Penmate Inmate Support Guides
Phone & Messaging

What to Expect When You Get a Call from Someone in a VADOC Facility

Calls from a Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) facility follow specific rules about who can be called, how long calls last, and what can result in lost phone privileges. Knowing the basics ahead of time helps you avoid surprises and keeps your loved one's access intact.

• 2 min read Verified from official sources

In VADOC facilities, inmates can only call numbers on their approved call list. Both landlines and cell phones work, so you don't need a traditional home phone to receive calls. The inmate is responsible for keeping this list current, and it's capped at 15 numbers. That limit can feel tight for large families. It helps to talk with your loved one about which numbers matter most and whether any old or duplicate entries should be removed.

Note: The VADOC inmate phone system is operated through ConnectNetwork by Global Tel*Link. If you are trying to sort out an account or technical issue, that is the name you will usually see tied to the phone service.

Calls are time-limited. VADOC caps individual calls at 20 minutes to give inmates fair access to the phones.

Expect that calls are not private. All inmate phone calls are recorded and monitored, except properly verified attorney calls. Treat every conversation like it could be reviewed later, and avoid discussing anything you wouldn't want on tape.

Phone access can be revoked if the rules are abused. VADOC can suspend phone privileges for either you or the inmate. Some violations involve how calls are placed or billed; others involve routing calls in ways the system doesn't allow.

  • ✓ Placing incoming calls to an inmate
  • ✓ Calling international numbers
  • ✓ Making 700, 800, 888, 900, and similar toll-free calls
  • ✓ Charging calls to credit cards, third parties, or any billing other than collect or pre-paid to the called party
  • ✓ Transferring calls to a third party
  • ✓ Using call forwarding, call forwarding services, or answering machine services
  • ✓ Calling pager numbers or calling pay phones
  1. Decide if you want to accept the call. You are free to deny any collect or debit call from an inmate.
  2. If you are not comfortable, do not take it. If the call is unexpected, you do not recognize the situation, or you simply do not want charges, refuse the call.

For phone-service issues, start with ConnectNetwork by Global Tel*Link, the operator for the VADOC inmate phone system. Questions about recordings or monitoring may need to go through the facility directly, since all calls (except properly verified attorney calls) are recorded and monitored.

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