5 Things to Know About Phone Calls from FCI La Tuna
Phone calls are one of the fastest ways to stay connected—but they come with rules. Here are five practical things to know about calls from FCI La Tuna so you're not caught off guard.
Yes. A notice is posted next to each inmate telephone at FCI La Tuna warning that calls are monitored. If you're talking with someone incarcerated there, assume the call isn't private. Stick to family updates and everyday topics.
This monitoring is standard practice - it's how the Bureau of Prisons manages safety around inmate communications. The simplest way to protect your loved one? Talk as if staff can hear every word. Because they can.
No. Third-party or alternative call arrangements aren't allowed for inmate telephone service. The Bureau of Prisons prohibits these to prevent misuse of phones for criminal activity. Trying to work around the system can create real problems for the person incarcerated - and the call will likely get cut off.
Not always. Unmonitored calls to attorneys are allowed in certain circumstances - a big difference from regular personal calls, which are treated as monitored. If your loved one needs to have a legal conversation, don't assume it has to happen the same way as a family call. There are situations where attorney calls can be handled differently.
Note: “Permitted in certain circumstances” usually means there’s a process to follow. If your loved one needs an unmonitored attorney call, they should ask staff about the correct procedure rather than treating it like a standard phone call.
The Bureau of Prisons cites specific legal authority for monitoring and recording inmate telephone calls: 18 U.S.C. 2510(5)(a)(ii), 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(c), and 28 C.F.R. § 540.100 et seq. Ever wondered "how can they record this?" Those are the citations the BOP relies on.
In plain terms, those authorities allow the agency to monitor and record inmate calls under federal law and regulations. The practical takeaway for families: treat non-legal calls as monitored, and save anything sensitive or case-related for conversations set up as protected legal communication.
Phone access is a privilege. The Bureau of Prisons can place limits and conditions on an inmate's telephone privileges to maintain correctional management. Combined with the ban on third-party arrangements, the message is clear: calls are controlled, and the system is designed to prevent end-runs around the rules. Want to stay reachable? Keep your number options stable and avoid any setup that looks like it's routing calls through someone else.
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