DENVER SHERIFF DEPARTMENT
Office of the Sheriff
 Department Order
1.00.1016
 Previous Revision:
August 2021		  Current Revision:
January 2023		  Reviewed:
August 2022		  Effective Date:
January 10th, 2023
Related Standards:
ACA 4ADLF: 5B-11; 5B-12; 6A-02; 6A-05
Related (referenced) Department Orders:
1.00.1012; 1.00.1019
 Subject:
INMATE USE OF TELEPHONES
  1. Purpose: The purpose of this order is to establish policy and procedure for the use of telephones by inmates.
  2. Policy: It is the policy of the Denver Sheriff Department ("DSD" or "the Department") to provide inmates in our custody reasonable and equitable access to use of the telephones and that such services are reasonably priced. <ACA 4-ALDF: 5B-12>
    1. Priority shall be given to initial calls at reception into the jail and for requests to call the courts, attorneys, and bond persons.
    2. This policy is designed to allow maximum use of the telephones by inmates consistent with reasonable internal security for this service and to provide maximum access to officers of the court, attorneys, bond persons, and as well as contact with outside family and friends.
  3. Cancellation: This order supersedes and cancels previous versions of Department Order 1.00.1016.
  4. Implementation: 
    1. General:
      1. C.R.S. §16-3-402 provides that inmates have a right under Colorado law to communicate with attorney and family. 
      2. An inmate may not contact anyone who is the subject of a court order requiring the inmate to refrain from contacting the individual. 
      3. Inmates at the COJL and DDC shall have access to pay phones for personal calls. Numbers to courts, and many bondsman and attorneys are programmed into the phone system, allowing calls to be placed free of charge. A free phone list containing the names of offices that are able to be placed free of charge shall be maintained by the Logistics Unit. 
      4. The COJL and DDC staff (deputies or civilians) shall not allow inmates to make personal calls on staff phones.
      5. The division chief or designee will establish procedures to implement this order incorporating the following guidelines.
    2. Procedures:
      1. General:
        1. Upon reception into the DSD jail system, Downtown Detention Center (DDC), or as soon as possible thereafter, an inmate should be given the opportunity to use the telephone. Refer to Department Order 1.00.1019 - Inmates with Disabilities/Americans with Disabilities Act and Department Order 1.00.1012 - Inmate Intake, Booking, and Release. <ACA 4-ALDF: 6A-05>
        2. Inmates will have to input an assigned PIN to make calls. Individuals being booked into custody will receive their PIN at the booking desk in Intake.  
        3. Unlimited use of the charge phones and in the holding cells/areas is permitted providing it does not interfere with processing and section 4.B.1.d.
        4. Unlimited use of the video phones in the holding cells/areas is permitted for deaf and hard of hearing inmates providing it does not interfere with processing and section 4.B.1.d.
        5. After the pre-booking process is complete, an inmate may make phone calls as time, safety, and security of the facility permits.
        6. Telephones shall be reasonably accessible to all inmates in all of the inmate housing areas. <ACA 4-ALDF: 5B-11>
        7. Except for the deaf and hard of hearing, personal, legal, social, or family calls shall generally be made on the collect call phones inside the housing areas where available.
          1. In areas not having the collect call phones, procedures shall be established to allow inmates access to make personal calls and legal calls.
        8. With the exception of attorney-client privileged conversations, all calls may be monitored and/or recorded for the safety of staff, inmates, the community, and the security of the facility.
          1. The privilege of personal calls may be temporarily suspended by disciplinary action.
      2. Legal Calls: 
        1. Legal calls shall not be unduly restricted, including through disciplinary action.
        2. Except for the deaf and hard of hearing, calls to the public defenders, parole, probation, and other legal calls will be completed on the inmate pay phones. <ACA 4-ALDF: 6A-02>. Legal calls to public defenders, probation, parole, Denver county or district courts, and other listed agencies shall be made on the inmate pay phones. These agencies are generally programmed into the system as free calls.
          1. If an attorney and/or agency does not appear on the free list, the attorney or agency may request to be added by contacting the Logistics Unit. 
        3. Calls to other persons/agencies not listed on the free list shall either have to accept collect calls or they will have to be contacted by mail. The only exception to this shall be courtrooms and investigating deputies in other jurisdictions or the Office of Inspector General, in which case the housing deputy shall attempt to complete the call as time and activities permit between 0900 and 1700 hours, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. 
