Your Inmate's Phone Calls Are Monitored: What That Means for Your Conversations with Someone at Big Spring

Big Spring posts a notice next to each inmate telephone: calls are monitored. The safest approach? Assume anything said on a regular call can be listened to and reviewed later. Keep your conversation focused on personal updates and support, not anything you'd only share privately.

Big Spring does not allow third-party or alternative call arrangements. Don't try to set up a call that routes through another person, uses a workaround, or creates a pass-through connection. This rule exists to prevent phone access from being used for criminal or inappropriate purposes. Violations can create real problems for the person you're trying to support.

Payment is straightforward: ordinarily, the inmate pays for calls, though in some cases the receiving party pays. If you want to help with phone access, stick to the normal, approved options. Third-party calling is not permitted, so skip any creative workarounds.

There is one limited exception: legal calls. Big Spring permits unmonitored telephone calls to attorneys in certain circumstances. If your loved one needs to speak with their attorney privately, they should follow the facility's process for requesting an unmonitored call. Don't assume a normal phone call will be treated as confidential.

The phone system used for inmate calling (TRUFONE) stores recordings temporarily and deletes them after 180 days, unless they're needed for legal or administrative purposes. Recordings aren't kept forever by default, but they can be held longer when there's a reason.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Speak as if a staff member could listen later, because calls are monitored and third-party setups are not permitted.
• ✓ Keep the focus on family, home, and support. Avoid discussions you would only have in private.
• ✓ Do not try to connect additional people by patching calls together, three-way calling, or any workaround that looks like a third-party arrangement.
• ✓ If you need to pass along information, do it clearly and directly, without asking someone else to join or “relay” live on the line.

If the topic involves legal advice or case strategy, treat it differently than a regular check-in. Unmonitored attorney calls are only allowed in certain circumstances, so your loved one should use the proper process when privacy matters. Never assume a regular call is protected.

Keep the 180-day recording window in mind. TRUFONE deletes recordings after 180 days unless they're needed for legal or administrative purposes. If a call could matter for something time-sensitive, take action promptly through the appropriate legal or administrative channels rather than waiting months.