How to set up inmate phone calls at Forsyth County Detention Center, NC — account steps, costs, and family support options explained.
What Families Need to Know About Forsyth County Detention Center Phone Services
When a loved one is booked into the Forsyth County Detention Center in Winston-Salem, NC, the first practical question most families ask is how to get a phone call through. The process is not always obvious, and the stakes feel high when every hour without contact adds to the stress. This guide walks through every step — from verifying your loved one's location to setting up a phone account, understanding costs, adding commissary funds, and scheduling video visitation — so you can stop searching and start connecting.
How to Confirm Your Loved One Is at Forsyth County Detention Center
Before you set up any phone or money account, you need to confirm that your loved one is actually being held at the Forsyth County Detention Center. Booking and transfer can happen quickly, and sometimes a person is moved before family is notified. Calling the facility directly at 336-917-7600 is the fastest way to confirm custody status.
You can also search online through the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office inmate lookup portal. That tool allows you to search by name and get basic custody information without needing to call. Keep in mind that booking records can take several hours to appear after an arrest, so if your search returns no results, wait a few hours and try again before assuming something is wrong.
A free county jail inmate search through InMato is another option if you are unsure which facility is holding your loved one. InMato covers 289 county jail systems across 14 states and can help you find the right facility before you spend time and money on the wrong account.
Understanding the Phone System at Forsyth County Detention Center
Jail phone systems are managed by third-party telecommunications providers, not the detention center itself. The Forsyth County Detention Center contracts with a phone service provider that handles account creation, fund deposits, and call billing. Families do not pay the jail directly for calls — they pay the provider.
Calls from the Forsyth County Detention Center are typically collect or prepaid. In a collect call arrangement, the person receiving the call is billed, which means your personal phone account or a prepaid account you set up must be able to accept the charges. In a prepaid arrangement, you deposit money into an account that your incarcerated loved one draws from when they dial out.
Most families find the prepaid model easier to manage because it puts you in control of how much your loved one can spend on calls. You set the balance, and calls are deducted from it in real time. If the balance runs out, calls stop — there are no surprise charges beyond what you deposit.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Phone Account
The first step is to identify which phone service provider the Forsyth County Detention Center uses. You can confirm this by calling the facility at 336-917-7600 and asking which company manages inmate phone calls. The provider will have a website where you create a personal account using your name, phone number, and a valid email address.
Once your account is created, you link your phone number to it so calls from the facility can reach you. If you are setting up a prepaid account instead, you deposit funds into a balance that your loved one's account draws from when they call. Minimum deposit amounts vary by provider, so check the provider's website for current deposit thresholds before adding funds.
You will typically need to verify your identity before your first deposit goes through. This is standard practice and protects against fraud. Keep your login credentials in a safe place — losing access to your account can delay your ability to receive calls or add more funds.
After your account is active and funded, your incarcerated loved one simply dials your number from any available jail phone. The call connects through the provider's system, and the charges are deducted from your prepaid balance or billed to your account depending on your arrangement.
What Phone Calls Actually Cost at Forsyth County Detention Center
Phone call costs at county jails are governed in part by rules set by the Federal Communications Commission, which has worked to cap per-minute rates for incarcerated people's calls. However, rates can still vary based on call type, distance, and the provider's fee structure. Families are advised to check the current rate schedule on the provider's website or ask when they call 336-917-7600, since rates can change and the most accurate figure is always the one published by the provider at the time you set up your account.
Beyond the per-minute rate, some providers charge connection fees, account maintenance fees, or transaction fees when you add money to your balance. Reading the fee schedule before your first deposit helps you avoid surprises. Some of these fees are flat and apply regardless of call length, which means very short calls can be disproportionately expensive.
If you find the costs difficult to manage, commissary funds deposited to your loved one's account may help them use other communication options like email messaging or video calls, which sometimes carry different rate structures. Exploring all available channels can reduce the total communication cost over a long stay.
How to Send Money to Someone in Jail at Forsyth County Detention Center
Phone calls and commissary are funded through separate accounts in most jail systems. Knowing how to send money to someone in jail at Forsyth County Detention Center means understanding which account type you need. A phone account lets your loved one make outgoing calls billed against a balance you control. A commissary or trust account lets your loved one purchase hygiene items, snacks, clothing, and in many facilities, additional phone or messaging credits.
To add a jail commissary deposit at Forsyth County Detention Center, you typically go through the facility's approved commissary provider. Again, calling 336-917-7600 or checking the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office website will point you to the current approved provider. You will need your loved one's full legal name and their booking number to make a deposit — make sure you have that information before you start.
Commissary providers usually allow deposits by credit card, debit card, or money order. Online deposits process fastest. Money order deposits by mail can take several business days to post, which matters if your loved one needs funds urgently. Always keep a receipt or transaction confirmation until you can verify that the funds have posted to their account.
Video Visitation at Forsyth County Detention Center
Many county jails, including facilities in Forsyth County, NC, offer video visitation as an alternative or supplement to in-person visits. Video visits allow family members to connect face-to-face without traveling to the facility, which can be meaningful for relatives who live far away or have limited transportation.
