Phone Access in Restrictive Housing at Wallens Ridge: Monthly Limits and Exceptions
When someone gets moved to restrictive housing at Wallens Ridge, their phone access typically drops to a fixed number of calls each month. Here's how those limits work, what can temporarily block calls, and the rare situations where staff might approve an exception.
Reduced phone access at Wallens Ridge applies to people housed in General Detention, Restorative Housing (RHU), or the Restorative Housing step-down levels (SD-1 and SD-2). Each placement comes with specific monthly call limits under VADOC telephone procedures. If calls suddenly drop off, a move into one of these units is often the reason.
Note: These telephone procedures apply to VADOC facilities. If your loved one is housed in a local jail, that jail’s phone rules apply, and you’ll need to contact the jail directly.
Monthly Call Limits
- ✓ General Detention - 2 telephone calls per month
- ✓ Restorative Housing (RHU) - 2 telephone calls per month
- ✓ Restorative Housing Step-down 1 (SD-1) - 4 telephone calls per month
- ✓ Restorative Housing Step-down 2 (SD-2) - 6 telephone calls per month
Calls can get interrupted even within those monthly limits. Phone access is suspended during facility counts, and staff can also shut it down anytime for emergency or security reasons. If your loved one says they "missed their window" or couldn't reach the phone when expected, a count or security situation is likely why.
One narrow exception exists for a death in the immediate family. The Facility Unit Head or Administrative Duty Officer can approve a call - incoming or outgoing - when a death occurs and using the standard inmate phone system isn't feasible.
A second exception applies to approved marriage ceremonies. If the Facility Unit Head signs off on the Inmate Marriage Request form, staff will allow a call to the intended spouse at the number listed on that request so the inmate can participate in the ceremony.
- Confirm where your loved one is housed - VADOC phone rules apply to VADOC facilities like Wallens Ridge; if they’re in a local jail, that jail’s procedures control and you’ll need to contact the jail directly.
- If it’s a true emergency, have your loved one ask staff about an exception - The Facility Unit Head or Administrative Duty Officer can allow a call for a death in the immediate family when the regular phone system isn’t feasible.
- If it’s a marriage ceremony, make sure the right approval is in place - The call to the intended spouse is tied to Facility Unit Head approval on the Inmate Marriage Request form, using the phone number listed on that request.
If the call limits don't match what you're actually seeing, timing is often the issue. Facility counts suspend phone access, and emergency or security situations can wipe out expected call windows entirely. When you're trying to piece things together, ask whether a count or security suspension affected when calls could go through.
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