What Happens During Your Loved One's First Hour at Carteret County Jail
That first call after an arrest is short and stressful. Here's what Carteret County Detention Center says to expect about that initial call—and how phone access works if your loved one stays in custody.
Your loved one gets one free local phone call right after admission at Carteret County Detention Center. It's only one minute long - just enough time to let family, friends, or an attorney know they've been arrested.
PayTel handles phone service at the detention center. If you hear "PayTel" in a recording or see it connected to calling options, that's the company running the jail's inmate phone system.
All calls through PayTel are recorded and can be monitored by detention staff. The monitoring serves security purposes: protecting victims and potential witnesses from harassment, reducing criminal activity from inside the jail, and lowering escape risks.
Note: Assume anything said on a jail phone call can be recorded and listened to by staff.
If your loved one isn't released after booking, they'll have phone access up to two times a day. Even when daily calls aren't available, they should still get at least one call per week - as long as they follow facility rules and behave appropriately.
- ✓ Phone access depends on them abiding by the detention center’s rules
- ✓ They must cooperate with detention center staff
- ✓ They must otherwise behave in a socially acceptable manner
When that first admission call comes, expect it to be fast - just one minute. Stay calm, listen closely, and focus on the essentials. Don't panic if you can't cover everything. If they remain in custody, phone access continues (up to two calls daily, at least once weekly), so you'll have more chances to talk.
- ✓ Answer calls you don’t recognize if you’re waiting - there may only be one free local one-minute admission call
- ✓ Keep the conversation tight because the call is limited to one minute
- ✓ Speak as if staff could listen later: calls are recorded and subject to monitoring
- ✓ Ask when you should expect the next call if they’re staying in custody (access is up to two times daily, but no less than once per week)
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