Cumberland County Detention Center Phone Calls

How Phone Calls Work

Phone calls at Cumberland County Detention Center are outbound only. The person inside uses a jail phone, places the call through the GTL system, and the call connects to your number. You cannot dial in to reach them directly.

When the call comes in, you will hear a recorded message identifying it as a call from Cumberland County Detention Center. You will be given the option to accept or decline. There is no charge unless you accept.

Each call is limited to 15 minutes. A recorded warning plays at 14 minutes to let both parties know the call is about to end.

What Numbers Cannot Receive Collect Calls

Collect calls through GTL at Cumberland County Detention Center cannot connect to:

• Cell phones. Most cell phone carriers block collect call billing by default. If you have a cell phone, you cannot accept a standard collect call on it. Consider a workaround such as a GTL prepaid account if you only have a cell number.
• Business phones. Many business phone lines do not accept third-party billing or collect calls.
• Hospitals. Hospital switchboard numbers typically do not accept collect calls.
• Numbers blocked from collect calls. If your carrier or account has blocked third-party billing, the call will not connect.

If your cell phone is your only contact number, see the section below on how to use GTL’s account options to receive calls on a cell.

Accepting a Collect Call on a Landline

If you have a home landline, accepting a collect call is straightforward.

1. The phone rings. You answer.
2. You hear a recorded message from GTL identifying the caller and the facility.
3. You press the option to accept the call.
4. The call connects. The charge is billed to your phone account.

The collect call charge appears on your regular phone bill. Contact your carrier if you do not see it or if the charge seems incorrect.

Using a GTL Account to Receive Calls on a Cell

GTL offers prepaid account options through the GettingOut platform that allow you to receive calls on a cell phone by pre-loading credit. This bypasses the collect billing block that most cell carriers apply.

To set this up, visit GettingOut.com or contact GTL customer service. Register an account, add your cell number, and load credits. When the person inside calls your number, the charge draws from your prepaid balance instead of going through your carrier.

The GTL toll-free number for account help is shown on any phone bill that receives a GTL call. You can also look it up at GettingOut.com.

Call Monitoring and Recording

All phone calls at Cumberland County Detention Center are monitored and recorded. This is standard practice at all county jails. The recordings are available to law enforcement and prosecutors and can be used as evidence in legal proceedings.

Do not discuss anything on the phone that you would not say in front of a law enforcement officer. This includes discussing the case, asking the person to contact witnesses, or anything that could be interpreted as obstruction or coordination.

Attorney-client calls are generally treated differently and may be unrecorded, depending on how the facility and the attorney coordinate privileged access. If the person has a public defender or private attorney, the attorney handles this arrangement directly with the jail.

Call Length and the 14-Minute Warning

Each call through GTL is limited to 15 minutes. At the 14-minute mark, a recorded message plays to warn both parties that the call is ending. When 15 minutes are up, the call disconnects automatically.

To continue talking, the person must end the call, wait briefly, and place a new call. Whether this is possible depends on phone availability inside the facility and the time of day.

Blocking Future Calls

If you want to stop receiving calls from Cumberland County Detention Center, use the block option through GTL. The GTL toll-free number to manage call blocking is printed on any telephone bill that has received a GTL collect call. You can also manage call preferences through your GettingOut.com account.

Blocking stops all calls from the facility to your number through the GTL system.

What Numbers Can the Person Call

The person inside can only call numbers that have been approved and added to their call list. The process to add a number varies by facility. Contact the Information Desk at (910) 672-5630 or (910) 672-5622 to ask how to get your number added to the approved list.

Video Visits as an Alternative

If phone calls are difficult because you only have a cell phone and cannot set up a GTL account, video visits are available as an alternative. GTLVisitMe at gtlvisitme.com/app supports video visits from home for $4.00 for up to 10 minutes or $10.00 for up to 25 minutes. Video visits are available daily from 8:30am to 9:45pm.

See the visitation guide for full details on how to register and schedule video visits.

Troubleshooting Failed Calls

If a call attempt fails or disconnects before you can talk:

• Cell phone issue: Cell phones generally cannot accept collect calls. Set up a GTL prepaid account at GettingOut.com to receive calls on your cell.
• Blocked by carrier: Contact your phone carrier and ask whether third-party billing or collect call billing is blocked on your account.
• Number not on call list: The person inside may need to add your number to their approved call list. Contact the Information Desk at (910) 672-5630.
• Call disconnected mid-call: GTL calls are limited to 15 minutes. If it disconnects before that, check your signal and contact GTL customer service.

Staying Connected Between Phone Calls

Phone calls are one of several ways to stay in touch. Other options include:

• Mail and photos through TextBehind. See the mail and photos guide.
• In-person visits at the facility through GTLVisitMe. See the visitation guide.
• Commissary support through JailPackStore. See the send money guide.