        4. Calls between an inmate and their legal counsel shall be confidential; however, the deputy may verify the party being called. <ACA 4-ALDF: 6A-02>
          1.  At no time shall the DSD use audio or video recording devices to record conversations between attorneys and inmates, to include the inmate calling system. 
          2. All personnel who have access to the system shall immediately report to the facility major any conversation which may have inadvertently been recorded through a non-registered number.
        5. The legal call log shall be filled out completely and a notation of the inmate’s name, number called, and whether the call was completed successfully shall be placed in the housing unit’s log book.  
      3.  Deaf/Hard of Hearing: 
        1.  General:<ACA 4-ALDF: 5B-11>
          1. It is the policy of the DSD to provide deaf/hard of hearing inmates access to telephone communication with family and friends that is comparable to that offered to all other inmates. Because other inmates are allowed daily telephone access, deaf inmates shall also be allowed similar daily access to a video phone. 
          2. Inmates with hearing and/or speech disabilities and inmates who wish to communicate with parties who have such disabilities are afforded access to a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) or comparable equipment, including, but not limited to a video phone or computer phone. Telephones with volume control may also be used for inmates with a hearing impairment(s). 
            1.  See Department Order 1.00.1019 - Inmates with Disabilities/Americans with Disabilities Act and Department Order 1.00.1012 - Inmate Intake, Booking, and Release for additional guidance.
        2. Location:
          1. DDC:
            1. Video phones are located on all floors. 
          2. COJL: 
            1. Video phones are located in the main corridor office of Building 22 and in room 405 of Building 24
        3. Notification – Office of Sign Language Services:
          1. DDC:
            1. When it comes to the attention of a deputy during the intake process that an inmate is deaf/hard of hearing, the following procedure shall be followed:
              1. Immediately notify an intake supervisor;
              2. Send an email to Denver Office of Sign Language Services, SignLanguageServices@denvergov.org, and to the DDC classification supervisor.
              3. During normal business hours, contact the Office of Sign Language Services at 303-880-3208  to request an interpreter.
              4. If the Denver Office of Sign Language Service cannot be reached after waiting 10 minutes from the time a voice mail was left, call one of the following to request an interpreter:
                1. Purple Communications at 720-936-8714 (Evenings/Weekends); 303-321-6772 (Day)
                2. 24 Hour Sign Language Interpreting at 1-888-811-2424 (press #1)
                3. Professional Sign Language Interpreting, 303-920-7334, (press “3,” voice prompt will say “for hospitals”; leave a message and someone will call back shortly).
                4. Contact second-floor classification and notify them that an interpreter has been requested. 
          2. COJL:
            1. When it comes to the attention of a classification deputy, during the interview process, that an inmate is deaf/hard of hearing, the following procedure shall be followed:
              1. Send an e-mail to Lorrie Kosinski (lorrie.kosinski@denvergov.org), Office of Sign Language Services, and the classification supervisor.
              2. During normal business hours contact the Office of Sign Language Services (303-880-3208), weekdays, 0800 to 1700 hours, and request an interpreter.
              3. After hours and on weekends call one of the following to request an interpreter:
                1. Purple Communications at 720-936-8714 (Evenings/Weekends); 303-321-6772 (Day)
                2. 24 Hour Sign Language Interpreting at 1-888-811-2424 (press #1)
        4. Interpreter:
          1. A sign language interpreter shall be used to interpret during the intake, classification, and interview process and interviews.
        5. Teletypewriter:
          1. General:
            1. A Teletypewriter (TTY) is a device that provides individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing the ability to communicate by text over existing phone lines.
            2. TTY devices shall be made available to deaf or hard of hearing inmates in conjunction with inmate telephone procedures. 
            3. When an inmate requests the use of the TTY, the deputy shall contact the sergeant to notify them of the request. The supervisor shall ensure that the inmate is provided access to the TTY device.
          2. DDC:
            1. Intake sergeant’s office
            2. Fourth (4th) floor sergeant’s office
            3. Reception desk
          3. COJL:
            1. Main corridor office
            2. Building 22
            3. Building 24
          4. Placing a Call:
            1. To place a place, deputies shall:
              1. place the telephone handset in the acoustic cups on the TTY, making sure the cord on the handset is on the left side of the unit;
              2. turn on the TTY;
              3. dial the telephone number;
              4. type a greeting once someone answers the phone; and
              5. turn off the TTY and return the handset to the telephone once the conversation is finished. 
