Men's Central Jail Inmate Phone & Email

Men's Central Jail

Address:
441 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone:
213-974-4082

Receiving Phone Calls from an Inmate in Men's Central Jail

There are three Ways to Communicate with an Inmate in the Men's Central Jail by Phone

To get started you must first open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

• Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
• Pin Debit  -  This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
• Voicemail  -  You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for Men's Central Jail, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

How to deposit money for Inmate Communications:

• Online
• By phone by calling 877-650-4249
• Deposit by cash, visa or mc debit and credit cards in the Men's Central Jail lobby kiosk
• By mail... Check or Money Order made out to:
  AdvancePay Service Department
  P.O. Box 911722
  Denver, CO 80291-1722
• Cash deposits to ConnectNetwork are also available at 26,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, ACE, Kmart, Kroger, and more. You’ll start the payment process online in your ConnectNetwork account, then complete your transaction with cash at a participating local retail store. Plus, many of these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find a retail store near you.

How to get phone Calls from your inmate at Men's Central Jail

** REMINDER: You cannot call your inmate. They have to phone you.

PRE-PAYING

Using GTL you have the option of either:
- pre-paying directly into your inmate's account where they decide who to call, or
- pre-paying, where you control all phone costs and all calls come only to you.

Prepaid Option #1
If you deposit money online in the INMATE ACCOUNT, than they have the freedom to spend the money on phone calls to anyone, or any other communications services available at Men's Central Jail.

Prepaid Option #2
With the FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT, you control all communication services such as phone calls, video visits and messaging. Your inmate can only call the phone number you want.

Does the Men's Central Jail allow email communication with Inmates?

No.

As of January 2023, LA County Jails do not yet contract with a service that allows email or messaging services. 

A growing number of jails now offer email services to inmates and their families.

• This can save you time by letting you view your email from your smart phone, computer, or tablet, whenever you wish. 
• You don't have to deal with envelopes, stamps or the post office.
• Inmates like it because the emails eliminate delays so they can get your correspondence quickly and send responses immediately.
• Jail staffs like it as it eliminates concerns about contraband entering the facility in envelopes and on paper. It also allows the jail to have an electronic record that can be called upon at any time.

Anything you or your inmate writes in an email service is put through a filtering program that looks for certain words related to criminal and/or gang activities. There have been multiple cases in which emails between inmates and their friends or loved ones have been used as evidence in criminal court cases to convict them or to file new charges.

What are the most important things to know about phone calls with Inmates

If you were unable to find the information you were looking for on this page, call GTL Connect Network at 877-650-4249 and ask their policies on getting phone calls from your inmate at Men's Central Jail.

You can contact GTL online by using this online form to ask a question.

• The Men's Central Jail will sometimes restrict the amount of time that an inmate can use the phone by placing daily and monthly limits, so try to pace yourself and not use up all your time at the beginning of the month.
• Often a unit will limit an inmate's phone time to certain hours of the day, so it is important you keep a regular schedule that works for both you and your inmate.
• If your inmate does not call you during the time you both have scheduled, don't panic. There are often long lines for phone use. When a jail is on lockdown due to a fight or other security issue they do not allow the phones to be used.

Things you need to understand about Inmate Phone Calling

• Phones are the only way for an inmate to hear your voice and temporarily 'escape' the loneliness of incarceration, so use your time well. Arguing about anything will leave you both feeling empty and guilty, so avoid it at all costs.
• All phone conversations are recorded. Whatever either of you say can and will be used against your inmate in court.
• Never discuss their pending criminal case! Even if you and your inmate believe that your 'coded' coversation will not be understood, or if you speak in another language thinking the jail staff will not understand, don't do it. The staff that monitors your recorded calls has heard it all... you are not fooling them... and you may find your conversation being used as evidence in their case... or even yours!
• Also, be warned that some phone providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.