How Long After a Transfer Before an Inmate Can Call?

Fifteen days without contact is genuinely hard and the anxiety that comes with a transfer and continued silence is something families deal with more than anyone talks about openly. Here is what is likely happening and what to expect.

When an inmate is transferred from one facility to another, in this case from the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center to a facility in Canon City within the Colorado Department of Corrections, there is almost always a processing gap before full privileges are restored. The receiving facility has to intake the inmate, complete classification paperwork, assign housing, and get them set up in their systems before services like phone access become available.

That process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on how backed up the receiving facility is and how smoothly the transfer paperwork followed him from DRDC. DRDC is a diagnostic and intake facility by design, meaning inmates moving out of there are going through a transition that involves more administrative steps than a standard transfer between two general population prisons.

Once he is processed in at the Canon City facility, he will need to get his phone account reactivated or transferred to the new facility's phone provider system. Your number may need to be re-approved on the new facility's call list even if it was already approved at DRDC. That step can add a few more days.

The fastest way to get answers is to call the receiving facility in Canon City directly and ask to speak with someone in his housing unit or his case manager. Confirm he has arrived, ask about the processing timeline, and verify that your number is on his approved contact list in their system. InmateAid can help you pull current contact information for the facility so you are reaching the right people.