Phone calls and messaging: prepaid accounts, vendor services, and video

For phone calls in the Florida Department of Corrections system, one common setup is a prepaid calling account you fund for your own phone number. AdvancePay is a prepaid service that lets family and friends add money so the incarcerated person can call using that balance. You can open and manage an AdvancePay account online, by phone at (866) 732-9098, or through the free ConnectNetwork mobile app.

If you pay into a prepaid phone account by check or money order, details matter. The AdvancePay brochure says to include your 10-digit telephone number on the payment because that number is also your account number. Payments received without a telephone number cannot be posted, and it may take 7 to 10 business days for a payment to process.

Messaging and video services vary by facility and vendor. JPay offers an email-style service where each message requires a paid "Stamp," and incarcerated individuals usually receive emails within 48 hours. Features like photo attachments, printing, and electronic replies depend on the facility. For video visitation, Securus Video Connect is a web-based system that lets friends and family schedule and join video sessions using the Securus app, a computer, or a tablet. You are responsible for your own internet connection and hardware. Separately, ICE notes that many detention facilities provide tablets supporting video visitation and messaging.