HOW MUCH ARE THE CALLS COMMON PHONE RESPONSES COMMON PHONE RESPONSES OFFENDER TELEPHONE Rates (additional fees may apply) (continued) SYSTEM (OTS) Account Type Calls in Texas Calls outside “This number is not authorized.” (per minute) Texas (per “Your account has been suspended. The number you dialed has not been successfully ELIGIBILITY minute) Please try your call again later.” Offender access to the OTS shall be validated and Family and $0.26 $0.25 (Direct registered for you to call. Notify the owner of the Friends Ac- Bill) telephone number that they must register their num- You are on suspension or in transient status. When initiated by the telecommunications contractor based on the following eligibility requirements: counts $0.21 (F&F ber at www.TexasPrisonPhone.com or 866-806- your status is cleared, the phones will allow you to Prepaid) 7804. Send a mail insert (available from offender make calls again. Offender telephone company rep- Offenders classified as general population Levels Offender Tele- $0.23 $0.21 telephone company representatives) which provides resentatives are not able to answer questions about 1, 2, 3, or 4 or protective custody Level 1 shall be phone Account the instructions the family and friends must follow to suspensions. authorized to access the OTS. register to accept phone calls from you. Offenders in a psychiatric inpatient program or Developmental Disabilities Program shall be REFUNDS - Released Offenders allowed access to the OTS in accordance with the offender’s treatment plan. “I am sorry; I did not recognize your Upon release from incarceration an offender Eligible offenders in the infirmary shall have “Your enrollment does not exist.” voice.” may request a refund of any funds remaining access to the OTS. in his/her Offender Telephone Account. Your voice is not enrolled in the system. Complete OR an OTS Assistance Request Form asking to be en- “I am sorry your verification failed.” INELIGIBILITY The Texas Offender Telephone Account Re- rolled and put it in the mail box. An offender tele- You are not saying your name the same as when you fund Request form is available upon release phone company representative will arrive to enroll Offenders in transient status, prehearing deten- enrolled. If it continues, complete an OTS Assistance or once released from the following website: your voice. tion, solitary confinement, cell restriction, or spe- www.TexasPrisonPhone.com. Request Form asking to be re-enrolled and put it in cial cell restriction shall not be permitted access the mail box. An offender telephone company repre- to the OTS, regardless of custody designation. Requests for refunds will be processed no sentative will arrive to reenroll your voice. An offender’s access to the OTS may be sus- sooner than 90 days after release and must “That is not a valid TDCJ ID number.” pended if the offender is found guilty of a major be made within 12 months of release. disciplinary violation in accordance with the There is a $3.50 processing fee. The ID number you entered is not valid. The phones TDCJ Disciplinary Rules and Procedures for Offenders. need a full 8 digit TDCJ ID number. If your number “You do not have sufficient funds to con- is less than 8 digits, you must enter leading zeros in tinue this call. Please hang up, and try front of it. Example: If your number is 123456, enter OPERATION your call again at a later time.” 00123456 to make a call. OFFENDER REQUESTS The OTS shall be operational between the hours for ASSISTANCE The call could not go through because there is not of 7:00am and 10:00pm, seven days per week, enough funds in your Offender Telephone Account. with the exception of count time or any time day- room privileges are suspended due to a unit If you have problems with the offender “Your call was answered, but positive acceptance was not received from the emergency or lockdown. telephone system, complete a TDCJ Of- Offenders shall be permitted to call only landline fender Telephone System (OTS) - Assis- called party. Possibly indicating an an- “That number is restricted.” telephone and post-paid cell phone numbers swering machine.” within the continental United States and Hawaii. tance Request Form (usually a pink copy) and place it in the unit mail box. The of- The call could not go through because no one ac- The restriction is on the owner of the telephone num- All telephone calls placed using the OTS shall be fender telephone company will reply to cepted the call. ber not the offender. The owner of the telephone subject to monitoring and recording, except calls to the offender’s attorney(s) of record. your issue. Forms are available from unit number needs to contact Securus Correctional Bill- ing Services at 800-844-6591. An offender shall not be required to reenroll in staff or offender