Question 1

What does Stay Connected Plus do?

Accepted Answer

Stay Connected Plus helps people stay connected with an incarcerated friend or loved one through online profiles, text messages, voice messages, and a phone-based system. Each incarcerated person can have their own online profile and a dedicated Stay Connected Plus number. Family, friends, and approved supporters can send messages through the website or by texting that number directly. The incarcerated person calls their number, enters their four-digit PIN, and can then retrieve messages, listen to voice messages, and reply through the phone system. Stay Connected Plus also includes Stacy, a built-in AI assistant they can use right from the phone system, included free with their profile.

Question 2

How does the system work?

Accepted Answer

It’s simple, and it works a little differently for each side. Here’s both. For family, friends, and supporters, online. You create your own account and set everything up from the website or your phone. You send messages and voice messages, and when your incarcerated friend or loved one replies, their reply comes straight to you as a text. You keep your full message history, manage more than one person if you need to, and handle refills and renewals, all in one place. No per-minute or per-message charges, ever. For the incarcerated person, by phone. They get their own profile and a dedicated Stay Connected Plus number. They call that number from any available facility phone, enter their four-digit PIN, and from there they can hear voice messages, read texts, reply, make and receive calls, update their profile, and use Stacy, their built-in AI assistant. Everything they do is by phone. No smartphone, no tablet, no internet needed. Together, you reach them online, and they reach you by phone. Messages move between the two, so you stay connected from wherever you are.

Question 3

How does activation work?

Accepted Answer

No second call needed. Activation happens in real time, on the very first call. When your incarcerated friend or loved one calls their Stay Connected Plus number, our intelligent system learns to accept their facility’s call right then, on that first attempt, so there’s no waiting and no callback. One important note. The system accepts prepaid facility calls only. Collect calls are never accepted. As long as they can call their assigned number from the facility phone system, they’re set.

Question 4

How long does it take to get a reply?

Accepted Answer

Your messages are delivered quickly – far faster than traditional facility mail. How soon you get a reply depends on when your incarcerated friend or loved one is next able to call their Stay Connected Plus number, which is affected by their facility’s phone schedule and access. Once they call in and enter their PIN, they can hear your messages and reply right away. If you haven’t heard back yet, it usually just means they haven’t been able to get to a phone.

Question 5

How is this different from other services?

Accepted Answer

Stay Connected Plus gives an incarcerated friend or loved one a way to receive text and voice messages through a phone-based system. Many traditional correctional platforms are slow, expensive, and limited, and messages can take hours or even days to process. Stay Connected Plus is built to be faster, simpler, and more affordable. Outside users send messages that go through far faster than facility mailroom approval, and the incarcerated person can retrieve and reply to them by calling their Stay Connected Plus number.

Question 6

Can I send photos to an incarcerated person?

Accepted Answer

Photos are used on the profile only. The person setting up the account can add photos to the incarcerated person’s profile, so friends and family can see who they are. But photos aren’t sent through the messaging system. Messaging is text and voice.

Question 7

Which facilities do you work with?

Accepted Answer

Stay Connected Plus is an independent communication platform. It is not owned, operated, or controlled by any correctional facility. Availability may depend on the facility’s phone rules, calling access, and communication restrictions. The incarcerated person must be able to call their assigned Stay Connected Plus number from their facility phone system in order to retrieve and reply to messages.

Question 8

Who runs Stay Connected Plus?

Accepted Answer

Stay Connected Plus is an independent service built to help families, friends, and incarcerated individuals stay connected. We are not a correctional facility, a government agency, a prison phone provider, or an official department of corrections service. We operate separately, and we provide tools that help people communicate through online profiles, messaging, voice messages, and phone-based access.

Question 9

How is my information used, sold, or shared?

Accepted Answer

To understand exactly what we collect, how we use it, and how it may be shared, please read our full Privacy Policy. It explains everything in detail, including your rights and choices.

Question 10

Do I need an account to browse the site?

Accepted Answer

No. You can browse general information, learn how the service works, and view public pages without creating an account. You need an account when you want to create a profile, connect with an incarcerated friend or loved one, send messages, receive replies, or use paid features.

Question 11

Do family, friends and supporters have to pay?

Accepted Answer

No. Accounts for family, friends, loved ones and supporters are completely free. You can send and receive messages and voice messages, connect with as many people as you want, keep your full message history, and set up and manage an incarcerated friend or loved one’s profile, all at no cost, with no credit card required. The only paid plan is the incarcerated person’s profile and phone number, at $14.95/month. There is no free version of that.

Question 12

Do I need more than one account?

