How to Call an Inmate in New Jersey

The New Jersey Department of Corrections uses GTL for inmate phone services. For more information or to set up an account, please visit the GTL Web site at http://www.gtl.net/

The rate for inmate calls is $0.04384 per minute. All calls are subject to recording and/or monitoring, except for legal, AIDS hotline, and Ombudsman calls.

Inmates have an approved calling list of 10 telephone numbers, excluding any legal telephone numbers. For security reasons, calls to business or non-traditional telephone service numbers are not permitted.

Types of Calls

You have two options when it comes to receiving a call from an inmate: Collect calling (where the called party pays for the call) and Debit calling (where inmate pays for the call).

Types of Billing

Collect: the called party has a contracted telephone company (e.g. Verizon) and can accept collect calls up to the threshold limits.

Advance pay: where the called party sets up an account with GTL (because he or she is not authorized to receive collect calls or have blocks on his or her lines).

Debit: for inmates to purchase calling time by submitting a business remit to the business office at their assigned facility.

Thresholds

GTL imposes daily and monthly collect call thresholds. The month begins on the day the called party accepted the first call from an inmate. Once a customer has met his or her threshold limit, the number then becomes blocked. The customer can contact GTL to set up an Advance Pay Account and/or the inmate can choose to use his or her debit account to place a call.

Threshold limits are as follows:

$35.00 per day

$200.00 per month

Billing Contact

You should contact GTL if there is a problem with your advance pay account; if there is a block on your line; or if you want to set up an advance pay account. The following are GTL telephone numbers:

• 1-800-483-8314 automated system
• 1-866-230-7761 live representative
• 1-877-650-4249 billing & blocking

Blocks

To block calls from an inmate in New Jersey please dial 1.866.230.7761 and follow the listed instructions. To unblock a number that’s been accidentally blocked please send a written request to the attention of the NJDOC Telecommunications Office. 

Correspondence must include the inmate name, SBI, and your telephone number, name, and address. You can also reach out to the NJDOC Telecommunications Office to request a statewide block. 

Inmates can change their approved calling list every 90 days; 90-day change schedules are as follows:

FACILITY CHANGE PERIODS:

• Southern State                                    Jan 1, April 1, July 1, Oct 1
• South Woods                                      Jan 15, April 15, July 15, Oct 15
• East Jersey                                         Jan 15, April 15, July 15, Oct 15
• Garden State                                      Feb 1, May 1, Aug 1, Nov 1
• NJ State Prison                                 Feb 1, May 1, Aug 1, Nov 1
• Central Reception                            Feb 15, May 15, Aug 15, Nov 15
• Northern State                                  Feb 15, May 15, Aug 15, Nov 15
• Mountain View                                 Feb 15, May 15, Aug 15, Nov 15
• Mid State                                           March 1, June 1, Sept 1, Dec 1
• Wagner                                              March 1, June 1, Sept 1, Dec 1
• Avenel                                                March 1, June 1, Sept 1, Dec 1
• Bayside State                                    March 15, June 15, Sept 15, Dec15
• Edna Mahan                                     March 15, June 15, Sept 15, Dec15

The collection period is seven calendar days. All forms are distributed one day prior to the collection period. If the collection period falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the forms are distributed on Friday.