Phone access and privacy at Irwin County Detention Center: what families should know

Phone calls from Irwin County Detention Center are generally paid for by the detainee or the person they call. The facility also has a responsibility to make sure detainees can access telephone service at prices that are reasonable, so cost should not become a barrier to basic communication.

Access shouldn't depend on luck. The facility must meet minimum phone availability standards. Certain calls also cannot be electronically monitored without a court order, including legal and oversight calls.

Irwin County Detention Center must provide at least one working telephone for every 25 detainees. The word "working" matters here. A phone that is broken, blocked, or constantly out of service does not count as meaningful access.

Detention standards also set an "optimal" benchmark: at full staffing and operation levels, facilities should have one telephone for every 10 detainees. If your loved one consistently can't get to a phone, this helps you gauge whether the issue is normal scheduling pressure or a bigger access problem.

Usually, the detainee or the person they call pays for calls. If you're suddenly seeing unexpected charges or deposit requests, this is typically why.

That said, cost has a baseline standard. Irwin County Detention Center must ensure detainees have access to reasonably priced telephone services. If pricing feels extreme, ask questions and document what you're being charged. Affordability is part of what the facility is expected to provide.

Some calls are protected. Calls to a court, a legal representative, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), or the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties office (CRCL) may not be electronically monitored without a court order. The same applies to calls made to obtain legal representation. If the call is legal in nature, the expectation is privacy, not routine recording or monitoring.

Phones aren't allowed to stay broken without attention. The facility must maintain detainee telephones in proper working order, have staff inspect them daily, promptly report out-of-order phones to the repair service, and complete repairs quickly. These issues and repair actions are supposed to be logged. That matters if there's a recurring outage and you need a clear record of what happened and when.

If the existing phone system cannot meet access requirements, the facility administrator must notify ICE/DRO so another way to provide access can be arranged. The standard even gives an example: pre-programmed cell phones with only authorized numbers available.

• ✓ Write down the first day you noticed the problem (no calls getting through, phones reportedly out of order) and how long it has lasted.
• ✓ Ask whether the out-of-order phones have been reported for repair and logged, since daily inspection and logging are required.
• ✓ If the issue is ongoing, ask whether the facility administrator has notified ICE/DRO that the current system cannot meet access requirements.
• ✓ Ask what alternative telephone access is being provided if the system limitations are preventing required access (for example, an option like pre-programmed phones with authorized numbers).

1. Ask for the facility’s telephone rules - The facility must provide telephone access rules in writing when someone is admitted.
2. Have your loved one check posted rules too - Those rules must also be posted where detainees can easily see them, in a language they understand.
3. If access is the issue, focus your questions on serviceability - Broken or unavailable phones should be caught in daily inspections, logged, and sent for prompt repair.

1. Ask who pays for the calls - In general, the detainee or the person they call is responsible for call costs, so you want to understand what options exist for your situation.
2. Ask about alternatives if the phone system is not meeting requirements - If the system limitations prevent required access, the administrator must notify ICE/DRO so an alternative means of telephone access can be provided (the standards list pre-programmed cell phones as an example).
3. Keep cost and access together in the conversation - The facility is expected to ensure access to reasonably priced telephone services, even when systems are strained.

1. Request that the problem is logged and repaired - Daily inspection, logging out-of-order phones, and quick repairs are required, so it is fair to ask whether that process is happening.
2. Ask whether ICE/DRO has been notified if the system cannot meet requirements - Notification is required when phone system limitations prevent compliance, so alternatives can be put in place.
3. Track what you are told - Keep a simple record of dates, who you spoke with, and what you were told about repairs, logs, and any ICE/DRO notification.