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The system allows correctional staff to monitor and record prisoner
telephone calls to assist in controlling illegal or non-approved telephone
activities such as phone scams, threatening calls to victims and witnesses,
and efforts to introduce contraband into correctional facilities. The
Department does not monitor or record conversations between prisoners
and their attorneys and has entered all numbers from the state attorney
directory into the system to restrict monitoring and recording of these
numbers. The Department needs the assistance of Alaskan attorneys to keep
this listing current. Attorneys that change telephone numbers or add new
numbers should telephone Correctional Billing Services at (888) 678-5668
advising of any such changes. You can also visit
Correctional Billing Services
website.
Local calls are free. All long distance calls must be placed
collect. Charges for collect calls vary depending on location in and out
of the State of Alaska. Distance from the calling location can also
affect the cost of the telephone call.
Collect calls go on the recipient's regular phone bill in areas
in which Evercom can execute a billing agreement with the local telephone
company. Due to technology issues, many local Alaskan telephone exchanges
are not able to provide Evercom with billing services. Persons in these
areas who wish to receive collect calls from Alaska prisoners must set up
a billing account with Evercom and make advance payment for the amount of
time he or she wishes to speak with the prisoner. To set up an account,
Correctional Billing Services
(Evercom) should be contacted on its toll-free number 888-678-5668 during
its hours of operation of 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM Alaska
time.
Sometimes during a call to a prisoner a person exceeds the amount
of time he or she has made advance payment for. If that occurs, Evercom does
not simply cut off the call but allows it to be completed and carries
over the charge to be deducted from the next prepayment made.
Below is an explanation of common reasons prisoners are not able
to make collect calls to some telephone numbers.
Local Exchange Block. In these cases, Evercom
has placed a block on the number the prisoner wants to call because no
billing account has been set up for that number. Evercom should be contacted
and an account set up.
High Toll Block. In these cases, Evercom has
placed a block on the number the prisoner wants to call because a large
number of collect charges have accrued. In order to control the size of
unpaid collect charges, Evercom places a limit on the amount of unpaid
charges. Evercom should be contacted and arrangements made to remove the
block by paying for the charges. The way to avoid this in the future is
to prepay for a larger amount of time.
Answering Machine Deny. The system will not
permit a call to go through to an answering machine.
Collect Call Restriction. Some Alaskans do
not allow collect calls to be made to their telephones and have asked
their local telephone company to restrict all collect calls.
Pin Block on Site. These prisoners have been
restricted from calling a particular number.
3rd Party and Call Forwarding. Many Alaskans
have extra options on their telephones such as 3rd party calling and call
forwarding. Use of, or access to, these types of options is not allowed
by Alaska prisoners. When use of these is found, the telephone number
will be blocked permanently.
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