Washington Department of Corrections

Current security rules require that all calls are recorded, can be monitored and must carry an announcement that the call is from an offender, UNLESS they are legal calls to bona fide attorneys registered with the Washington Bar Association.

• There is a 20-minute telephone call time limit. Both parties will hear a message at three intervals that tells them how much time remains (2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds). After 20 minutes, the telephone call will automatically disconnect.
• Calls from offenders must be collect or be pre-paid by a friend or family member.

Telephone Service Provider

Value Added Communications (VAC) is the Washington State inmate telephone service provider.

A VAC V-Direct Account, once established, allows the offender to call any phone number that is on his or her Personal Allowed Number (PAN) list.  V-Direct accounts can be established by calling 866-669-9975 or by accessing www.debitcalls.com. 

Pre-Paid Telephone Calls With AdvancePay Service

• Value Added Communications (VAC), allows an Advance Pay service for those who no longer can receive a traditional collect call. This discount service is currently offered to customers receiving calls from inmates at Washington Department of Corrections Institutions. The program allows customers the ability to setup a pre-paid account and receive calls at a discounted rate, in most cases.
• A Value Added Communications (VAC) Advance Pay Account, once established, allows the offender to only call the individual who placed funds on the account. Advance Pay accounts can be established by calling 800-913-6097 or accessing www.myvconnect.com.

Call Charges (excluding taxes and applicable fees)

Collect (calls paid for by the called party which show up on a phone bill):

• In-state Collect Calls: $3.50 – flat rate per Completed Collect Call.
• Interstate Collect Call:  $4.95 setup fee + $0.89 per minute per Completed Collect Call.

AdvancePay (discounted call rates, calls pre-paid by the called party)

• In-state Collect Calls: $3.15 – flat rate per Completed Collect Call.
• Interstate Collect Call:  $4.95 setup fee + $0.89 per minute per Completed Prepaid Call.

Createing an ADVANCEPAY ACCOUNT

• To establish an Advance Pay account, a minimum payment of $25.00, up to a maximum payment of $100.00, must be made via credit card.
• To setup an Advance Pay account or to add money to an existing Advance Pay account please call 1-800-913-6097 or go towww.myvconnect.com to setup, fund and manage your own personal account.   Other forms of payment that are accepted include: cashier’s check, money order or Money Gram’s.
• There will be a $7.95 transaction fee applied for all credit card and Money Gram deposits. 
• Other government fees and taxes may also apply
• Checks and money orders will be processed with no transaction fee and can be mailed to:

VAC 
Department 2430,  
PO Box 122430, Dallas, Texas 75312-2430

The checks or money order must include the following information:

• Area code & phone number
• Name of DOC Facility
• Website: www.myvconnect.com

• When funds on a pre-paid account are low, an automated system will contact customers with the option to add more money to the account. All transactions occur in real time.

• When an inmate places a call to a number set up as a pre-paid account, funds are deducted from the account as soon as the call is complete.

List of cautions to help avoid disconnection during phone call:

• Don’t attempt a 3-way call
• Don’t try to transfer the call
• Don’t put the inmate on hold
• Don’t use or answer “call waiting”
• Don’t use a cordless phone
• Don’t press numbers on the touch tone pad during the call
• Don’t stop the conversation for any length of time, even short pauses may result in a disconnect
• VAC encourages households that accept calls from incarcerated offenders to have at least one land line in your residence.

http://www.doc.wa.gov/family/telephonedetail.asp.