Federal prison phone FAQ: monitoring, the ITS rule, 15-minute calls, the 30-number limit, and suspensions

Yes. A notice is posted next to each institutional telephone telling inmates that calls are monitored. The practical takeaway for you on the outside: assume regular calls are not private. Keep your conversation focused on family updates and day-to-day support.

All personal calls must go through the Bureau of Prisons' Inmate Telephone System (ITS). This is a safety and security requirement, and it means your loved one can't just use any phone method that happens to work. If a call won't connect or a number seems blocked, one common reason is that it doesn't fit the ITS rules for personal calling.

If a call cuts off suddenly, it's often because of a time limit set by the institution. Federal policy requires each institution's local supplement to specify the maximum length of telephone calls. The general framework is system-wide, but the exact details are local.

Federal inmates place calls to numbers on an approved telephone list. That list ordinarily holds up to 30 numbers. If you changed your phone number, switched carriers, or started using a different number, your loved one may need to update the list before calls will go through.

There is some flexibility. An Associate Warden may authorize additional numbers based on individual circumstances (for example, the size of the inmate's family). If the 30-number cap is creating a real problem, your loved one can ask about the expansion process on their side.

Phone access can be restricted temporarily. The Warden has authority to restrict or suspend an inmate's regular telephone privileges when there is reasonable suspicion the inmate's actions threaten the institution's good order or security. If calls suddenly stop, this kind of restriction may be the reason, not a technical issue or a problem with your phone.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Expect regular calls to be monitored, there is a notice posted by the institutional phones.
• ✓ Save sensitive legal strategy for attorney communications, since unmonitored attorney calls are only permitted in certain circumstances and have to be handled the right way.

• ✓ Keep track of which numbers your loved one has on their approved list, since the list ordinarily tops out at 30 numbers.
• ✓ If your family truly needs more than 30 numbers, ask your loved one to look into whether an Associate Warden can authorize additional numbers based on individual circumstances (for example, a large family).

• ✓ Plan calls with a time cap in mind, local supplements set the maximum call length and it is ordinarily 15 minutes.
• ✓ If calls cut off consistently, have your loved one check the institution’s local supplement for the exact call-length rule.
• ✓ If calls stop entirely, remember the Warden can temporarily restrict or suspend phone privileges when there is reasonable suspicion of a security or good-order threat.

For rules that vary by institution, start with the institution's local supplement. It must spell out the maximum length of telephone calls. Still not sure what applies in your loved one's unit? The next step is usually having your loved one ask their unit team about the local phone procedures being enforced where they are housed.