I live in Utah. My son is in prison at the California Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, California. I have talked with him there for several years.
In the past month MCI has blocked my phone from receiving his collect calls. The message that he hears on the phone states, "That the person you are trying to reach has blocked your incoming call." This is a lie.
The facility does not have a viable phone number for me to contact MCI. The inmates did not receive information to mail to families on how to contact MCI. The facility told me that many inmates are having this problem. MCI has a contract with the state of California for collect phone call services.
An officer at the facility told me that I must contact MCI at (800) 444-3333. This number does not work unless I am a current customer of MCI.
The number at the prison is (707) 448-6841.
It seems illegal that MCI should be able to control these calls just because I don't have MCI as my long distance carrier. I was told by the officer that MCI now requires an "advanced deposit" of me ($75 he thought) so that I can receive collect calls from my son. If I had MCI as my long distance carrier, I would not have to pay this "deposit".
I have checked with my phone company and there is no reason according to them that I should be blocked. My bill is current. The phone number for my local QWest phone company is
(800) 244-1111.
What can be done here?
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