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Why All Calls from Augusta Are Recorded (Except Properly Verified Attorney Calls) — What Families Should Know

• 3 min read • vadoc.virginia.gov
Why All Calls from Augusta Are Recorded (Except Properly Verified Attorney Calls) — What Families Should Know

Augusta Corrections Center follows the same phone rules as every other Virginia Department of Corrections facility. VADOC Operating Procedure 803.3 applies across the board. So if you're trying to understand what

Here's something that catches families off guard: how consent works. Under VADOC phone rules, when an inmate enters their PIN and makes a call, that counts as consent to monitoring and recording. Assume regular calls aren't private - even when the conversation feels personal.

Note: The VADOC inmate phone system is operated through ConnectNetwork by Global Tel*Link, so you may see those names connected to calling accounts and call handling.

The bottom line for families: calls on the VADOC phone system are recorded and monitored. The main exception? Properly verified attorney calls. That

Calls have practical limits too. The VADOC system caps calls at 20 minutes so everyone gets fair access to the phones. Inmates can only call people on their approved call list - family, friends, legal contacts - using landline or cell phone numbers.

That approved list maxes out at 15 phone numbers. It's on the inmate to manage the list through the offender telephone system - adding, removing, and updating numbers as needed. If someone isn't getting calls, sometimes the number simply isn't on the list, or an old number is taking up a slot.

Reminder: You can deny any collect or debit call from an inmate. If you’re not ready to talk or you’re trying to avoid discussing sensitive topics on a recorded line, you’re allowed to refuse the call.

What's a

  1. Treat attorney-call privacy as something that must be set up - attorney calls are only excluded from recording when the attorney number is properly verified and protected by a recording block.
  2. Have the inmate request the recording block ahead of time - VADOC’s rule is that an inmate (or CCAP probationer/parolee) must request a recording block in advance for calls to an attorney number.
  3. Confirm the call is going to the verified attorney number - the recording block is tied to a verified attorney telephone number, so the exact number being dialed matters.
Why All Calls from Augusta Are Recorded (Except Properly Verified Attorney Calls) — What Families Should Know

Privacy Steps

  • ✓ Assume regular calls are monitored and recorded, and talk accordingly.
  • ✓ Don’t discuss privileged legal strategy or other sensitive case details on standard calls.
  • ✓ Before you get into legal topics, make sure the attorney call is properly verified and protected (not just “a lawyer’s number”).

If your loved one has a lawyer, treat the attorney-call exception as a process - not a promise. A recording block prevents monitoring, but only for a verified attorney telephone number. The inmate (or CCAP probationer/parolee) has to request it in advance. Want to protect attorney-client communications? Get that verification and recording block set up early, before anyone assumes a call is private.

  1. Pause sensitive conversations - because using the PIN system is consent to monitoring and recording, don’t keep discussing legal details on normal calls.
  2. Have the inmate request a recording block in advance - the policy requires the inmate (or CCAP probationer/parolee) to request the recording block before attorney calls.
  3. Loop in the attorney - if you suspect attorney calls aren’t being handled as properly verified, bring it to counsel’s attention so they can address it through the right channels.

Tip: If you’re uncomfortable with a call, you can deny any collect or debit call. It also helps to write down dates and times of concerning calls so you can share clear details with counsel or the facility if needed.

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