Accepted Answer

No. A single account lets you connect with an incarcerated friend or loved one, browse profiles, send and receive messages, and manage everything in one place. You never need separate accounts.

Question 13

How do I reset my password?

Accepted Answer

Use the Forgot Password link on the login page, and follow the instructions sent to your email. If you don’t receive the reset email, check your spam or junk folder, then contact support if you still need help.

Question 14

How do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

You can request account deletion through your account settings or by contacting support. Once your account is deleted, you may lose access to your message history, saved profiles, subscriptions, and account information. Some records may be kept if required for security, billing, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or dispute resolution.

Question 15

Do family, friends, and supporters have a public profile? Can other users see me?

Accepted Answer

No. On Stay Connected Plus, only incarcerated members have a profile. If you’re a family member, friend, or supporter, you do not get a public profile. Your account is private – you never appear in any public directory or search, and other users and the general public cannot see you, your information, or which incarcerated person you support. The only person who sees anything about you is the incarcerated friend or loved one you connect with, and even then they only see the name or nickname you choose to share, so they know who’s reaching out. Your real phone number and personal contact details always stay private until you choose to approve contact.

Question 16

Is my information secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your data is safe and secure. Your personal phone number is not shown publicly on the website, and you can choose to use a nickname instead of your real name when connecting with someone. Account and payment information are handled through secure systems. For a full explanation of what we collect, how we use it, and your choices, please read our Privacy Policy.

Question 17

Who reviews my messages?

Accepted Answer

Stay Connected Plus is a communication platform, but it is not a correctional facility and does not control facility rules. Messages sent through Stay Connected Plus may be stored, processed, monitored, or reviewed for safety, security, abuse prevention, legal compliance, or platform protection. In addition, correctional facilities may monitor calls and communications according to their own policies. Please understand that communications involving an incarcerated person may not be private from the correctional facility.

Question 18

Can I report abuse or a problem?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you experience abuse, harassment, suspicious activity, technical problems, billing issues, or safety concerns, contact support. Stay Connected Plus may review reports, restrict accounts, remove content, suspend access, or take other action when needed to protect users and the platform.

Question 19

How does pricing work?

Accepted Answer

Pricing is simple, and it is different for the two sides, so here is each one clearly. For family, friends, loved ones and supporters: Your account is completely free. Send and receive messages and voice messages, keep your full message history, connect with as many people as you want, and manage an incarcerated friend or loved one’s profile. There is no monthly fee and no credit card required to create your account. For the incarcerated person’s profile: The profile and dedicated Stay Connected Plus number are $14.95/month with a 14-day free trial. This is special introductory pricing for a limited time. Usage is billed on top, only for what they use: 8.5¢ per minute while using the system and 8.5¢ per message sent. Messages received are always free. A $5 starter credit is included. Stacy is included at no extra charge, you are only billed for system time, never for Stacy itself. The monthly fee is separate from usage. There is no free version of the incarcerated person’s profile. A note on the trial: A credit card is required to start the 14-day free trial. No charge today, your card will not be billed today. After 14 days, $14.95/month bills automatically unless you cancel before the trial ends.

Question 20

Is messaging free for family, friends, and supporters?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Family, friends, loved ones and supporters can create a free account and send and receive messages and voice messages to stay connected. You can connect with as many people as you want, and no credit card is required to get started.

Question 21

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Stay Connected Plus accepts common online payment methods at checkout, which may include debit cards, credit cards, and other supported options. Available methods may vary depending on the checkout provider.

Question 22

How do refills work?

Accepted Answer

Refills add balance to the incarcerated person’s profile to cover their usage – the small per-minute and per-message costs they use while on the phone system. You can top up their balance anytime from your dashboard so they never run out. Your own supporter account has no usage charges; refills only apply to the incarcerated person’s profile.

Question 23

How do I cancel?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel anytime from Manage Subscriptions in your dashboard. From there you can cancel your own supporter subscription or an incarcerated person’s profile subscription – each one is managed separately. If you cancel during a 14-day free trial, you won’t be charged.

Question 24

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Refunds may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Subscription fees, used services, message activity, phone system usage, and completed transactions are generally non-refundable, unless there was a billing error or a service issue caused by Stay Connected Plus. If you believe you were charged incorrectly, contact support with your account details and the charge in question.

Question 25

Do you offer financial assistance?

Accepted Answer

Stay Connected Plus is built to be affordable. Accounts for family, friends and supporters are completely free, and the incarcerated person’s profile comes with a 14-day free trial. If hardship discounts, promotions, or assistance programs become available, they will be listed on the website or offered through support.

Frequently asked questions.

About Stay Connected+

Accounts & access

Safety & trust

Pricing & billing

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