Vt Prison Phone Policy
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Telephone Use 971 POLlCY 1 2 3 EFF ECTIVE DATE: SUBJECT AREA 960-999 Civil Rights & Opportuniti es UNITS AFFECTED:- All Correctional Facilities 4 5 6 INTRODUCTION The telephone, can provide inmates witr a valuable means of communi- 7 eating with family and friends as well as attorneys, courts, and social 8 agencies. 9 by telephone witn persons in the community. 10 11 Inmates should be afforded regular opportunities to communicate OBJECTIVE To provide guidelines for the development of procedures at individual 12 facilities regulating residents' use of the telephone. 13 GRQUP SERVED 14 15 16 Staff and inmates at all correctional facilities. DESCRIPTION OF POLICY Inmates should be allowed access to a telephone on a regular basis 17 to place and receive calls with attorneys, courts and pUblic officials, 18 and family and friends. 19 Procedures for telephone use should take into account the overall 20 security, order and management requirements of the facility, specific programs 21 and individual inmates. 22 such as: 23 24 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 971 Page 2 25 telephone conversation is to be monitored, the inmate and the other party 26 shall be so informed before the conversation begins. Inmates in detention status should receive special consideration as 27 28 outlined in Policy 446 "Oetentioners/Safekeepers". 29 Ordinarily the Department will not pay for telephone calls. However, 30 in emergency situations the Superintendent of a facility may in exercise 31 of his 32 if the inmate cannot arrange to pay -j'or it. discretion~ authorize a call by an inmate at the facility1s expense 33 Implementation: 34 Each facility shall develop a procedure for regulating the inmate's 35 use of the telephone. Though they will vary depending upon the need and 36 the capabilities of specific facilities, the procedures developed must be 37 in accordance with this policy. LEGAL REFERENCE 28 VSA, Sec. 1(b)(c), l02(b)(2L 804 IiJ.. '/ ~f,·· .,,'-;;-' L, Commi ss loner Of) Corrections (Acting ,' _,I -