Phone calls from Harris County Jail - Texas

[murmurkibbies]

My husband is in Harris County Jail at 1200 Baker St.

Does anyone know how often they are allowed to make phone calls? I sent a letter telling him where he could call me collect that should have arrived yesterday, and I'm still waiting by the phone....

[murmurkibbies]

I would also love to know if there's any limitation on the paper, stamps, and envelopes they're provided to write to people with... I'm also eagerly waiting by my mailbox.

[key jo]

Most counties have phones available during certain hours of the day and the inmate can call as many times as the person will accept. I don't know specifically if that is how Harris does it.

Second, you may have sent your letter express mail but it doesn't mean he received it the same day. I sent a letter next day, one time, and I will never do it again. It took my husband 5 days to get the letter. The express mail is like a signal to the mailroom it's important to us so they better hold on to it a few days before delivering.

Hope he calls you soon.

[RobinsMan]

Mail might be a little slow so he may not know yet but phone access is very problematic in Harris County jail. Inmates damage phones and they do not get repaired. Inmates will damage a phone to keep someone else from using it. Trying to state it gently, the predominant race will keep those of another race from using the phone if one or more decide that it's part of their attitude to do so even if they have no desire or ability to make a call themselves. Just to be able to control the access. So access to a working phone may not always happen. It depends on the mix of folks in the tank.

[txsfmhstn]

Have you set up a phone account for him to be able to call you? I had to call and set up an account and put money down for my son to be able to call home. They can call as much as they want to providing you have money on that account you set up, not sure what time it starts but they can make calls up until 10 pm at most of them. If you call tomorrow it takes about 48 hours to set it up, the weekends and holidays don't count, so it would be Wensday or longer before he could call you. You might want to go and see him during visiting hours.

[RobinsMan]

T-Netix number is 1-888-292-6628 for prepaid acounts for Harris county jail.

[murmurkibbies]

Do I HAVE to set up an account like this? Can he not just call a 1-800-collect type number from the jail?

[RobinsMan]

I don't know about being able to call 1-800 collect. You do not have to set up a prepaid account to receive collect calls but know that the company operating the phones and/or the phone company will limit the amount of collect charges within a given amount of time and if that limit is reached they place a block on any further calls for some time or until the bill is paid. If you only talk a little bit then that is fine. If you want to be able to talk regularly then a prepaid account is best. Now, as far as the 1-800 collect ability, I'd like to know myself.

[key jo]

I know in Tarrant your phone has to be able to accept collect calls but not only does it have to be cleared with the phone company but also through the AT&T prison collect call people. (not sure of the department name)

[txsfmhstn]

Originally Posted by RobinsMan

I don't know about being able to call 1-800 collect. You do not have to set up a prepaid account to receive collect calls but know that the company operating the phones and/or the phone company will limit the amount of collect charges within a given amount of time and if that limit is reached they place a block on any further calls for some time or until the bill is paid. If you only talk a little bit then that is fine. If you want to be able to talk regularly then a prepaid account is best. Now, as far as the 1-800 collect ability, I'd like to know myself.

I had to set up an account for my son to be able to call home. Otherwise he couldn't call home. I went to visit him also and he was telling me that he was getting a recording saying that our number wasn't accepting collect calls and they were not blocked.

[txsfmhstn]

Originally Posted by murmurkibbies

Do I HAVE to set up an account like this? Can he not just call a 1-800-collect type number from the jail?

My son did that also and it wouldn't go thru either.

[txsfmhstn]

I just called T-Netix and the person I talked to said that most of the Harris County Jails now require a prepaid account for the inmates to call home. So call them and see what they tell you if you need to open an account or they will tell you what you need to do for him to be able to call home.

[RobinsMan]

Prepaid accounts will always be a better way to go since they are usually cheaper, if not by much. By the way, my cousin was able to call me collect on my (local) home and cell phone from Harris county jail with no prepaid account set up as recent as early October of last year. He was also making collect long distane calls at the same time to my numbers in Montgomery County. All of this could have changed since then. I also see where T-netix has a 1-800 type service through a subsidiary company but I haven't called for rates.

[txsfmhstn]

My son was in the county Nov 14th til Dec 14th last year at 701 N San Jacinto. So that may explain it. For the first time that I can remember they actually gave him his free phone call then, I asked him then when did they start doing that because before I had to pay for each phone call he made to me.

[RobinsMan]

Well, by last year, I mean 2006. Less than six months ago. He was at 1200 Baker Street and was able to make both local and long distance collect calls before I set up the prepaid accounts. I never set up a prepaid account for my cell phone since it was local and he was always able to call it.