~Some Good Advice on Recording~

We use a small recorder that takes full size STANDARD audio cassettes like C90's. These are great because of 45 minutes per side. Ours came from a garage sale, but it is a type that I believe Radio Shack still sells for $80. It gets used (out in the open) at every visit with the built in mike.

We never did spring for the $21 gadget to automatically switch it on when the phone is picked up down line. We've been using it with the $6 suction cup mike to record phone calls.  My SO takes it to work when she intends to call the caseworker or some other party regarding the case.

The suction cup works good overall, although there is some performance variation from one phone to another.

She carries it in a large coat pocket when she has to use a pay phone.

Using it with batteries has a surprising but distinct advantage beside portability. Batteries do not induce any "line hum" noise.

We've also found that fluorescent lights are to be avoided because they induce an unacceptable level of hum noise.

One location that generated an outrageous level of "power line hum" was an arcade machine area in a shopping mall.

It was particularly annoying since the Social Worker was talking like she was absolutely insane.  She kept repeating that recordings can be altered.  She spent over an HOUR raving about her fears about the recording.  She tried to convince the mother to stop recording, until they could find out whether or not it was legal for the mother to record visits.  Somehow the LSS lawyer never called back to say that they had any excuse to stop recording of visits.

Of all of the tapes, this would have been the most important and downright AMUSING to have clearly taped, but it was blighted with a lot of noise.  Transcription was possible and it is possible to listen and confirm that the transcript is accurate, but the impact it could have had on a jury would have been HUGE had it been clear.

I guess a big point to make is that you NEVER know which phone call or visit will really be important, and even a whole stack of tapes that are uneventful can be important if CW or SW fictionalizes or exaggerates.

Don't forget to investigate your legal rights to record.  We are in a "one party state" so we are allowed to record any phone call without a beep or notice of any kind.

We've begun to wonder if its possible for caseworkers to speak without telling lies.