Setting Up Your Inmate's Phone List at a BOP Facility: What Gets Approved and What Doesn't

Your loved one can request to call people outside the facility, but phone access is a privilege - not a right. Staff can limit or add conditions to calling privileges when security requires it. The phone list is official, and calls only go to numbers on it. During admission and orientation, inmates who want phone privileges submit a proposed list of up to 30 numbers. If you want to be added, make sure your loved one has your correct number and includes it on their list.

BOP phone calls exist to help inmates stay connected with family and community. That said, the facility can still restrict or condition phone privileges when needed for security or daily operations - even for specific contacts an inmate wants to reach.

Every personal call must go through the Bureau's Inmate Telephone System (ITS). Your loved one can't use call forwarding - including automatic electronic forwarding or similar features - to get around the system. Some calling methods are off-limits entirely: toll-free calls and credit card calls aren't allowed. Neither are third-party arrangements or anything that routes the call through someone else's line or hides who's calling and who's being called.

Even a number that seems harmless has to pass review. The Associate Warden can deny any number that poses a threat to facility security, good order, or public safety. This standard is intentionally broad. The phone system helps the BOP manage safety and prevent misuse of communications. Approval isn't just about whether a number works - it's about whether staff believe allowing that contact could create problems.

Practical Tips Families

• ✓ Give your loved one a direct, standard phone number to add (not a toll-free number and not a credit-card access number).
• ✓ Don’t use call forwarding or any automatic forwarding features on the line you want them to call.
• ✓ Avoid any third-party or “alternative” calling setup that routes the call through someone else or tries to get around the normal system.
• ✓ Expect calls to come through the BOP’s Inmate Telephone System (ITS) rather than through workarounds.

The easiest way to avoid issues? Make sure your number can be dialed normally through ITS. Call forwarding is specifically banned because it bypasses how the system tracks calls. Toll-free numbers (1-800, 888, 877, 866, 900, 976) and credit-card access numbers aren't authorized either. If your phone setup relies on any of these features, it probably won't work as an approved contact number.