          5. Setting the Print Case:
            1. The TTY default uses lowercase (small) letters for the sender and uppercase (CAPITAL) letters for the receiver.
            2. The TTY can be set so that everything is printed in uppercase letters as follows:
              1. The following instructions apply to the Miniprint 225:
                1. Press the options key (Control +3)
                2. PRINT (UP/LOW) CASE will appear on the screen
                3. Press the spacebar to change the setting to UPPER
                4. Press the esc key to save the setting and leave the options
                5. This option will remain changed until it is changed again or the TTY is completely reset.
          6. Setting the Print Size:
            1. The TTY is set to print twenty-four (24) characters on each line (normal). The settings can be changed to print nineteen (19) characters (bold) or fourteen (14) characters (wide) per line. Follow these steps to change the print size:
              1. Press the option key (control +3).
              2. Press the return key until PRINT SIZE (NORMAL) appears on the display
              3. Press the spacebar to change the setting to BOLD or WIDE.
              4. Press the esc key to leave the options
              5. The print size will remain set until it is changed again or the TTY is completely reset.
        6. Video Phone (VP 200):
          1. General:
            1. A video phone (VP 200) is a device that provides individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing the ability to communicate by sign language through a video feed.
            2. A VP 200 is located near the interview desk in the intake Processing Unit. Inmates who are deaf or hard of hearing that are being processed in the intake Processing Unit may be allowed to use the VP 200.
            3. A VP 200 is also located on the housing floors. 
          2. Placing a Video Phone (VP) Call:
            1. There are two (2) types of calls that may be placed utilizing the VP 200: a VP-to-VP and a VP to a video relay service (VRS). To place calls using the VP, follow the appropriate instructions below:
          3. VP to VP:
            1. Turn the television on, and then press the ON button on the remote control to turn on the VP 200 device.
            2. Use the up/down/side-to-side arrows at the top of the remote control to set the VP 200 to the icon indicating VP. Press ENTER.
            3. Dial the phone number using the number keypad on the remote control, dialing nine (9) first. Press ENTER.
            4. The VP screen will show if the number you are calling is ringing or busy.
            5. When the call is complete, click on the HANG UP icon by using the remote control and press ENTER.  The call will be automatically disconnected when the other party hangs up.
          4. VP to VRS:
            1. Turn the television on, and then press the ON button on the remote control to turn on the VP 200 device.
            2. Use the up/down/side to side arrows at the top of the remote control to set the VP 200 to the icon indicating SVRS.
            3. Dial the telephone number using the numbered keypad on the remote control and press ENTER There is no need to dial nine (9) first in this instance.
            4. The call will be routed to the VRS interpreter. The interpreter will see the telephone number input into the system, and they will dial the number on behalf of the requestor.
              1. When the call is complete, click on the HANG UP icon by using the remote control and press ENTER.  The call will be automatically disconnected when the other party hangs up.
          5. Trouble Shooting:
            1. If there are problems using the VP 200, attempt (1) one of the following options to correct the problem.
              1. If there are problems switching from VP-to-VP mode to SVRS or SVRS VCO, turn the television and video phone off via the surge protector/power strip. Wait thirty (30) seconds and then turn everything back on.
              2. Set the camera by using the ZOOM and CAMERA arrows at the bottom of the remote control.
              3. If a camera is displayed on the screen with a line across it, press the CAMERA button on.
  5. Abuse of Privilege: 
    1. Inmates who attempt to monopolize or control the telephone(s) in their areas, and/or who misuse or abuse the phones or personal phone privileges will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.
  6. Responsibility:
    1. Training: The Training Academy will ensure that the curriculum of all currently existing classes and any newly developed classes are compliant with this order, as applicable.
    2. Management: The division chief/unit commander or unit manager of any facility or unit affected by this policy will:
      1. Ensure that existing procedures and all newly developed orders are in compliance with this order;
      2. Ensure that all affected personnel are made aware of this policy; and
      3. Ensure this policy is reviewed annually for compliance with all federal, state and local laws and standards.
    3. Supervisors: All supervisors will ensure that the provisions of this policy are being followed.
    4. Staff: All officers and employees will comply with the provisions of this policy.
  7. Effective Date: This order will become effective on January 10th, 2023.
  8. Approval: This document has been reviewed, approved, and electronically signed by the Sheriff of the City and County of Denver prior to its publication.