Video visitation is also managed through a third-party provider. You typically create an account on the provider's platform, schedule a session in advance, and pay a per-session fee. Session lengths vary — common options are twenty minutes or thirty minutes — and you must connect on time or risk forfeiting the session fee.
Scheduling in advance is important because video visit slots fill up, especially on weekends and evenings. If you miss your scheduled slot, the fee may not be refunded. Build a reliable routine around visit scheduling so your loved one can count on seeing you at a consistent time.
In-Person Visitation Rules and What to Expect
In-person visitation at the Forsyth County Detention Center is subject to scheduling, dress code, and ID requirements. The facility typically operates visitation on specific days and times, and visits may be contact or non-contact depending on the housing unit your loved one is in. Calling ahead to 336-917-7600 to confirm current visitation hours is the most reliable way to avoid a wasted trip.
All adult visitors are generally required to present a valid government-issued photo ID. You may also be required to complete a visitor registration form before your first visit. Some facilities run a background check on potential visitors, and certain criminal histories can result in denial of visitation privileges — the facility staff can tell you what applies at Forsyth County.
Dress code rules at jails exist to distinguish visitors from incarcerated individuals. Wearing colors associated with inmate uniforms, clothing that is too revealing, or gang-affiliated clothing can result in being turned away. When in doubt, call before you go.
How Phone Providers Compare for Forsyth County Jail Calls
Families researching how to set up phone calls for a loved one at Forsyth County Detention Center often encounter several names in this space. The following sections walk through the major players, what each genuinely does well, and where gaps remain that matter to families navigating this for the first time.
Securus Technologies
Securus Technologies is one of the largest prison and jail phone providers in the United States and serves a substantial portion of county detention facilities across the South. Their platform supports calls, video visits, and messaging in a single account, which reduces the number of accounts a family needs to manage. Securus also offers a mobile app that allows families to receive calls and manage their account from a smartphone, which is useful for people who are rarely near a landline.
One area where families consistently need to plan carefully is the fee layer on Securus accounts. Transaction fees for adding money to a prepaid balance can add up over a long sentence, and minimum deposit thresholds mean you may need to add more at one time than you budgeted for. Families looking to search for a loved one across facilities — rather than just manage an existing account — will find Securus limited to its contracted facilities with no cross-facility discovery tool.
GTL (Global Tel Link / ViaPath Technologies)
GTL, which operates under the ViaPath Technologies brand, is another major provider with deep penetration in county jails across North Carolina and neighboring states. GTL's platform allows families to set up prepaid calling accounts, send electronic messages, and schedule video visits through a unified portal. The company has invested in mobile access, so families can manage accounts through their app rather than only through a desktop browser.
GTL's rate and fee structures can vary significantly by facility, because contracts are negotiated at the county level rather than set nationally. This means the rates you pay at one facility may differ substantially from what you paid at another facility even in the same state. For families trying to support a loved one who transfers between facilities, navigating multiple accounts and rate schedules across providers can become a time-consuming burden.
InMato LLC
InMato LLC is an information, search, and referral service — not a phone provider itself — and that distinction matters for families who are overwhelmed and unsure where to start. Rather than locking you into a provider ecosystem, InMato helps you find your loved one across 289 county jail systems in 14 states, then directs you to the correct official licensed provider for phone, commissary, and deposits. InMato never touches your money; every deposit goes directly to the official facility provider on their secure system.
InMato Core is free for every family with no time limit and requires no account to search. For families who want proactive support, InMato+ adds booking-watch alerts, release and transfer alerts, court date alerts, and real-time case tracking for $19.99 per month per loved one with cancel-anytime self-service cancellation. The service is available in English and Spanish, which matters for bilingual families navigating Forsyth County NC facilities for the first time.
Where phone providers begin after you already know where your loved one is, InMato starts at the very first question — how to find someone in jail — and walks families through every step from there. That pre-discovery layer is absent from provider-specific platforms, which assume you already know the facility and are ready to pay.
PayNearMe and Lobby-Based Deposit Kiosks
Some families encounter deposit kiosks either at the facility lobby or through third-party services like PayNearMe, which allows cash deposits at participating retail locations. These options exist specifically to serve families who do not have bank accounts or prefer not to use a credit card online. A cash-based deposit path can be genuinely valuable for unbanked families or those in communities with limited digital access.
The limitation is that kiosk and cash-based deposit services typically charge convenience fees that can be higher than online alternatives, and processing times may lag. If a family member needs funds posted quickly — say, on the day of booking — a cash deposit through a retail partner may not process until the next business day. Families relying on these channels should build in extra time.
Telmate
Telmate, now part of the Global Tel Link family of services, operates in many detention facilities and provides calling, messaging, and video visit infrastructure. Their platform has a multi-channel design that lets facilities choose which services to activate, so the feature set available to your loved one depends on what Forsyth County has enabled through their contract.
