You can’t call an inmate who is incarcerated at a Colorado correctional facility, but they do have access to phones and can call you. The Colorado Department of Corrections uses the Colorado Inmate Phone System (CIPS), and you must set up an account to receive calls from an inmate.
There are two ways to set up an account:
When you set up an account at ConnectNetwork, you will have the option of using the AdvancePay service, Pin Debit, or Trust Fund.
AdvancePay
AdvancePay allows you to set up an account and deposit funds for collect calls. Once you set up an account, you can deposit funds online, with their app, or over the phone, and this allows an inmate to call you using those deposited funds.
You can even set up multiple AdvancePay accounts if you have inmates in separate facilities and wish to have calls directed to different phone numbers.
As long as you have a balance for at least a one-minute call in your account, you can receive a call at any time.
To ensure you don’t miss any calls, you can sign up to be notified via text messages when your balance is low, or sign up for AutoReload to automatically replenish your account.
Some of the features include:
Once you establish an account—which becomes active as soon as you fund it—you can receive calls from an inmate. You always have the option to accept or reject a call and the value of each completed call is immediately deducted from your account.
Refunds are available if the inmate who calls you is released, or you no longer need an AdvancePay account.
Pin Debit
Inmates with PIN Debit prepaid phone accounts can pay for their own phone calls, and call any phone numbers allowed by their facility. Many facilities allow friends and family to make deposits directly into the inmate’s PIN Debit account. Inmates can also fund this phone account from their commissary/trust account.
Unused funds in a PIN Debit account are refunded upon release, but otherwise cannot be used for any other purpose than paying for phone calls.
The features of Pin Debit include:
To fund an inmate’s PIN Debit account, you’ll first need to create a ConnectNetwork account. During that process, you’ll be asked to select a facility and add an inmate for whom you wish to make a deposit. Once you have set this up, you’ll be able to begin making deposits. Please remember that money deposited becomes the inmate’s property.
Trust Fund
The Trust Fund service allows you to deposit money directly into an inmate’s commissary account. The inmate can then use those funds, just like cash, to make a variety of purchases at their facility’s commissary or to make phone calls.
After creating a ConnectNetwork account and selecting a facility and inmate to add to your account, you can deposit money into his or her Trust Fund (commissary) account at any time. Deposit amounts vary, but the most common denominations are between $10 and $100. All funds appear on the inmate’s account quickly, efficiently, and accurately.
Rates for phone calls
Rates for calls from an inmate in Colorado are:
For more details and information, visit the ConnectNetwork website.