Inmate Telephone System

The Inmate Telephone System allows only outgoing inmate calls; inmates cannot receive incoming telephone calls. A vendor, Global Tel*Link (GTL), manages the system. In most cases GTL must be contacted to initiate any service, which includes both personal and legal calling.

Unless there are security or disciplinary restrictions placed upon a jail, telephones are available to inmates from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. However, times vary for each facility, and some units allow 24-hour access to telephones. The maximum length for all call types is 20 minutes.

Personal Outgoing Calls

• Personal inmate calls are recorded and monitored.
• Three-way or conference calls are not permitted. If the system detects a three-way attempt, the call will be disconnected.
• Direct calling by inmates is possible worldwide, with the exception of a few foreign countries. In addition to calling family and friends in the U.S. and Canada who have established Collect and AdvancePay accounts, inmates can purchase calling cards from the Canteen that allow them to place local, national, and international calls.

Billing Arrangements

The system offers family and friends two types of billing programs for personal calls: collect and prepaid. Both options require an account to be established by contacting GTL at: web.connectnetwork.com or 1-877-650-4249.
All information is available in both English and Spanish.

Collect Calls -- Inmates can place collect calls to numbers that have been previously registered in the system. However, calls cannot be placed to cell phone numbers without an AdvancePay account, and some numbers are blocked from receiving collect calls—either by the owner or by the telephone service provider. That service provider must also have a billing agreement with GTL. If an inmate attempts to call a telephone number for the first time that will not accept collect calls, the called party receives an automated voice prompt offering a connection to GTL’s account center. There is also a prompt offering a one-time courtesy call lasting 60 seconds.

Prepaid Calls -- If calling collect is not possible or not preferred, friends and family can pre-pay for calls through the following GTL prepaid telephone accounts:

• AdvancePay: A prepaid phone account that is managed and funded by friends & family to receive calls from an inmate at a preset destination phone number. The AdvancePay account is a requirement for calls to cell phone numbers or if a large number of inmate calls are accepted.
• PIN Debit: An inmate phone account that is funded by friends & family so that an inmate can place outbound calls to any facility-approved contact. A PIN Debit account allows your inmate to manage their own phone account and call more than one person in their support network, as opposed to AdvancePay, which only allows your loved one to call you.

Legal Outgoing Calls

Legal calls are not recorded or monitored, and the maximum call length is also 20 minutes. To qualify for non-recorded treatment, the Inmate Telephone System recognizes the published telephone numbers of attorneys registered with the State Bar of Arizona. At the beginning of a non-recorded call you will hear, “… (telephone company name) has a legal call from (inmate name)…”

If the system has not been updated with recently changed or new telephone numbers, you may hear “If this call has been placed to legal counsel, please hang up and notify the Sheriff’s Office at 602-876-1202.” In this situation, please do not accept the call, and notify our office immediately. The new telephone number will be verified with the State Bar of Arizona and added to the legal telephone number database. If an attorney chooses to accept calls from incarcerated clients on telephone numbers that are not in that database, it is important to note that those calls will be recorded.

Just as with personal calls described above, an account with GTL must be established for all telephone numbers used by legal counsel for inmate conversations. Please refer to the “Billing Arrangements” section above. A special Direct Bill program is also available only for attorneys, and details can be obtained by dialing 1-877-295-1184.

Blocking or Unblocking Telephone Numbers

You can block your number so that inmates at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s jails cannot call.

• Telephone Procedure: If you receive a call from an inmate and you do not want to accept that call and any future calls from the jails, you can block calls by pressing 7—6 when prompted by the recording.
• Written Request: You can also ask that your phone number be blocked or unblocked by submitting a request using one of these methods:

--email to MCSO_Inmate_Telephones@MCSO.Maricopa.gov

--fax to 602-876-0055

--send letter to:	Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
	Telecommunications Division/ITS
	550 W. Jackson St.
	Phoenix, AZ 85003

Please include the name that appears on the telephone bill and the phone number to be blocked or unblocked. Note that in some situations we may require a copy of a page from a recent telephone bill that shows the name, account number, and the telephone number involved.

Other Contact Information

If additional help is needed on Inmate Telephone System issues:

MCSO Information/Assistance: 602-876-5412, (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., MST)

GTL Customer Service (including billing inquiries)

--Call 1-877-650-4249, (business hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., CT)

--Go online to the ConnectNetwork “Contact Us” page and you can fill out the form online at: web.connectnetwork.com/contact-us-via-email/