How Attorney Calls Work at Cold Springs: Requesting a Recording Block

At Cold Springs and other VADOC facilities, phone monitoring is the default. When your loved one activates their PIN and uses the inmate telephone system, they're agreeing that calls can be monitored and recorded. The exception? Verified attorney calls - but only after the attorney number goes through the proper verification process.

The phone system runs through ConnectNetwork by Global Tel*Link (GTL). This matters because the calling rules - using a PIN, dialing from an approved list, how recording works - are all tied to how GTL's system operates across VADOC facilities, including Cold Springs.

When an inmate needs to speak with an attorney, they can request a recording block for that attorney's phone number. This blocks the call from being monitored or recorded. The catch: the request must be made in advance - before the calls happen, not after.

1. Identify the correct attorney number - the recording block applies to the attorney’s phone number (or the law firm where the attorney is employed), so the number needs to be accurate.
2. Request the recording block in advance - the inmate has to request that calls to that attorney number be blocked from monitoring and recording before (or when) making attorney calls.
3. Treat it as a verification issue, not a guarantee - attorney calls are only excluded when they’re properly verified, so the number needs to be set up the right way for the exception to apply.

It's easy to assume "attorney call" automatically means "private call." At Cold Springs, that's not how it works. Calls are recorded and monitored unless the inmate has requested a recording block for that specific attorney number - and the number has been verified. If you're a family member helping coordinate, assume any call is recorded unless you know the attorney number has been verified and blocked.

If attorney calls aren't working as expected - wrong number, connection issues, or uncertainty about whether the call is verified - get the attorney's office involved early. Inmates can call legal aid and attorney numbers from their approved list, and the attorney's office can confirm you're using the right contact number. The inmate still needs to request the recording block separately.

• ✓ Confirm the attorney’s phone number (and use the number the attorney wants used for legal calls)
• ✓ Ask the attorney’s office to help with verification if the call isn’t being treated as an attorney call
• ✓ Have the inmate request the recording block in advance for the attorney number

Two practical limits can affect attorney calls. First, the approved call list caps at 15 numbers - adding an attorney may mean removing someone else. Second, calls max out at 20 minutes. If your loved one and their attorney need to cover a lot of ground, they'll need to plan for multiple calls.