Who Pays Less for Phone Calls: Friends & Family Prepaid vs. Commissary-Funded Calls in IDOC
In the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), there are two ways to pay for phone calls. Which one costs less depends on the method you choose and whether calls are in-state or out-of-state.
IDOC offers two funding options. The first is a Friends & Family Prepaid account - you create an ICS Prepaid account, add money, and pay for calls yourself. The second is commissary-funded calling, where you deposit funds into the incarcerated person's trust account and they buy phone minutes through commissary.
ICSolutions (ICS for short) handles all individual phone services for IDOC. Whether you're comparing costs or troubleshooting a problem, ICS is your point of contact either way.
For questions about collect or prepaid collect calls, IDOC directs families to contact ICS at 888.506.8407. Call that number if you're setting things up for the first time or need to confirm what applies to your phone.
IDOC publishes example rates to help you estimate costs. For Friends & Family ICS Prepaid, the total per-minute rate is $0.011746 for out-of-state calls and $0.0091 for in-state calls. These are total example rates (not just base rates), designed to give you a ballpark for what a typical call might cost.
IDOC also provides example totals for commissary-funded calls. In their table, a 10-minute out-of-state call costs $0.088, and a 10-minute in-state call costs $0.086. If your calls usually run about that length, these figures offer a quick comparison without much math.
Based on IDOC's examples, Friends & Family ICS Prepaid costs more for out-of-state calls: $0.011746 per minute versus $0.008842 per minute for commissary-funded calling. One reason for the difference? The commissary-funded out-of-state rate doesn't include the FCC Universal Service Fund (USF) expense, while the Friends & Family rate does.
Note: In IDOC’s example tables, the total amount charged is rounded up to the nearest cent, and partial minutes are also rounded up. That means your final billed total can land slightly higher than a straight per‑minute multiplication.
Figuring out which option saves you money starts with your calling habits. Are most calls in-state or out-of-state? Do they usually last 10 minutes or longer? Use IDOC's examples as a rough guide. For Friends & Family ICS Prepaid, a 10-minute out-of-state call runs about $0.117 (at $0.011746 per minute), and a 10-minute in-state call is about $0.091 (at $0.0091 per minute). For commissary-funded calls, those same 10-minute calls cost $0.088 out-of-state and $0.086 in-state. Comparing these side-by-side shows which option stretches your money further for the calls you actually make.
- Call ICS to confirm your setup - For collect or prepaid collect information (and to make sure you’re using the right account type for your phone), contact ICS at 888.506.8407.
- Ask about what applies to your number - Once you know whether you’re using prepaid, collect, or prepaid collect, you can compare your expected costs using IDOC’s examples.
- Re-check if something changes - If you switch phones, carriers, or start getting more out-of-state calls, it’s worth confirming details with ICS again.
Reminder: Because partial minutes and the final total are rounded up, very short calls can cost a bit more (per minute) than you expect. Build that rounding into your estimate, especially if calls tend to cut off early.
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