When a criminal suspect is detained in a detention center, he can call his family with the consent of the case-handling organ according to the regulations, but if there are no major issues, it is generally not approved.
Legal basis: Article 37 of the Criminal Procedure Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), defense lawyers can meet and correspond with criminal suspects and defendants in custody. Other defenders, with the permission of the people's courts and people's procuratorates, may also meet and correspond with criminal suspects and defendants in custody.