telephone company repre- the OTS when transferred to a new unit of as- sentatives. signment. October 13, 2014 TX011 GUIDELINES FAMILY and FRIENDS MUST WHEN YOU MAKE A CALL PAYING FOR YOUR CALLS Offenders shall conduct telephone conversations in an REGISTER TO RECEIVE YOUR CALLS - acceptable manner. Loud, boisterous conversations There are three payment options: 1. Pick up the handset; choose 1 for English or shall not be permitted. Offenders are prohibited from They can register a landline by going to the fol- 2 for Spanish and follow the prompts. COLLECT CALL (DIRECT BILL) – The person speaking in code, passing gang related information, lowing website: www.TexasPrisonPhone.com or you call accepts the charges when you call them. A Direct planning criminal activity, or using the telephone in 2. Press 1 for Collect Call or 2 for Debit Call. calling (866) 806-7804. Bill account for collect calls is automatically created for furtherance of criminal conduct. Threats, obscenities, 3. Enter your TDCJ ID #. (Enter all eight dig- your family and friends when they were approved to re- and other types of abusive language may result in its, including any zeroes at the beginning of ceive calls. The account will have an initial credit limit of immediate termination of the telephone call, suspen- They can register a Post-Paid cell phone at your TDCJ ID number. For example: $85 which will be increased to $200 after 90 days if the sion of future telephone privileges, and disciplinary www.TexasPrisonPhone.com/cellphone.asp or by 00123456). account is kept current and your family and friends have action. calling (866) 806-7804 and selecting options 1, 0 paid the invoice in full and on time. The offender will place 4. Enter the telephone number. Telephone a collect call and family and friends accept the charges. Unauthorized contact with a victim or a member of a and following the prompts. number validation occurs. Family and friends receive a monthly invoice. If your victim’s family by an offender is prohibited in accor- 5. Say your name exactly as you said it during family and friends reach their credit limit prior to the next dance with AD-04.82, “Forfeiture of Good Conduct In order to receive calls from an offender, the bill cycle, and have not made a payment on the account the Time for Contacting a Victim Without Authoriza- Texas Department of Criminal Justice requires that enrollment. Say “Texas Department of phone number is blocked. They need to simply contact tion.” Criminal Justice”. Voice recognition occurs. Securus Correctional Billing Services (SCBS) 800-844- your family and friends register and meet the fol- 6591 and make a payment and the line will be unblocked 6. You will be connected to the called party. The following types of calls and conversations will lowing requirements: and ready to receive calls. not be permitted: calls to pre-paid cell phones; calls 1. The name on the telephone service bill/listing If a Direct Bill account becomes past due, it is to businesses; international calls; forwarded calls; must match the name on the registrant's automatically converted to a Friends and Family three-way calls; conversations with any adult not on WHEN YOUR FAMILY and FRIENDS Prepaid account. the Approved Calling List; conversations where a driver's license or state identification card. ACCEPT THE CALL FROM YOU speakerphone is being used. 2. Family and friends must agree to the following FRIENDS and FAMILY (F&F) PREPAID – After your family and friends telephone number is regis- conditions: tered and validated, the person who owns the number can ANSWERING A CALL - OFFENDERS MUST fund their own prepaid account so they can receive calls. A Family and friends are the registered owner When family and friends answer a call from ENROLL YOUR VOICE - Voice Biometrics validates prepaid account ensures your family and friends are always of the phone that will receive calls from the TDCJ, remember... ready to receive your calls. Since your family and friends “you are who you say you are” before connecting a offender A computerized voice will tell them the call is pay before being called, there is never a disruption in ser- call. Your enrollment is supervised by an offender from TDCJ and ask them to respond to a few vice. Family and friends can request their Direct Bill ac- telephone company representative. If you do not co- Family and friends will allow offender calls count be converted to a prepaid account at any time. operate with the process, you will not have phone to their phone questions. privileges. To enroll: OFFENDER TELEPHONE ACCOUNT – Family and friends are at least 18 years old When you enroll your voice in the phone system an Of- 1. The enrollment representative matches your TDCJ AVOID BEING DISCONNECTED - identification card to the enrollment list.