well i need some help. i was told that i need to have MCI to get a call from the mens coloney. does anyone know if this is try? thanks :D

Most phone companies do not allow MCI to bill on your regular phone bill, so MCI requires that you set up a separate account with them for the prison collect calls. As far as I know, MCI has a state-wide contract with CDCR, so all collect calls are billed through MCI.

There are some exceptions to this (I have SBC for my local service and have not needed to set up an MCI account to date), but there are also rumors that this will change and everyone will need to set up an account.

So no, you don't need to have MCI for your local or long distance service in order to receive calls, but depending on who your phone provider is you may need to set up an account with MCI to be able to take care of billing for the collect calls.

Because I haven't needed to set up an MCI account I am not an expert in this process, but I'm sure someone will read your post and be able to give you the information you need. If not, MCI started a website for prison calls, so you might want to check that out and see if it's helpful. https://corrections.mci.com

Same here I have SBC/ATT and MCI just bills through them with my regular bill. Never had a block or anything...(lets keep our fingers crossed) So I have beenreally blessed in this area. Who do you have for local service?

I spoke to soon. I got the phone call from MCI the other day and I was required to set up a separate account with them. They had me fax them my regular phone bill and set up a password. Now when I go online to access my account it says the password is invalid and that I need to fax a phone bill again:( I just don't want my bill get close to or over the $100, so I want to keep track up the balance. I will be calling them first thing in the morning!!!

I got SBC/ATT about a month ago and about 2 weeks later got a message saying that i neede to call them. I called and the set up an accout with a password and $100 limit. I actually like it better cuz I can track my calls daily and make payments online. You can check the status of a block when the customer service is closed. I make payments of $5 here $10 there, and always keep it under $100. They will never put a block on your phone only if you go over your limit. But if you do, pay $5 or $10 online and the block is taken off ASAP. I like too cuz this way i NEVER have to call and be placed on hold for EVER.

I send them checks cuz I am too afraid they may double dip in my account like some folks have said here. That is a real good idea to just pay them $5 $10 at a time. I sent a big lump sum and now I have a credit. I am just trying to avoid problems....I don't want a block on my phone in case of any sort of emergency issue.

Hi there... I just got a call from MCI where they told me that I needed to set up an account to continue to get my calls.

Was your last phone bill the only thing you had to provide? I have all my bills online so I'm curious how much of a bill they need. Also, is the $100 pre-paid or is that just the limit they set?

Thanks for your help ladies!

They only need the first page. Circle your name address and account number...and fax to the number that they provide you. The $100 is the limit that they give you. It is not pre-paid. But you can send them additional money so that you always have a credit...if you are able to:)

Be very careful!
MCI told me months ago to set up an account,which I did, because they weren't going to bill via my local service provider...well, not true.
I still receive bills through Verizon w/ MCI calls on them...the best is, they are for the SAME calls that I had previously paid online w/ the MCI corrections account. They are double billing.
Be aware, write down the dates, time and length of ALL phone calls so that you have some sort of reference.
I am now disputing the phone calls on my Verizon bill...Btw, the doofis from Verizon that I talked to swore up and down that there was no such thing as a corrections account w/ MCI and that MCI was still billing through them. I told him that was not true. He said that MCI has no such account set up. He was uninformed, to put it nicely.
Just be very careful and CYA.