How to Contact an Inmate at Central New Mexico Correctional Facility (NM)

Phone calls at Central New Mexico Correctional Facility can be monitored. The system supports both real-time listening while calls are happening and recording for review afterward.

The phone provider is required to monitor at least 10% of inmate calls. This is a formal monitoring program, not just a theoretical possibility.

Steps-to-follow

• ✓ Assume phone calls can be monitored in real time and reviewed later.
• ✓ Assume at least 10% of calls are monitored as part of the vendor’s required program.
• ✓ Keep sensitive personal information off the phone if you would not want it recorded or listened to.
• ✓ Confirm the current monitoring procedure and how it’s applied with the facility before relying on any expectation of privacy.

Before assuming any call is private, ask about the details that aren't spelled out. Find out whether monitoring is continuous or targeted, and whether it applies equally to outgoing and incoming calls. You'll also want to confirm how long recordings are kept, who can access them, how monitoring is disclosed to inmates and the people they call, and whether any exceptions exist.

1. Check official materials first - look for the facility’s posted communication rules and any inmate handbook language that describes phone monitoring.
2. Call and ask specific questions - ask directly about phone monitoring policy, and confirm that at least 10% sampling is part of the current monitoring program.
3. Request clarification through an internal contact - if your loved one has a caseworker or designated facility contact, ask what written guidance exists for phone monitoring.
4. Get it in writing if you need certainty - if the details matter for a legal or safety reason, request the policy in writing so you are not relying on a verbal summary.