How to Accept Your Loved One’s First Call from Nottoway Corrections Center (what families must do)

When your loved one enters Virginia DOC custody, they're automatically enrolled in the inmate telephone system - no sign-up required on either end. Their initial 4-digit phone PIN is set to their birth month and day (MMDD), which helps if you're troubleshooting access issues together. The real hurdle is on your side: your phone number won't work for calls until you complete an automated consent process. One more thing to know - inmates can only have 15 approved numbers on their call list. If that list is full, someone has to come off before you can be added.

No waiting period here. At Virginia DOC facilities like Nottoway Corrections Center, inmates are automatically enrolled in the phone system when they arrive in custody.

If your loved one says they can't place calls yet, the PIN is worth checking first. Their initial 4-digit telephone PIN is automatically set to MMDD - their birth month and day. It's one of the most common early hiccups.

Still waiting for that first call? Your number might not be active yet. A phone number won't work on an inmate's call list until you - the telephone subscriber - complete an automated consent process. That approval step can take some time.

1. Answer the automated consent contact - the system will reach out and guide you through approval for your phone number.
2. Confirm you’re authorized for the number - you’ll be asked whether you’re the person who can make decisions for that telephone number.
3. State your name - the prompt will ask you to say your name as part of the consent.
4. Acknowledge monitoring and recording - you’ll be asked to confirm you understand calls are monitored and recorded, except attorney calls with previously approved recording blocks.

Consent is just the first step. Your number also has to fit on your loved one's approved call list, which maxes out at 15 numbers. If they're already at the limit, they'll need to remove someone before adding you.

Cell phones work fine. You can add and manage wireless numbers the same way as landlines - no home phone required.

Keep privacy in mind when you talk. Calls on the VADOC inmate telephone system are monitored and recorded. The only exception is attorney calls with an approved recording block.

Expect a short window. Calls are limited to 20 minutes unless the Director authorizes an exception, so lead with the most important updates.

Quick Troubleshooting

• ✓ Answer and complete the automated subscriber-consent prompts (authorization for the number, your name, and acknowledgment that calls are monitored/recorded).
• ✓ If you don’t want to accept contact, refuse (deny) the collect or debit call.
• ✓ If your phone hasn’t rung yet, keep an ear out for the automated consent contact - your number won’t become active until consent is granted.

Since inmates are automatically enrolled when they enter DOC custody, connection problems usually come down to one thing: your number isn't active yet. Check your consent status first.

These rules come from VADOC-wide phone policies, which is why they apply at Nottoway. One last thing: phone access gets suspended during facility counts and can also go down for emergencies or security reasons. Even when everything is set up right, there may be times your loved one simply can't reach the phones.