Introduction to Synergy Phones
You can get in touch with your inmate by phone in one of two ways:
- The first way is to set up an account in advance, so you can receive calls.
- Or you can wait until you receive your first phone call from an inmate and deposit funds when prompted to continue the call. Then you can set up an account later, after the call.
The easiest way to set up an account is to do it in advance at https://shop.inmatephones.ca/shop/. You can also set up an account in advance by calling Customer Service at 1-866-713-4761 (or 844-369-7776 for British Columbia facilities).
Follow these steps to set up your account in advance:
- Go to https://shop.inmatephones.ca/shop/
- Click your facility in the list below the map.
- For payment service, click Offender Phone Calls.
- Enter the inmate number (or booking number) of your resident. If you do not know it, or if there are more than one residents you want to contact, you can click “Deposit money for all calls to your number.”
- Complete the prompts.
- If you want the inmate to call only you, deposit funds into a Friends and Family Account. Just enter the phone number you’d like to use. You can check your balance at anytime by calling Customer Service.
- If you want the inmate to be able to call anyone else, deposit funds into an Inmate Account. This allows the inmate to control their funds, and the ability to call any approved contact. If you want to know what the inmate’s account balance is, call Customer Service (1-866-713-4761 (or 844-369-7776 for British Columbia facilities)) and leave a voicemail message for the inmate asking them to call you back with that information.
- Once you make a deposit, all the inmate needs to do is check their voicemail, and once they know you’ve made a deposit, then they can call you. Your deposit is immediately available for the inmate to use.
What to do when an inmate calls:
- If you haven’t set up an account when you receive a call, you’ll be asked to provide credit card information to continue the call. Afterwards, you can go to https://shop.inmatephones.ca/shop/ and create your account.
More information:
- You can also leave a voicemail for your inmate by using a landline phone to call Customer Service. The next time your inmate picks up the phone, they’ll hear your voicemail.
- If you make a deposit that’s over $50, you’ll receive free voicemails that you can use for up to 60 days after your purchase.
- If your inmate is transferred to another facility that uses the Synergy phone system, the funds on your account can still be used.