Correctional Billing Services

Isadora · #1 07-30-2002, 01:11 AM

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of this company, Correctional Billing Services? This is what just happened to me! I returned from my vacation, right? And my husband was supposed to call me Sunday but he didn't; then I got a letter explaining why. He said he thought there was a block on my phone cause everytime he'd try to call he couldn't get through. So I checked it out and found indeed a block had been placed on my phone - get this - because I had exceeded my limit on my account with Correctional Billing Services. Needless to say I didn't even know that I had this account; and the silliest part of all was that I was overlimit by 85 cents and they still restricted my phone!! So after spending about an hour on the phone, I think it is finally straightened out. This is what I was told; in June the long distance company for my husband's prison was changed from Sprint to this Correctional Billing Services. Of course neither he nor I was ever informed of any of this. As a result of this change the new carrier gave me an account of $150 in phone charges from his prison; if I exceed this; a block is automatically placed on my phone!!! Doesn't matter if my phone bill is currently paid; which mine is, if the prison phone call charges are more than $150 this will happen. And they said something about they are 30 days behind the local phone company in billing, or vice versa, didn't really understand all this!!! Anyway, even though my phone bill is currently paid up I had to pay another $92 to get the restriction removed!!!! Because for some reason you have to pay the whole bill off before they will take the block off. You know if I was any more paranoid than I already am I might think they are seriously trying to make sure my husband and I have no way to communicate. First of all they took our visits for nothing, and now this. Unbelievable.:argh

vnvdvc · #2 07-30-2002, 07:27 AM

Just one more irritation for us! I have heard of this company in the course of a phone call I made to my long distance carrier. I was having problems getting a call through and the MCI operator couldn't find a problem. She even transferred me to a "high tolls department," something I'd never heard of, but I didn't have any flags with them. Her next suggestion was that maybe that company had taken over billing for the facility and she just wasn't showing it on her screen yet. I did find out they handle the local county jail here when I got the bill for a friend's emergency (we'll call it that) call at 3am. LOL

DJohnson · #3 07-30-2002, 09:16 AM

I have had the pleasure of dealing w/correctional billing services when EJ was in the county jail last year.

Isadora...do you have a phone # for correctional billing services? If not, let me do a little checking on my past bills & I will send you the #. You CAN up that limit if you set up an account w/them. I had that problem myself until I got my first phone bill w/the collect calls on it. I called the # for CBS & told them I wanted to up my limit to the highest they had. It worked for me although then I had me some HIGH phone bills...oh well at least I got to talk to my baby!!

take care!
DJ

Budwoman · #4 07-30-2002, 01:28 PM

ISADORA

OH HOW WELL I KNOW THIS VERY SAME SERVICE... MY SON HAS BEEN IN PRISON FOR 12 YEARS.... I HAVE HAD IT SET UP HERE AT MY WORK DURING THAT PERIOD, THAT HE COULD CALL ME COLLECT HERE AT WORK. I HAVE PAID MY COMPANY FOR ANY CHARGES.

AS OF 6 MONTHS AGO, MY LINE WAS BLOCKED. HE COULD NOT CALL COLLECT... I CALLED TO EVERCOM AND THEN I WAS PUT ON TO CORRECTIONAL BILLING SERVICE.. I FOUND OUT THAT I HAVE TO HAVE A CREDIT BALANCE IN A PREPAID ACCOUNT BEFORE HE CAN CALL. I KEEP SENDING CHECKS. I ONLY KNOW THE BALANCE, I NEVER RECEIVE A STATEMENT TO SHOW WHAT MY BALANCE IS. I HAVE TO CALL THEIR 1-800 NUMBER. SO I HAVE TO KEEP THAT INFO SO I WILL KNOW WHERE TO CALL... ALL BULL IF YOU ASK ME....

