It depends. Most of the time, it is difficult to get information from prison officials about your loved one while they are in prison. While you may be able to get the information directly from your loved one, that is not always an option. Maybe your loved one will not want to disclose information for their own safety. Knowing the right people to contact at your loved one’s prison with questions is vital. But knowing who those people are isn’t easy.
Do prisons have someone you can call with general questions?
Yes. Generally, if you know the name of the prison your loved one is located, you can look it up online. The facility’s website should have a general information number to call.
Who should you contact if you want to know the status of your loved one?
If you have not heard from your loved one or want to know their status, there are several different ways to contact their prison. First, if you do not know where they are, you can look them up with the prisoner lookup tool. If you do know where they are, you can go directly to that facility’s website. Most facilities are easy to find with a simple Google search.
Who do you contact if you want to visit your loved one?
If you have general questions about a prison or its functions, you can contact prisons directly. However, BOP facilities have certain steps you have to follow in order to be approved for visitation. Those are listed on each facility’s website. And it will be easier to find that information there than by calling someone.
Who do you contact if you want to know your loved one’s health?
There are limited ways to find out about your loved one’s health. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) imposes confidentiality requirements for healthcare information. It applies to healthcare providers, health plans and other covered entities. There are a few exceptions, but most facilities do not have a contact person for questions about health-related issues. Instead, your best resource is your loved one themselves.
Who do you contact if you think your loved one’s communication rights are being violated?
Sometimes as punishment, prisoners will lose access to certain privileges. This includes the ability to use the phone. If you haven’t heard from your loved one or believe their rights are being violated, you may want to contact their prison. The reality is that this might not help (and could possibly even make things worse).
But you have other options. You can contact other incarcerated people at your loved one’s facility. You can also reach out to a lawyer to see if they can help. But prison officials are able to take away privileges, so the fact that you haven’t heard from them may not be a violation of their rights.
The Takeaway:
Prisons almost always have general phone numbers on their websites you can call for general questions. When you do not know your loved one’s current location, you can locate them with prisoner-lookup tools. Some information, like your loved one’s health, may not be available regardless of who you contact. However, if you are concerned that your loved one, you may want to contact a lawyer.
