Phone Calls During Restrictive Housing at Augusta Corrections Center: What Families Should Know

If your loved one is at Augusta Corrections Center, the phone restrictions in restrictive housing aren't unique to Augusta. Virginia Department of Corrections Operating Procedure 803.3 applies to all VADOC facilities - so the same call-access rules show up across the system.

All calls go through the VADOC inmate phone system, operated by ConnectNetwork through Global Tel*Link. They're recorded and monitored, with one exception: properly verified attorney calls. That distinction matters when deciding whether a conversation should happen by phone, through legal counsel, or another channel.

Monthly Limits

• ✓ General Detention: 2 telephone calls per month
• ✓ Restorative Housing (RHU): 2 telephone calls per month
• ✓ Restorative Housing Step-down 1 (SD-1): 4 telephone calls per month
• ✓ Restorative Housing Step-down 2 (SD-2): 6 telephone calls per month

Even when someone has calls available for the month, built-in caps limit how much you can actually talk. VADOC caps calls at 20 minutes to keep phone access fair across the population. Your loved one also manages an approved call list - limited to 15 phone numbers. If your number isn't on it, or the list is full, calls won't come through until they update it.

Phone access also depends on the facility's schedule. VADOC rules require that telephone service hours vary by security level, with schedules provided during orientation or posted where inmates can see them. Your loved one likely knows the "phone window" for their unit - but the timing may differ from what you remember from general population routines.

Not every missed call is caused by the housing unit or facility. On your end, you can refuse or block collect or debit calls. If someone in your household blocked calls in the past - even accidentally - or if calls are being declined automatically, it can look like the facility stopped phone access when the issue is actually on the receiving end.

1. Confirm their current housing status and call limits - Under VADOC rules, General Detention and RHU are limited to two calls per month, with higher monthly limits in step-down (SD-1 and SD-2).
2. Ask about the unit’s scheduled phone hours - Service hours vary by facility security level and should be provided in orientation materials or posted where inmates can see them.
3. Factor in routine and sudden shutdowns - Phone access is suspended during counts and may be suspended at any time for emergency or security reasons, so a missed call window doesn’t always mean someone “lost” their phone privileges.

If the limits or interruptions don't match what you're being told, use VADOC's normal facility communication channels to ask what applies to your loved one's situation. Keeping your questions anchored to Operating Procedure 803.3 helps you stay focused on the actual rules governing telephone services across VADOC units, including Augusta.