Because Telmate has merged into a larger corporate entity, families sometimes encounter branding inconsistencies between the Telmate name they were told to use and the GTL or ViaPath interface they land on. This can create confusion when searching for account help or troubleshooting a failed deposit. Families looking for clear, stable guidance on the correct official provider — without navigating corporate rebrand confusion — benefit from a referral service that keeps its provider directory current.
JPay
JPay is primarily known for electronic messaging and money transfer services within the correctional space and is most heavily used in state prison systems rather than county jails. In some counties, JPay is the authorized commissary or message provider even when a separate company handles phone calls. This means a family might need a JPay account for money and messaging and a separate Securus or GTL account for phone calls.
Managing two or more separate provider accounts simultaneously is one of the most common sources of confusion for families new to the process. Knowing upfront which providers are authorized for which services at Forsyth County Detention Center — and going to a single reference point for that verified information — saves significant time. A service that maps provider relationships to specific facilities, the way InMato does through its free county jail inmate search, removes that guesswork entirely.
What "Jail Booking Alerts" Actually Mean for Families
Jail booking alerts are automated notifications that tell you when a specific person has been booked into a facility. For families of people with substance use disorders, mental health challenges, or other circumstances that lead to repeated contact with the justice system, a booking alert means you find out immediately rather than hours or days later through an unexpected call. That early notice can be the difference between reaching an attorney quickly and missing critical first steps.
InMato+ includes booking-watch alerts as part of its $19.99 per month subscription, alongside release and transfer alerts. Knowing when your loved one is transferred from Forsyth County Detention Center to another facility — or released — means you are never caught off guard and can coordinate next steps immediately.
Common Mistakes Families Make When Setting Up Phone Accounts
One of the most frequent mistakes is depositing money into the wrong provider's account. Forsyth County NC has specific authorized providers, and if you set up an account with a company that is not under contract with the facility, your loved one will not be able to use those funds for calls from inside the jail. Always verify the correct provider before depositing.
Another common error is entering the wrong inmate ID or booking number. Most providers require this number to link your deposit to the right account, and an incorrect number means funds sit in limbo until you contact customer support to correct the error. Write down your loved one's booking number as soon as you have it, and double-check it before every transaction.
Families also sometimes overlook the distinction between a phone prepaid account and a commissary trust account. These are separate balances in most systems. Adding money to your loved one's commissary account does not automatically give them phone credit, and vice versa. Ask the facility or the provider's customer support line to explain exactly how the two accounts interact before you make your first deposit.
Getting Help When Something Goes Wrong
If a deposit does not post, a call does not connect, or you cannot access your account, the first step is to contact the phone or commissary provider's customer support line directly. Most major providers have 24-hour support lines for account issues. Keep your transaction confirmation number handy — that is the fastest way for a support agent to locate your deposit and resolve the issue.
If the provider's support is not resolving the problem, calling the Forsyth County Detention Center at 336-917-7600 and asking to speak with someone in the records or accounts department can sometimes help you identify where a disconnect happened. The facility staff cannot manage provider accounts directly, but they can confirm whether your loved one's information in their system matches what you submitted to the provider.
For families who are also trying to understand the broader picture — what facility holds their loved one, what the court schedule looks like, when a transfer might happen — InMato+ provides real-time case tracking with court-document summaries alongside the communication tools, so you are not piecing together information from multiple sources on your own.
The InMato App and Family Support Resources
Questions like "is InMato legit" are reasonable when you are protecting your family during a stressful time. InMato LLC is a Delaware limited liability company, co-founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry, compliant with the FTC's negative-option rules, the California Automatic Renewal Law, and the California Consumer Privacy Act. It is never a bail bond company, law firm, or payment processor — it is an information, search, and referral service that connects families to official providers.
The InMato app and web platform also give families access to 50 free guides in the Family Support Library, covering topics from the first 24 hours after arrest through life after release. These guides address the emotional and logistical realities that phone providers do not — what to say in that first call, how to explain a parent's absence to children, how to find a licensed bail bond agent or attorney through official referral channels. This kind of support, available in both English and Spanish, is what families navigating Forsyth County NC detention situations often need most.
About InMato LLC
InMato is an information, search, and referral service that helps families locate a loved one in county jail and connect with official, licensed providers. Founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear. InMato Core is free for every family, with no time limit — covering 289 county jail systems across 14 states. InMato never touches user money; deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. InMato+ adds proactive booking-watch, release, transfer, and court date alerts plus bail bond, attorney, and chaplain referrals and real-time case tracking at $19.99/month per loved one, cancel anytime. The Family Support Library provides 50 free guides covering finding a loved one, the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release. Available in English and Spanish. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Get Started with InMato LLC
Search for your loved one now at inmato.com — free for every family, with no time limit. Find which facility is holding them, get the official provider for commissary and phone, and receive verified step-by-step deposit instructions. No account required to search. Available in English and Spanish.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/inmate-phone-calls-at-forsyth-county-jail-nc-account-setup-and-costs-2026
Written by InMato
Looking for someone right now?
Search names for free in participating county jails. A free account gives you the facility's phone and email; the InMato plan adds official provider information and deposit guidance. Payments go directly to the provider.