Contacting Consolidated Telephone Company

[Dazzler]

As each inmate enters the IDOC he/she is given the opportunity to submit a list of names for approval on a phone list.  These are the only persons that the IM will be allowed to call.  Each of these approved contacts must establish an account with Consolidated Communications, the telephone company that services Illinois Prisons.  The telephone number for Consolidated is 1-800-235-4416.  The IM is given a pin # for his phone contacts and enters it before each collect call that he makes.  This allows for and directs the billing to each account holder.  All calls are made collect - there is a standard connection charge and a per minute cost  depending on the distance of the call.  Before accepting the charges the callee may obtain the costs by recorded message.  Most calls are a maxiumum of 30 minutes in length.  The inmate may only update his phone list once each month.

Upon approval the IM's contacts must call Consolidated and establish an account.  The service varies depending on the phone service used, i.e. SBC, Comcast, etc.
Some companies allow Consolidated to collect payments for them and some do not.  If your phone service does not allow direct billing you may be billed by and pay directly to your Consolidated account.  Consolidated and your private phone carrier will set the monetary limits per month.  However, a credit card deposit or prepayment will allow you to exceed the pre-set limits.

A caution to those establishing accounts with Consolidated:  these calls can be very expensive.  Within Illinois the calls average about $10 per 30-minute call.  Outside Illinois the amounts skyrocket, usually starting at about $30 per call and upwards.  International call rates are outrageous.

Information needed by Consolidated to establish an account:  Name, address, phone number, phone service company, social security number, inmate's name, institution and IDOC #.

There's been some controversy lately regarding the use of cell phone accounts.  Consolidated has established accounts for cell phone numbers, ONLY if no home account is available.  However, the cell phone must have a credit billable account with a company and not a pre-pay cell number, i.e. when the user adds minutes at intervals of use.

The IDOC stresses that no call-waiting, call-forwarding or three-way calling features may be used during the duration of the call or it can be disconnected.

In addition, Consolidated is very quick to block calls for non-payment after billing due date.  They are also very slow at removing those blocks and calls between loved ones can sometimes be interrupted for long periods of time.  A previous deposit by credit card or cash is helpful in avoiding blocked calls.

A healthy amount of money collected by Consolidated is returned to the DOC.  This system is not very affordable for many families.  There is pending legislation to stop this practice of gouging inmate families in Illinois.  Details are available in the LAWS AND LEGISLATION FORUM.


http://www.consolidated.com/

[DGsluv4ever]

Just thought I would add that with a cell phone they give a spending limit (a $50/month limit in my case).  I haven't had any issues with them expects thats not very may calls a month (about 6)  >:(  But otherwise they have always had it so he could call the 1st of the next month.

[LaurieR]

About that $50.00 limit.  I paid them a $150.00 depost so that it would up my limit.  You get 50 + 150 = 200.00 limit now
When he gets out or I get sick of his phone calls or something dumb like that... I call them up and they give me back the 150.00 deposit.

Let me tell you Aaron uses every penny of that $200.00  -  I pay 200.00 a mo in phone calls.  That sucks!  But I love him and its worth it.  If he was going to be in for any longer length of time.... I'd be cutting him off but I can handle this for the time being.
Besides.... when he gets out... he is waxing my car and I am going to get hours and hours of back rubs.  So, I'll pay out the 200.00 LOL!

BTW... I think you can put any dollar amount as an extra deposit.  I just knew Aaron likes to talk and talk and talk. 

[LaurieR]

I know your not exactly in the states but how long on average does it take for you to get a letter to him and vice versa?

I know for me, I can send him a letter and he gets it in 3-5 days.  If he sends me one it takes about 6-10 days.

I understand the phone bills.  I am at the point that I might have to tell him to cut it down to 1-2 times a week.  He called me 3 times today alone.
 It sort of makes me mad because that 1st min is where they get ya. And his big thing is... " I won't keep you long"  Well, you made the call, that connection cost me more than a 20 min phone conversation.

Gotta love the system!

[LaurieR]

Oh let me tell ya, I know that delay!  I got a phone call from Aaron today all sad and bummed out because of a letter I sent last week.  We have had a few issues with a former GF and I wrote him explaining my point of view.  Well, the day after I mailed it... he called... and we talked it all out.  Everything was good.  He was happy now.  Well then he got my letter today @ 3:00 this afternoon.  Well he knew not to call me till after 8:00 so that I would be off work.  So he sat there all freaked out that there was a problem and that I was going to leave him.  5 hours in prison.... oh ya... he was FREAKING out!  LOL (thats bad to laugh)
So, we had to go thru the conversation all over again! 
I'm telling ya, something so small gets to be sooo big when you have to sit there and can't do anything about it.

But all is well and he can't wait to come home.  There BETTER not be a delay on that!!!!!

[Dazzler]

You need a hug - I sent it in your Karma  ;)

[Lissa]

I have not had any issues with Consolidated. I guess I am a lucky one.

