Table of Contents
No. Three-way calls break Bureau of Prisons phone rules and can bring a Code 297 incident report. John's wife patched his lawyer into his first call, and he lost his phone for a year.
His first phone call
John surrendered to a minimum-security camp to serve 36 months. The camp didn't have his presentence report, so staff put him in the Special Housing Unit.
Two days later, he got his first phone call. He called his wife, and she patched in his lawyer to fix the problem.
That evening, a guard handed him an incident report: 297, abuse of phone privileges. John said he didn't know the rule. It didn't matter.
He lost his phone for a year, visits for six months, and commissary for a month. He won on appeal. It took four months.
Today, the same incident report could also cost him First Step Act credits, push back his halfway house date, and put RDAP at risk.
Watch our video on disciplinary infractions, then read the full breakdown of the codes that catch first-timers.
Federal Prison Incident Reports
Related: Knowing the rules keeps you out of trouble. A record of what you build is what earns you more liberty. Schedule a free call.
Questions people ask
What can a 297 incident report cost me?
Phone, visit, and commissary privileges, and possibly First Step Act credits, halfway house time, and RDAP.
How do I talk to my lawyer from prison?
Ask your unit team how to set up a legal call. Never have someone at home patch your lawyer in.
Read next: Part 8: Who Documents Your Time While You're in Federal Prison?
Written by
Justin Paperny
Founder White Collar Advice
