Phone Access at Irwin County Detention Center: How Many Phones, Costs, and What to Do if Lines Are Down

ICE detention standards set a baseline: facilities must provide at least one working telephone for every 25 detainees. If your loved one says they can't get to a phone for long stretches, this ratio is the first benchmark to check when something seems off.

There's also a better-practice target. Under PBNDS 2011, facilities hit optimal levels when they provide at least one telephone for every ten detainees. That ratio typically means shorter waits, fewer missed connections, and less chaos during peak calling times.

Most calls aren't free. Either the detainee or the person receiving the call typically pays. That said, facilities are required to provide reasonably priced telephone service - so while you'll likely see charges, the system shouldn't be set up to gouge families trying to stay connected.

Some calls get extra protection because they're tied to legal rights. Calls to courts, legal representatives, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), or CRCL - or calls made to obtain legal representation - can't be electronically monitored without a court order. If your loved one needs to reach a lawyer or report a serious concern, that protection matters.

Phones aren't supposed to just stay broken. Facilities must keep detainee telephones in working order, with staff inspecting them daily. When a phone goes down, staff must report it promptly, get repairs done quickly, and log everything. If your loved one keeps hearing "the phones are down," there should be a paper trail showing what was checked, what failed, and what was done about it.

1. Have your loved one report the problem as a broken-phone issue - daily inspections and logging are required, so the most useful complaint is specific: which phone(s), where, and when they were out of order.
2. Ask that the outage be documented and logged for repair - the standards require out-of-order phones to be reported and logged, with repairs completed quickly.
3. If the system can’t meet the requirements, push for escalation to the facility administrator - when the phone system’s limitations prevent meeting the requirements, the administrator has a duty to notify ICE/DRO so alternative access can be arranged.

When the phone system can't meet requirements, the facility administrator must notify ICE/DRO so an alternative can be arranged. The standard even gives an example: pre-programmed cell phones where staff load authorized numbers and block everything else, provided in a setting that meets privacy standards. If your loved one goes days without working phones, this policy exists to prevent "no access" from becoming normal.

Costs and privacy rules differ by call type. Phone charges are generally paid by the detainee or recipient. But legal calls have separate protection: calls to courts, legal representatives, OIG, CRCL, or for obtaining legal representation can't be electronically monitored without a court order. When your loved one needs to reach counsel, the issue isn't just getting a dial tone - it's being able to talk without someone listening in.

• ✓ Confirm which numbers are treated as “legal” calls (courts, attorneys/legal representatives, OIG, CRCL, or calls to obtain legal representation).
• ✓ Ask what the facility’s process is to make sure those calls are not electronically monitored without a court order.
• ✓ If call costs are a barrier, ask what exceptions or special calling options are available for required categories of calls.
• ✓ If legal calls keep failing due to system issues, ask staff to escalate it so the administrator can notify ICE/DRO if the phone system can’t meet requirements.