Are jail calls free? In a handful of states they are, at least from state prisons, but most people calling or being called from a correctional facility in the United States still pay by the minute. Federal rules now cap audio calls between about $0.08 and $0.17 per minute and video calls between $0.17 and $0.42 per minute, depending on whether the facility is a prison or a jail and how many people it holds.
States Where Prison Calls Are Free
At least half a dozen states have passed laws making phone calls from state prisons free to both the caller and the recipient. These laws began rolling out in 2021 and have continued through 2025, with additional states joining in recent years. Some phased free calling in gradually; others switched all at once.
The laws typically bar the state corrections department from collecting any revenue from phone service, including the commissions that providers historically paid facilities for exclusive contracts. Coverage usually extends to state prisons and state-run youth detention facilities. County and city jails are a different story: even in a state with free prison calls, the local jail down the road may still charge. If a family member is in state custody, check the department of corrections website. For anyone in a county or municipal jail, confirm the policy with the specific facility.
Federal Caps on Per-Minute Rates
Where calls aren’t free, the FCC sets the ceiling under the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, signed into law in January 2023.1Federal Communications Commission. Congress Enacts Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 Before federal rate regulation, a single 15-minute call from some local jails ran more than $24. The current caps, updated in December 2025, vary with facility type and average daily population.2eCFR. 47 CFR 64.6030 Incarcerated Peoples Communications Services Interim Rate Caps
Audio Call Caps
Per-minute maximums for audio calls:2eCFR. 47 CFR 64.6030 Incarcerated Peoples Communications Services Interim Rate Caps
- Prisons, any size: $0.09
- Large jails, 1,000 or more average daily population: $0.08
- Medium jails, 350 to 999: $0.10
- Small jails, 100 to 349: $0.11
- Very small jails, 50 to 99: $0.13
- Extremely small jails, under 50: $0.17
Video Call Caps
Video calls run higher because of the equipment and bandwidth involved:2eCFR. 47 CFR 64.6030 Incarcerated Peoples Communications Services Interim Rate Caps
- Prisons: $0.23 per minute
- Large jails, 1,000 or more: $0.17
- Medium jails, 350 to 999: $0.17
- Small jails, 100 to 349: $0.19
- Very small jails, 50 to 99: $0.23
- Extremely small jails, under 50: $0.42
Providers may add up to $0.02 per minute as a facility cost recovery charge on top of these caps, so the true ceiling sits slightly above the posted rate.2eCFR. 47 CFR 64.6030 Incarcerated Peoples Communications Services Interim Rate Caps
Charges That Aren’t in the Per-Minute Rate
The minute rate isn’t the whole bill. A collect call taken without a permanent account can trigger a single-call service fee on top of the usage charge. Under earlier FCC rules, these fees were capped at $3.00 through an automated system and $5.95 when a live agent handled the transaction.3Federal Register. Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services Setting up a prepaid account instead of accepting ad hoc collect calls eliminates these surcharges.
Funding an account carries its own fees. Credit and debit card deposits through a provider’s website or phone system typically cost a few dollars per transaction. Money orders and lobby kiosks have different fee structures. The cheapest funding method isn’t always obvious, and comparing options before the first deposit can save real money over time.
International calls are permitted at many facilities but cost more. The maximum rate is the applicable domestic cap plus the average amount the provider actually pays its underlying international carrier to reach that country.4Federal Register. Incarcerated Peoples Communication Services Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services The total varies by destination and changes quarterly. Some facilities limit international calling to certain countries or require separate approval.
Ways Calls Get Billed
Each facility contracts with a single phone provider, and the provider offers one or more of the following arrangements.
Collect calls. The person answering agrees to accept charges, which are billed to their phone line, often through a third-party billing company. Collect tends to be the most expensive route because of the added billing layers. If calls come in regularly, almost any other option is cheaper.
Prepaid accounts. Someone outside deposits money into an account tied to their own phone number. When the incarcerated person calls that number, the balance is drawn down. This is the standard setup for most families and gives the person outside control over how much is spent.
Debit accounts. Money sits in an account tied to the incarcerated person, funded either by family deposits or by transfers from their commissary or trust account. The person inside draws from the balance when calling any approved number. Debit accounts are common where prepaid options for outside contacts aren’t offered.
Video calls are billed per minute under the higher video caps. Some facilities have replaced in-person visitation with video entirely, which turns what used to be an optional convenience into a recurring expense.
Protecting a Prepaid Balance
Prepaid accounts come with a trap that catches many families: if the account sits unused long enough, the provider can forfeit the remaining balance. Timelines vary widely, from as little as 60 to 90 days of inactivity to as long as 12 months. Some providers charge a refund processing fee that eats into small balances, and some refuse to refund amounts below a minimum.
When the incarcerated person is released, transferred to another facility, or simply stops needing the account, request a refund right away. Waiting past the inactivity window often means losing whatever is left. Keep records of deposits and check the balance periodically, even during quiet stretches.
Free Access for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Callers
Federal rules require correctional phone providers to give incarcerated people access to Telecommunications Relay Service for callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability. Standard TRS calls must be provided at no charge to either party. Video relay calls aren’t free but are capped at the same rate as a voice call of equal duration from the same facility. TTY-to-TTY calls, which take roughly four times longer than a voice conversation to convey the same information, are capped at 25 percent of the standard audio rate.5eCFR. Subpart FF Incarcerated Peoples Communications Services These rules apply unless the facility has specifically prohibited relay access, which is rare.
Why Calls Used to Cost So Much
Most of the historical price inflation came from site commissions, payments that phone providers made to correctional facilities in exchange for exclusive contracts. Commissions once accounted for roughly a third of what families paid per call and, at some facilities, more than 70 percent.6Federal Register. Incarcerated Peoples Communication Services Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services The FCC now bans site commissions and also prohibits ancillary fees that providers used to tack onto bills, closing two of the biggest loopholes that kept prices high through earlier rounds of regulation.