Phone calls and electronic messages at FCI Mendota: monitoring, retention, and TRULINCS basics

Phone use at FCI Mendota is a privilege, not a right. The Bureau of Prisons wants inmates to maintain ties with family and community, but the rules are designed to prevent misuse. Third-party calling and alternative call arrangements are not allowed. Assume every call is monitored. Signs posted by the telephones make this clear, so there's no expectation of privacy on regular calls. Attorney calls can be unmonitored under certain circumstances, protecting legal communications when specific requirements are met.

The BOP's phone system (TRUFONE) does more than carry conversations. It collects and stores information about each call, including contact details and call activity. Records are tied to who is communicating and when.

TRULINCS electronic messages work more like a controlled messaging system than regular email. Messages are text-only, with no attachments allowed. Each message maxes out at 13,000 characters (roughly two pages). If you need to send documents, photos, or lengthy updates, you'll have to find another way.

Before you can exchange TRULINCS messages, both sides need approval. The inmate must be cleared to use TRULINCS, and each contact has to give permission to communicate through the system. These messages are monitored and screened under BOP rules. Treat them like postcards: stick to family updates, support, and practical matters. Avoid writing anything you wouldn't want reviewed.

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• ✓ Have the inmate start the TRULINCS contact approval process early, since both the inmate and each contact must be approved before messaging.
• ✓ Write TRULINCS messages for a text-only system: no attachments, and keep each message under 13,000 characters.
• ✓ Assume monitoring on standard phone calls. FCI Mendota posts notices by the phones stating calls are monitored.
• ✓ Do not use third-party calling or alternative call arrangements. They are not permitted.
• ✓ Keep sensitive personal details off monitored channels when you can, since TRUFONE collects and stores call and contact information.
• ✓ Remember recordings are deleted after 180 days unless kept for legal or administrative purposes, so do not assume a call disappears quickly.
• ✓ If you need attorney communications to be unmonitored, follow the proper process. Unmonitored attorney calls are permitted in certain circumstances.