ICE Provides Guidance on Unmonitored Phone Calls and Video Teleconference Meetings at Irwin County Detention Center
ICE provided a legal notice on SPLC v. DHS, et al. regarding unmonitored phone calls and video teleconference meetings at Irwin County Detention Center. Notice also includes information on unmonitored legal phone calls and faxing legal documents.
2020 – SPLC v. DHS, et al (No. 18-0760) – Irwin County Detention Center
Unmonitored Phone Calls and Video Teleconference Meetings
All legal representative communication requests will be responded to and placed on the communication schedule within forty-eight (48) hours of the request, excluding weekends and holidays.
Unmonitored calls and video teleconference meetings with legal representatives can occur in the following ways:
By Facilitated Telephone Call
Legal representatives may make an appointment for a facilitated, unmonitored call with clients or prospective clients by contacting one of two dedicated Law Library Clerks at (229) 468-4121 ext. 2251 or 2252 or Irwinice@irwincdc.com, within 24-hours (excluding weekends and holidays) of the desired call time. If you do not reach a Law Library Clerk, simply leave the following information by voicemail message:
- Legal Representative’s Full Name
- Legal Representative’s Contact Information which includes all phone numbers and email addresses
- Name and Facility ID # or the A# of the detained individual
Facilitated telephone calls are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but this availability time may be expanded in urgent situations. Phone calls will take place in a private room and will be scheduled in 60-minute increments. Legal representatives may request additional time when making the appointment. Additional time will be granted if available. The officer will advise the detainee when there are 5 minutes remaining in the call. Facilitated phone calls do not automatically end.
If legal representatives have a technical issue with a facilitated phone call, they can contact the Law Library Clerks at Irwinice@irwincdc.com or (229) 468-4121 ext. 2251 or 2252.
By Video Teleconference
Legal representatives may request video teleconference meeting appointments with their clients or potential clients 24-hours prior to the requested meeting time (excluding weekends and holidays) by contacting the Law Library Clerks at (229) 468-4121 ext. 2251 or 2252 or Irwinice@irwincdc.com. The following information must be in included in the email:
- Legal Representative’s Full Name
- Legal Representative’s Contact Information which includes phone number and email addresses
Name and Facility ID # or the A# of the detained individual
Video teleconference meeting appointments are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but this availability time may be expanded in urgent situations. The Law Library Clerks are available on-site during these hours. Video teleconference meetings will be scheduled in 60-minute increments. Legal representatives may request additional time when making the appointment. Additional time will be granted if available. The officer will advise the detainee when there are 5 minutes remaining in the videoconference meeting. Video teleconference meetings do not automatically end.
In addition to providing their general government-issued identification, legal representatives will also be required to show appropriate identification or documentation reflecting their status as an active legal representative, such as a state bar card, attorney license, paralegal license, or similar legal status.
If legal representatives have a technical issue with a video teleconferencing device, they can contact the Law Library Clerks at Irwinice@irwincdc.com or (229) 468-4121 ext. 2251 or 2252.
By Detainee Telephone System (DTS)
Unmonitored legal phone calls can also be made by detainees through the detainee telephone system from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. These calls are placed by the detainee and are not scheduled through the facility. These calls are subject to the standard time limits imposed by the local phone service provider. Therefore, these calls will terminate after 15 minutes. However, detainees are able to make back-to-back phone calls.
Detainee calls made through the DTS pro bono platform are not monitored or recorded.
Legal representatives not already on the DTS pro bono platform can set up an account for unmonitored calls by emailing a request on letterhead with a maximum of two phone numbers to Irwin.attorneys@irwincdc.com or faxing it to (229) 468-4186. The numbers will be checked and approved by ICDC staff. ICDC will notify the legal representative when the numbers are approved. After approval, the legal representative will need to contact Correct Solutions at https://csgpay.com or 1-877-618-3516 to deposit funds into the account.
If legal representatives have technical or other difficulties with the detainee telephone system, they may email the issue to the Phone Maintenance Officer at phones.vtc@irwincdc.com.
Faxing Legal Documents
Documents Sent by Detainees to Legal Representatives
- Monday through Friday at approximately 11 a.m. ICDC staff will make a verbal announcement to notify detainees that a Law Library Clerk will circulate in each housing unit to collect documents to be faxed. Detainees will be provided a cover sheet and envelope. The coversheet must be completed by the detainee and placed in the envelope along with the documents to be faxed. The detainee will write their name, A#, and housing unit on the envelope before giving it to the Law Library Clerk. One of two dedicated Law Library Clerks will collect the fax requests from the detainees. If detainees have an emergency or urgent fax request after this initial collection, he or she must notify an ICDC staff member so that a Law Library Clerk can return to his or her housing unit to collect the documents to be faxed.
- One of the two dedicated Law Library Clerks will review the fax request coversheet form to determine the recipient of the fax (the underlying documents will be inspected but will not be read, consistent with PBNDS 2011 Sections 5.1 and 5.7), fax the legal documents, and enter non-confidential notes in the logbook. The envelope containing the documents and the transmittal receipt will be returned to the detainee. To ensure confidentiality, documents transmitted and received by fax will only be handled by the two dedicated Law Library Clerks or one of three dedicated and trained staff members.
Documents Sent by Legal Representatives to Detainees
- The following fax number may be used to receive and transmit legal paperwork: (229) 468-5743.
- Legal representatives transmitting documents should include a cover sheet containing the detained individual’s name and either their A# or Facility ID#.
- This fax number and machine are used solely for transmitting or receiving legal documentation. As such, all transmissions received are treated as confidential and do not need to be marked as such. Once a fax transmission is received, one of the two Law Library Clerks will examine the coversheet of the fax transmission (the underlying documents will be inspected but not be read, consistent with PBNDS 2011 Sections 5.1 and 5.7). Incoming faxes will be placed in an envelope with the detainee’s name and A# written on the outside. This individual will then deliver the transmission directly to the detained individual in his or her housing unit. In the event that the Law Library Clerks are absent from the facility, this process is handled by one of three dedicated and trained staff members
Technical Difficulties
If legal representatives have difficulty in faxing or receiving legal documents to/from the above fax number, they may call the Law Library Clerks at (229) 468-4121, ext. 2251 or 2252. If no one answers, please leave a voicemail message.
Depositing Funds on Detainee Phone Accounts
For a convenient and secure way for detainees to deposit funds into phone accounts, two (2) account options are available:
- Pre-Paid Accounts – This type of account is good for phone numbers listed by the payee only.
- Inmate Pin Debit – This type of account is good for any number the detainee calls.
To make a deposit, customers must first set up an account online at https://csgpay.com/ or contact the call center at 1-877-618-3516. When setting up the account, you need to have the name, birth date, and location of the detainee (Irwin County Detention Center # 24027).
Note – Adding funds to Commissary is not available for Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC)