Phone Calls from FCI Elkton: What Family Members Need to Know
If you get phone calls from someone at FCI Elkton, assume they're being monitored and recorded. Here's how that monitoring works, what data the phone system collects, and what it means for your privacy.
At FCI Elkton, a notice posted next to each inmate telephone warns that calls are monitored. That's the baseline for any regular call: it's not private like a normal conversation. The facility treats monitoring as standard operating procedure.
Those warnings aren't just boilerplate. The Bureau of Prisons uses the TRUFONE telephone system, which has security features that allow approved inmate calls to be monitored live and remotely. A call may be listened to in real time, reviewed later, or both.
There's one key exception: calls to attorneys can be unmonitored in certain circumstances. If your loved one needs to discuss legal strategy or other privileged matters with their lawyer, they should follow the facility's process for attorney calls so the conversation qualifies for that protection.
TRUFONE doesn't just connect calls - it also collects data. The system tracks all telephone numbers on an inmate's approved calling list, keeping a record of who they're authorized to contact.
The system also collects biometric information for voice verification. This data helps the facility confirm who's actually using the phone - an identity check built into the system.
And yes, calls themselves become part of the record. TRUFONE stores inmate call recordings, which means what you say on the phone can be captured and kept.
Note: The numbers tied to the calling list, voice verification data, call recordings, and the ability to monitor calls are built into TRUFONE as security and verification features.
Call recordings aren't kept forever. TRUFONE deletes them after 180 days - unless they're still needed for legal or administrative purposes. So the standard window is about six months, but recordings can be held longer if there's a specific reason.
TRUFONE data can also be shared within the Department of Justice for law enforcement purposes. That includes the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA), the Criminal Division, the U.S. Parole Commission, and the Office of Inspector General.
Practical Advice
- ✓ Assume regular calls can be monitored and recorded, since monitoring notices are posted by the phones and TRUFONE supports live and remote monitoring.
- ✓ Keep sensitive details off the phone; if something needs legal confidentiality, your loved one should use the facility’s process for attorney calls, which can be unmonitored in certain circumstances.
- ✓ Speak with the expectation that call recordings may exist and may be kept in the system for up to 180 days (or longer if needed for legal or administrative reasons).
- ✓ Remember that call and related data can be shared with DOJ law-enforcement components, including the FBI, USMS, EOUSA, Criminal Division, U.S. Parole Commission, and OIG.
- ✓ If you’re trying to budget for calls, confirm the current phone setup and costs directly for FCI Elkton - rates and vendors aren’t included in the information covered here.
For cost-related questions - per-minute rates, fees, which vendor handles accounts - check the most current details for FCI Elkton before adding money or making plans. Those details change and aren't covered by the monitoring and retention rules above.
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