How Phone Calls Work at FCI Terminal Island (Who Pays, Monitoring, and Data Retention)

At FCI Terminal Island, the Bureau of Prisons offers telephone privileges to help incarcerated people stay in touch with family and community contacts. Phone access is treated as a privilege meant to support healthy connections - not a private, unlimited phone service.

Usually, the inmate pays for calls. In some situations, the person receiving the call can pay instead. What you can't do is set up third-party or alternative calling arrangements as a workaround - those aren't allowed.

Assume calls aren't private. A notice is posted next to each telephone warning inmates that calls are monitored. Both the person calling and the person answering should speak with that in mind.

The BOP's TRUFONE phone system records calls as part of what it stores. Recordings are kept temporarily and deleted after 180 days - unless they're needed for legal or administrative purposes, in which case they may be held longer.

• ✓ Telephone numbers associated with an inmate’s calling list
• ✓ Biometric information (voice verification)
• ✓ Inmate TRUFONE account balance information

1. Confirm what number you want to use - Stick with one primary phone number you want connected to your loved one’s calls.
2. Have your loved one verify their calling list - TRUFONE uses the telephone numbers associated with an inmate’s calling list, so it helps to make sure your number is listed the way you expect.
3. Re-check after any number change - If you switch carriers, change your number, or start answering on a different line, have them confirm the updated number is reflected on the calling list.