Why an 0800 Number is Great for Prisoners’ Partners
16 October 2024
If you have a loved one who’s been sentenced to prison for any length of time, it’s natural to be concerned about how you’re going to keep in touch.
Life can suddenly seem pretty empty for husbands, wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, and life partners without their nearest and dearest.
Although prisoners in the UK will always have means of communicating with the most important people in their lives, there are – understandably – some restrictions in place.
Prisoners will only have so much credit or call time they can use – under watchful gaze of the system they’re entering into.
But what if there was an option to make calling out of prison more convenient and more affordable – if not free – for loved ones who are incarcerated?
There is – and it’s all about 0800 numbers.
Why an 0800 number can help you keep in touch with imprisoned partners
As a spouse or significant other of someone who is serving time in prison, you can set up your own 0800 number that they can call to get routed straight through to your home phone or mobile, as you wish.
But why do this? The answer’s in the cost – as you might already know, any numbers beginning with 0800 are free to call, meaning that there’s no charge applied to anyone calling from inside prison.
That means your wife, husband, or other partner can call you any time and not have to worry about using up their money earned during their stay in prison.
Consider it extra peace of mind – your loved one will want to focus on getting rehabilitated and keeping in touch with the people that support them the most. Keeping this link will ensure they know there is always someone who loves them – and that there’s always a way to reach out even when they are restricted from wider society.
What are the costs involved?
Although prisoners won’t have to pay a penny to call you on your own 0800 line, there will always be some costs involved – those fall to you, as the line owner.
However, through PhoneStar, topping up and managing your line is always easy and affordable. We don’t apply any hidden costs or any exorbitant setup fees, meaning you can simply top up your account online whenever you’ve run out of credit for them to use.
Our service supports UK calls only at the time of writing – but look at the value you and your loved ones will get from the rates we charge!
A £10 top up, for example, will allow you and your partner to speak for almost two hours – that’s two hours of credit that they’ve saved, which they could instead use on provisions inside prison. It’s an extra weight off both your minds.
And, if you know you want to make sure there’s always enough credit there so your partner can call you at any time, you can simply log in and add as much as you want.
We believe in keeping costs as low and as convenient as possible for our customers. Chances are, you are already going through more than enough if your life partner is in prison – so why make things worse by relying on what little credit they’re likely to have while serving time?
How to set up your 0800 line for your partner
It’s easy to create a number that your partner can call simply by heading to the PhoneStar homepage.
Here, you’ll see that there’s a list of numbers with 0800 prefixes you can use to start routing calls through. Choose a number, then enter your own – this can be a mobile or a landline based in the UK, it’s up to you – and then activate.
As always, please make sure you read all the terms and conditions we supply to make sure you know what you’re entitled to and what restrictions might apply.
Once you have your 0800 number, you can then share this with your partner, and the next time they make a call out to you, they won’t have to eat into their weekly allowance. Simple!
But wait – is using an 0800 number legal for prisoner partners?
Yes – provided the prison your loved one is serving in allows for calls to be made to numbers with these prefixes.
Some institutions vary in terms of what’s covered within their communication policies. This is understandable – they want to avoid people from engaging in illegal activity any further!
However, for innocent calls such as those to friends and family, you will likely find most prisons are happy for inmates to dial out to 0800s.
In fact, there’s usually a list of 0800s that they’re approved to call. These can include legal services, for example, if prisoners want to speak to their solicitors regarding appeals or any concerns they might have regarding their treatment during their imprisonment.
In the interest of keeping things legal and clearly communicated, we advise you to speak carefully with the prison in question before going ahead and sharing 0800 numbers. Ideally, you want to make your partner’s stay as smooth as possible – and that means avoiding raising any red flags, even if your motives are innocent!
The upshot is your partner can talk to you for longer and save money on the things they need on the inside. That’s got to be some relief!
Get started with your own 0800 number
Waiting for your partner to serve time in prison can feel like an eternity. Therefore, it’s always important to keep in touch with them as much as possible.
At Phonestar, we want to keep people connected without passing judgment! Simply use our proxy service and create a line that still connects to your number, but which won’t cost your loved one the Earth when they want to get in touch.
Take a closer look at our services and what we do for more details – and reach out for help, of course, if you need us!
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