I have a loved one in prison here in Arizona, and I recently filled out the visitation forms and submitted them back to the visitation office I was required to. Apparently, I was approved for phone calls since he frequently calls me. I was going to make my first visit this weekend, but he thought I should check to make sure I had also been approved for visitation. I thought you had to be approved for visitation in order to receive calls?

I called the prison this morning, but was told to call back tomorrow to speak with a specific visitation officer.

Now I'm curious...anyone know the policy regarding visitation/phone calls?

I'm approved for phone calls...but not visits yet.... :) Good luck!!!

WOW! That was a quick response! Thanks for replying :-)

I noticed you're in Kansas? How long ago were you approved for calls? I just wonder if the state regulations are the same.

What prison are you going to? I am waiting on a friend of mine to get approved to visit my fiance and was told it is taking about 3 weeks to get the applications approved

I'm going to ASPC-Safford.

But, I did find out this morning that I have been approved. So, good news there! I can't wait for the visit. I havn't seen him in over 6 years!

It didn't even take a week for him to get my number on his list when I moved and got my phone back....I don't know about visitation though....

Congrats Aleah, I know you are excited it will be a great reunion

My bf is at FCI Tucson and it took me about a week to get on the phone list.

I sent in my application to visit about a week ago. My bf called me today saying that I should be approved by tonight or tomorrow according to his case worker. I hope he's right I want to visit him Asasp. So i don't think it should be that long for you to get accepted, hope its soon.

Hmmmm...I got my app in the first weekend of October and sent it in on the first Monday...I am already approved, but I filled out one app and I thought it was for both PHONE and VISITATION?

Hey, I have a question. My GF is going down to Perryville in about a week. I am a co-defendant in her case, but I'm going to get probation (hopefully standard). Do you think I'll still be able to visit her? I know they do background checks or whatever, but it's my first offense. Will it matter that I'm on probation or anything??

Thanks!

--Aeren--

I'm really not sure about that. I would still submit the application and just see what they say. I'm not sure if the rules for approval are "set in stone", or if it's the decision of some "board" somewhere for each individual case.

Good luck! I hope you get to see her! Let me know what the outcome is.

I got my first call from my penpal yesterday! 15 minutes was just too darn short to talk about so much!

An FYI for anyone who hasn't gotten their first call yet, I had HELL hearing the damn automated collect call response thingy--it played twice before I knew to press 1.

Wow! this is news to me. I didn't know we had to be approved to receive calls. How soon dose this take place. Do you have to be approved for mail too?

No, you don't have to be approved for mail.

After I sent the application back to the prison, it was about 30 days before I was approved for phone calls. He gets 4- 15 minute calls per week. He can make 4 calls back to back, or spread them out over the course of the week. They're ridiculously expensive too! Almost $7 per call. I think they were $6.89 each or something like that. It's insanity!!

You don't have to be approved for mail, but you do for the calls...it only took my app. two weeks to get approved, but I have a sparkly clean record and NO involvement with anything shady.

Aleah, was it $7 for each 15 minute call? I haven't got my bill yet, but I'm in NM and it might be more for out of state. If it is only $7, then he's gonna have to call me twice a month instead of once, haha:D

Yes....it was $7 for each 15 minute call ($6.89 I believe).

If you're out-of-state there might be a long distance fee tagged on there as well. I'm not too sure about that.

For out of state calls from my fiance when I was in MN ran about $15-18 a call ( to me, MORE than worth it) there's also a place on the ADOC site you can go to get on a program and get 15% off your bill for charges from a correctional facilities.

Cool guys, thanks for the info on the phone call rates! I'll be sure to come back and let ya'll know what my ONE 15 minute call added up to.

Approval take on an average about 4 weeks. They technically have 30 days to do the backround checks and approve you. If your loved one is in a private facility it is up to the inmate to inform you when you have been approved.

Aeren- As far as I know if you are on any kind of probation or parole or if you have been released within the past year from incarceration if is almost impossible to get approved. I have a brother who's fiance almost didn't get approved because of a restraining order put on her approx. 9 months before she applied for visitation. But thank God she got approved and they just got married on the 13th. Hooray for them.

Once again good luck to you all!

It took me 3 weeks to get approved for phone calls this last time around. To be approved for visits it seemd to take less time. Who knows why! lol I know for me being in California it seems to run about $15 for each call. It is very worth it to me as I know I'm the only one on the outside that he talks to.

When my sent me the info, to be approved it was for phone calls and visits. I'm out of state, and I will be going for my first visit on Xmas. My son will be out in March did his 5years. His phone calls to me were $25.00 for 15 minutes. I've had mail sent back for too much paper space and if you print something from the net you must write on the outside of envolope. They move them around alot though. Started in Tuson then Yuma now Safford.

I haven't had any problems with mail being returned. I often print things from the internet and send them, and they've never returned anything. What prison was it that was returning your mail?

I got my phone bill...One 15 minute call from AZ to NM was $17.98!!! At&t billed me separetely for the two calls I've received so far, totalling $43 with tax. THAT SUCKS!

I got my phone bill...One 15 minute call from AZ to NM was $17.98!!! At&t billed me separetely for the two calls I've received so far, totalling $43 with tax. THAT SUCKS!

For me, here in Phoenix, you had to be approved for phone and visitation at the same time. Anyone can send mail to a prisoner. My husband is allowed 3, 15 minute calls a week and they are just under $6.00 a piece. You can call visitation to find out about appoval, but you can't get an inmate's prison list on the internet.

I'm in Phoenix too. What prison is your loved one at?

Mine is at the ASPC-Safford