Is a Local Number the Cheapest Way to Call a Texas Jail?

A 214 number is a Dallas area code, and Wilmer sits just south of Dallas in Dallas County, so it feels like the logical choice. Local should mean cheaper. In the prison phone world, that assumption will cost you money.

With Securus, which holds contracts across Texas facilities, including Dallas County, all in-state numbers are actually more expensive than out-of-state numbers. That is not a typo. It runs counter to everything you would expect, but it is how Securus structures its Texas pricing. A 214, a 972, a 713, any Texas area code, will cost you more per call than a number with an out-of-state area code routing to the same facility.

InmateAid's phone line works by giving you a number that brings the per-call cost down by routing through a lower rate tier. For Texas Securus facilities specifically, that means an out-of-state number is what you want, and InmateAid can set that up for you. The inmate dials the InmateAid number instead of your direct number, and the savings show up immediately on their account balance.

If you are calling your daughter regularly, the difference adds up faster than you might expect. It is worth switching sooner rather than later.