[snowbunny]

Sis and I had a major issue  last week when she switched phone companies consolidated would not transfer ger over to self pay they said they would bill sbc which she no longer had we got it fixed and got to talk to baby bro finally last week
As for M i um gave him the wrong # here oops i had just gotten it when i visited that day and the guard taking him back to seg said i could give it to him and i was too hasty and wrote it wrong now it will be another month unless his counsler pushes it through

[Lissa]

At least u all are getting calls.

[bennysgirl]

 ?>

can anybody tell me how to get the telephone service so that i can talk to my man?  and can i do it on a cell phone?  im sorry, i know there's so many posts on this, but i really am confused.. any website or phone number? )(*

thank u all.

[Dazzler]

bennysgirl..if you go to the very first post in this thread I explained step by step how to set up service.  Consolidated is now allowing accounts on cell phones if you do not have a landline.  Their phone number is also in this post.

[TinkerBella]

I feel where your coming from. It's so hard to say no!I just accept and accept and you can't get mad at them cause we accept it. I pay $250 amonth in calls, and thentheres that damn service fee and taxes and bull shit of about $30. Plus the cost of your regular monthly bill so I look at at least $400. I'm dying over here.  But I need it as much as him! YEAH THEIR QUICK TO BLOCK YOU , BUT ONCE YOU PAY YOU HAVE TO HOUND THEM TO REMOVE all BLOCKS, CAUSE THERES WHAT THEY CALL "HIDDEN" BLOCKS :) This systems crazy >?)^%

[dancer]

I hit 9 to block my former fiance as I did not want him calling and leaving me "messages".  I thought it would just block him.  my foster son called a week later and I thought all was well.  well then I got a call from someone else saying I had a block on my phone.  Consolidated said it was on my local phone end.  I guess if you hit 9 it takes awhile to go on and can be done several different ways.  She told me to do  *77 I think.  when I found out that didn't do it,  they told me to do  * 80 and *87.  It depends on how the block was put on to start with. 

[downtownchicago]

This is pretty interesting ... I wonder how many of these work if you don't sign up for them specifically ...

http://www.jdbsound.com/work/starcodes.html

*60 Selective Call Rejection Activation
*80 Selective Call Rejection Deactivation

*64 Selective Call Acceptance Activation
*84 Selective Call Acceptance Deactivation

*77 Anonymous Call Rejection Activation
*87 Anonymous Call Rejection Deactivation

[dancer]

I have no idea how it works.  I just tried all three of them.  first two,  I got busy tones. The last one was a click like, and then dial tone.  thanks! that's interesting and I bet someone else will go through this exact thing.
oh my goodness.  This is the third day I have tried to get hold of Consolidated during day time hours. They say the block is still on,  at the local phone level. They still say if you block one inmate it only blocks him. however it's now been about three weeks!  I did ALL those star codes, several times.  I've been trying to get this block off for two weeks!
Well I guess it was because I didn't pay my phone bill on time.  Consolidated puts the block on, but the local company has to take it off.  yes she mentioned "hidden" because I did ask them to check two weeks go!  She said hitting star codes has nothing to do with it. 

[downtownchicago]

Interesting !!!  I'd had a Consolidated block one time because I went over my limit.  I haven't yet been late on a phone payment since accepting calls from my guy, but I"m sure it will happen some day.  :-)    So thanks for the info, even if you don't yet have all of the answers at least I'll have a clue what's going on !

[Surfborg]

I'm the lucky one.  My dad is so money conscience he wont call unless it's very very important.  There has never been a bill from consolidated that was over 10 bucks.  I misplaced the bill and the payment was late.  I called consolidated and got the bill paid over the phone and the block was lifted that day.  My dad called the next day.  I certainly can't complain about the phone.

[muah]

I never contacted or set up an account with consolidated.  However I have always gotten cals and it just comes on my sbc bill.  SHould I call them.  My boyfriend caled me from Stateville the other day and it went through fine.  Does SBC automatically accept them?

[downtownchicago]

I was always wondering if I even had to contact Consolidated since I have an AT&T (SBC) landline phone.  My Consolidated calls show up on my AT&T bill.

That's good to know, muah.

If you find yourself running over your limit (which is by default $200 I think for AT&T/SBC prople) and suffering blocks, I do know that you can contact Consolidated directly and make a payment over the phone with a credit card to raise the limit.

[muah]

I chatted with dazzler about this topic last night.  It seems that consolidated will bill you thru sbc/at&t, however only to a limit.  And if you go over that lmit is run the risk of being blocked.  I may have high hopes that I will not go over that limit, but you can never fully anticipate.  Dazzler suggested also setting up an account with consolidated, which is exactly what I plan to do. 
I must say it is convienant for me to just pay it in one lump with my phone bill, but the risk of getting blocked and go thru the hassle of getting unblocked is a deterent. 

Plus, I never want to be blocked from talking to the man I adore!  No chance of me taking a gamble on that!

have a great weekend everyone!! and stay safe in this snow!