Penmate Inmate Support Guides
Phone & Messaging

How to Contact an Inmate at Facility

Staying in touch matters, and this facility does allow phone contact. A few rules around call routing, monitoring, and time limits will shape what you're able to do.

• 2 min read Based on general IL policies
How to Contact an Inmate at Facility

Inmates at this facility have telephone privileges so they can stay connected with family and other community contacts. Phone calls are a normal, supported way to communicate, as long as the person you're trying to reach currently has those privileges.

Must-know: Third-party or alternative call arrangements are not permitted. You'll need to use the standard calling process only.

Usually, the inmate pays for phone calls. In some situations the receiving party may pay instead. If you're unsure how calls will be billed, confirm before you expect a call.

Heads up: A notice is posted next to each telephone advising inmates that calls are monitored.

Attorney calls are treated differently. Unmonitored telephone calls to attorneys are permitted in certain circumstances, so legal communications may be exempt from the normal monitoring practices.

Calls aren't unlimited. The maximum length is ordinarily 15 minutes. If your conversations keep cutting off around that mark, the time limit is the most likely reason.

Steps to Follow

  • ✓ Confirm the inmate currently has telephone privileges.
  • ✓ Plan for standard calling only, third-party or other alternative call arrangements are not permitted.
  • ✓ Figure out who pays for calls in your situation (usually the inmate, sometimes the receiving party).
  • ✓ Check the maximum call length listed in the institution supplement (ordinarily 15 minutes).
  1. Ask about the attorney-call exception: If you’re trying to coordinate legal communication, confirm whether an unmonitored attorney call applies in your circumstances.
  2. Follow the facility’s process: Use the procedures required for arranging an unmonitored call to an attorney when that exception is allowed.
How to Contact an Inmate at Facility

What to Verify

  • ✓ Whether the inmate is expected to pay for calls in this case.
  • ✓ Whether any receiving-party payment option applies for the calls you’ll be getting.
  • ✓ Confirmation that calls are monitored (the facility posts a notice next to each telephone advising this).
  • ✓ The exact circumstances and procedure for arranging an unmonitored call to an attorney.
  • ✓ The maximum call length listed in the institution supplement.
  • ✓ Whether the ordinary maximum (15 minutes) applies to the inmate’s current housing/status and whether any exceptions exist.

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