calling account directly, while commissary-funded means you put money in their trust account so they can purchase minutes themselves.
Trying to figure out which option costs less? IDOC shares an ICSolutions cost-comparison example that helps with the math. For Friends & Family Prepaid, the example rates are low: in-state calls run $0.091 for 10 minutes and $0.182 for 20 minutes, while out-of-state calls are $0.117 for 10 minutes and $0.235 for 20 minutes. For commissary-funded minutes, the numbers shift slightly: in-state is $0.086 for 10 minutes and $0.172 for 20 minutes, and out-of-state is $0.088 for 10 minutes and $0.177 for 20 minutes. These figures can help you weigh whether to load a prepaid account yourself or put money into their trust account for minutes.
Reminder: The ICSolutions comparison is meant to be an example/estimate. Taxes and fees may vary over time.
Watching for incoming calls? Calls from Stateville Correctional Center show up with the caller ID number (815) 296-8981.
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