Minnesota Department of Correction

Offenders will receive reasonable access to the telephone to communicate with persons outside the facility. The warden/superintendent or designee may review telephone misconduct and suspend offender telephone use indefinitely.

• Offenders may be assigned a personal identification number (PIN). The security of the PIN is the responsibility of the offender to whom it is issued. Offenders may request a new PIN by submitting a voucher for $3.00 to Offender Accounts.  Offenders must have the funds available in their spending account in order for the PIN to be issued.  Only the offender whose PIN has been used to place the phone call is allowed to participate in that call. Questions regarding PINS and account balances must be addressed via Kite to Canteen/Property Supervisor.
  
  
• Telephone time may be purchased through the canteen.  Any unused telephone time will be refunded on the offender’s release or transfer to a non-department facility.
  
  
• Offender telephone calls are a maximum of 15 minutes in duration for each connection.
  
  
• Calls to cellular telephones are not guaranteed for quality or connectivity
  
  
• The facility will not accept collect calls for offenders.
  
  
•  Emergency:  Emergency messages will be verified prior to offender notification.  Special telephone calls by the offender may be approved following authorization by designated staff.
  
  
• Telephone calls to offenders in other facilities:  Offenders may request permission to make calls to immediate family members incarcerated in other facilities if warranted by special circumstances (i.e., a verifiable family emergency involving the hospitalization, serious injury, or death of an immediate family member).  The offender’s case manager or on-duty supervisor will arrange and monitor these calls; approval is required from the facility wardens/superintendents or designees.
  
  
• When legal business cannot be accomplished by U.S. mail, an offender may request an approved telephone contact with an attorney.
  
  
• Designated staff will review the request and authorize/deny the call.  Staff will place the call and verify that the requested party is available and willing to accept the call.  Telephones for approved attorney calls will not be subject to any monitoring activity and the facility will not charge offenders for approved attorney calls.
• Attorney calls are limited to 15 minutes in duration and the primary purpose should be to arrange for a personal visit by the attorney to discuss the legal issues prompting the call.
• Calls to the clerk of court, county or city law enforcement or other entities that are not attorneys are not considered attorney calls.
  
  
• Abuse of telephone privileges may result in informal sanctions, formal discipline, and/or indefinite suspension of offender telephone use.

 Source: Division Directive:     302.210       Title:   Offender Telephone Use;     Effective Date:        5/5/09

http://www.doc.state.mn.us/DOcpolicy2/html/DPW_Display.asp?Opt=302.210.htm