Lawyers said such fears have already resulted in weeks-long backlogs in requests for legal phone calls at some institutions, while other prisons are now refusing to accommodate such calls unless a court date is imminent. The standoff has also rippled into the court system, where lawyers say they're having to inform judges they need extensions in order to carve out time to drive hours to far-flung prisons for in-person visits. (The DOC did not respond to questions about changes to phone and visitation policies for lawyers.)