How Long Does Prison Intake Take Before Phone Calls Resume?

The timeline depends on where he transferred from. If the transfer was within the same prison system, meaning one Minnesota DOC facility to another, the intake process tends to move faster because his records, classification, and approved contacts are already in the system. Phone and visitation access can sometimes be restored within a few days in that scenario.

If the transfer crossed agencies, such as coming from a county facility into the state system, or from another state's system, the processing time is longer. In those cases, everything has to be re-established at the receiving facility, including his approved phone list, and that can take up to two weeks before he has regular phone and visitation access again.

In the meantime, send him a letter as soon as possible. Mail generally gets through during intake processing even when phone and visitation privileges are pending. Include your phone number clearly in the letter so he has it when his phone access does open up, in case there is any question about what numbers are approved. Once he is through intake and settles in, he will be able to add your number to his approved call list and get in touch.