Prison Phone Justice

Telephone Use 971
POLlCY
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EFF ECTIVE DATE:

SUBJECT AREA

960-999 Civil Rights
& Opportuniti es

UNITS AFFECTED:- All
Correctional Facilities

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INTRODUCTION
The telephone, can provide inmates witr a valuable means of communi-

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eating with family and friends as well as attorneys, courts, and social

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agencies.

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by telephone witn persons in the community.

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Inmates should be afforded regular opportunities to communicate

OBJECTIVE
To provide guidelines for the development of procedures at individual

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facilities regulating residents' use of the telephone.

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GRQUP SERVED

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Staff and inmates at all correctional facilities.

DESCRIPTION OF POLICY
Inmates should be allowed access to a telephone on a regular basis

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to place and receive calls with attorneys, courts and pUblic officials,

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and family and friends.

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Procedures for telephone use should take into account the overall

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security, order and management requirements of the facility, specific programs

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and individual inmates.

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such as:

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population,

Procedures should also consider facility constraints

staff~

number of telephones, etc.

Inmate telephone conversation may be monitored if there is clear
reason to believe the security of the facility may be threatened.

If a

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telephone conversation is to be monitored, the inmate and the other party

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shall be so informed before the conversation begins.
Inmates in detention status should receive special consideration as

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outlined in Policy 446 "Oetentioners/Safekeepers".

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Ordinarily the Department will not pay for telephone calls.

However,

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in emergency situations the Superintendent of a facility may in exercise

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of his

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if the inmate cannot arrange to pay -j'or it.

discretion~

authorize a call by an inmate at the facility1s expense

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Implementation:

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Each facility shall develop a procedure for regulating the inmate's

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use of the telephone.

Though they will vary depending upon the need and

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the capabilities of specific facilities, the procedures developed must be

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in accordance with this policy.

LEGAL REFERENCE
28 VSA, Sec. 1(b)(c), l02(b)(2L 804

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Commi ss loner Of) Corrections
(Acting

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