Phone Calls- Are Local Calls Free for them to call out to?

[Happyfeete]

Im trying to set up a way to get calls reasonably priced from my man and wondered if they are allowed to make local calls free. And Im wondering if you can use Vonage phone service thru the internet, because it allows you to select any area code to make the phone call local for the person who is calling you.

If this is allowed, Vonage is only like $24.99 a month and you can choose a local number for them to call and it still dials to your phone number. Sounds too good to be true they would allow it, but, has anyone checked it out yet?

Also, they can make calls out with prepaid calling cards rather than the collect calls? Im checking out cheap long distance carriers and found some with really cheap calling card per minute charges and no hook up fees.

Anyone? help, and thanks

[Mozzer]

There's no such thing as free calls (even local) because ALL calls must be COLLECT, no exceptions. My friend just got in a few months ago & my phone bill was 300.00 last month. County (Maricopa) jail collect calls are cheaper but last only 10 mins. Prison collect calls vary depending on which billing service that prison goes with. I have Cox here in Phoenix, but the prison my friend is at uses a company called "Correctional Billing Services" & they bill the collect call charges to Cox & it appears on my Cox bill each month...but they have a 300.00 per month spending limit. C.B.S. charges about 6.50 (not exact, but close) for 15 mins. When you get the collect call don't listen to the recording when it says "to find out how much this call cost" because it's wrong...for me atleast...because that recording tells you this call is 1.00 per minute...but it really is not. Believe me because I was expecting a HUGE phone bill last month & when I saw it was only 300.00 I was so f'n relieved. Oh, I'm sure you already know this...but you DON"T have to be approved for inmates to call collect from county (Maricopa) jails, but you DO have to be approved & your home phone number must be on the inmates approved visitation list before the inmate can start placing collect calls from prison. Sorry so long, but this whole process is time consuming & expensive sometimes. Good luck.

[arriana]

local calls are not free but they are way cheaper then long distance
to the best of my knowledge vonage doesnt accept collect calls and all prison calls from az STATE prison are collect calls... some say that you can get an adapter for vonage but I have not heard of it being successful.. but it is not from personal experience..
there are third party companies that can set up a local number.. and that saves a ton.. pco is one of them..
state prison do not allow calling cards ...

[Marc.PHX]

Confirmed. Vonage cant get collect calls. I just switched from Vonage to Qwest.

Thanks Mozzer & arriana for that other info. Every little bit helps as I am still some what new to all this.

[HoldingHimClose]

YAY! Thanks for the Vonage info. I am looking into that right now!

[HoldingHimClose]

With Vonage...do I have to change my home phone service to them?