Why Your Phone Calls Are Recorded at Vista Detention Facility (And When They're Not)

Vista Detention Facility records all inmate phone calls by default. The only exception is when DIU has verified a phone number and added it to the facility's

This recording setup applies to some visits too. Social visits (non-contact) use the inmate telephone system, so treat those conversations as recorded. Contact visits are different - they're not recorded under this policy.

Here's the catch with

Phone calls aren't the only thing that can be monitored. For non-privileged inmate mail, the facility can make copies for investigative purposes - but only when an outside peace officer or deputy district attorney submits a written request.

These monitoring requests have limits. Standard requests submitted to DIU expire automatically after ninety (90) days. If an agency needs monitoring to continue, they can request an extension - but those are evaluated case-by-case.

1. Deputies copy the mail and label it - each copied piece is marked with the inmate’s name and booking number, the date and time it was copied, and the name and ARJIS of the deputy who made the copy.
2. DIU forwards the copies to the requesting agency - DIU personnel send scanned copies by e-mail, or print/photocopy and forward them if electronic forwarding isn’t possible.

Family Tips

• ✓ If your loved one needs to speak privately with an attorney, physician, or religious advisor, ask that professional to make sure their phone number is verified by DIU and entered into the facility’s “Do Not Record” database.
• ✓ Don’t assume a “privileged” relationship automatically means a call won’t be recorded - the number has to be verified and added to the approved list first.
• ✓ If you’re worried about mail privacy, know that copying for investigative purposes requires a written request from an outside peace officer or a deputy district attorney, and it applies when the correspondence is not privileged.