Incriminating Evidence Extracted from Jail Calls

By: Gerri L. Elder

Thanks to many high profile cases in the news, the public has had the opportunity to hear parts of some inmates' telephone conversations with their families and friends.

While entertaining (or not), these conversations are not recorded for the benefit of the press. Many jails across the country now use automated recording systems to monitor and record inmates' phone calls. In some cases, comments made during these calls can become evidence in criminal trials.

David Harris, a deputy prosecutor in Washington County, Arkansas, has spent hours listening to recorded jailhouse calls in search of incriminating evidence.