How to Contact an Inmate at Facility
If your loved one is in a Tennessee Department of Correction facility, phone contact works differently than most people expect. Here's the quickest way to understand what you can and can't do.
The Tennessee Department of Correction does not allow inbound phone calls to inmates. You can't call the facility and ask to be connected. All phone contact has to start from the inside, with the inmate placing an outgoing call.
Calls are limited to an approved phone list. Each inmate can have up to ten approved telephone numbers, and the phone system only connects to those registered numbers. Need to be added or updated? The inmate has to request changes through their unit team. If you're on an inmate's approved list and want to be removed, that's a separate process: you submit a written request to the facility's warden or superintendent.
Key point: You cannot place inbound calls to Tennessee DOC inmates. The inmate controls their approved list (up to ten numbers). If you need to be removed from that list, submit a written request to the facility warden or superintendent. Confirm the exact submission details with the facility beforehand.
Steps to Follow
- ✓ Do not plan on calling the inmate directly, inbound calls are not permitted.
- ✓ Confirm whether the inmate has your number on their approved telephone number list.
- ✓ If you want to be added or a number needs to change, ask the inmate to initiate the update through their unit team.
- ✓ If you need to be removed from an inmate’s approved list, prepare a written request addressed to the facility warden or superintendent.
Before counting on any plan for staying in touch, verify the current details for the specific facility your loved one is at (for example, Northwest Correctional Complex). Confirm that the no-inbound-calls rule applies in all situations at that location. Ask how approved phone numbers get added or changed, and whether any specific forms or ID requirements are involved. If you need removal from someone's approved list, find out exactly where the written request should go (warden or superintendent), what information to include, and how to deliver it. Policies can be enforced strictly, so a quick call to the facility using official Tennessee DOC contact information is worth your time.
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