GOOD LUCK WITH THEM..... I SURE WISH WE COULD GET THIS SITUATION STRAIGHTENED OUT.... THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST GOUGEING SITUATIONS I HAVE EVER SEEN. I REALLY WISH I COULD FIND OUT HOW MUCH THE PRISONS ARE MAKING ON THESE CALL.S I AM VERY SURE THEY GET A COMMISSION.

DONNA

B-Ray · #5 07-30-2002, 03:35 PM

Donna, somewhere in PTO it's been said that DOC make millions off those collect calls (kick backs?). That's why an inmate CAN'T call a toll free number or use a prepaid phone card.

BillnDenise · #6 07-30-2002, 04:39 PM

I had the problem with Correctional Billing Services too when Billy was in the state jails. Everytime I turned around, they would block my phone. He was in state jails for a year before he was moved to the federal. I had paid out almost $3000 in that time. Some to Correctional Billing Services and to a couple other billing services. ARGH!!!

Thankfully he can pay for the calls now. WOOHOO!!!

DJohnson · #7 07-31-2002, 08:45 AM

Denise...UGH I shudder to think about how much I have had to pay on collect calls from EJ!! I am scared to add up all my bills for over a year now!!

You all may have to "revive" me after I do that or come to IL to visit me in the hospital!!

DJ

BillnDenise · #8 07-31-2002, 04:10 PM

Well, give me the directions and I'll visit you in the hospital. LOL It was scary to write out all those checks too. Sometimes $300 sometimes $700. Yuck!! Like I said--he can pay for them now. Actually I still am since I send him the money, but it's not a lot at a time.

vnvdvc · #9 07-31-2002, 06:08 PM

You guys should take a look at Pamela's new thread about Privatelines, Inc. It has an interesting little link! I printed the info off to send to my friend, too.

michelle · #10 07-31-2002, 08:45 PM

Isadora,
I have had the same thing happen to me back in May. I have this phone number for this place in Texas called inmate family phone services they give you a different number just for the loved ones use only and it cuts your phone bills in half and you have no set limit on your phone. Because when he don't call when he says he's going to I worry (I'm a worry wart anyway) so if you'd like this info. let me know.
Michelle

Isadora · #11 08-01-2002, 04:18 PM

Michelle, I would like that number, send me a PM please. Thanks, I didn't know you could up the limit on your account with Correctional Billing Services, I will call and check it out.

michelle · #12 08-01-2002, 05:01 PM

Hey, if anyone else would like these phone numbers, send me an e-mail or a PM and I'll be glad to give them to you.

Imconfused · #13 09-01-2002, 10:23 AM

I called correctional billing because... One day my brother called me "too much in a 24 hour time frame per Corr.Bill,They blocked my phone from calls even though I did NOT have a PAST DUE bill less alone ANY bill as a matter of fact they just cut me off, I owe 106.00.To date I am awaitng my phone bill in order to see what is being done, I called Corr. billing but they informed me to pay the bill THEN I could have their services, I explained NO ONE had even told me ANYTHING about a "limit" I have an 800.00 credit that I can use in one month but hahaha? I cant use it? Due to too many calls in a 24 hour period. It is MY money and I should be able to use it as I SEE FIT and NOT some Correctional billing. Bottom line? WHEN I pay the 106.00 THEN I can talk to my brother, But not in time before he is transfered to a State Pen

Good luck to anyone that has Correctional Billing

BillnDenise · #14 09-01-2002, 11:11 AM

I hated Correctional Billing. Thank goodness we don't have it now. Billy can pay for the calls himself.

Jeni · #15 09-01-2002, 05:28 PM

That is so wierd. Knock on wood, but I haven't had any problems with CBS in terms of my phone being blocked or anything like that. I just got my first phone bill from Ameritech since the prisons switched over to Sprint, and now I have a page for the Sprint calls. I have never had to pay up front, I just pay off the entire bill when I get it. But, I know that in order for my b/f's mom to beable to get calls from him, she had to pre pay. I have never had to do that. Maybe they just overlooked me? (yea I wish) So, who knows!