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County reviews Securus contract after FCC rate change; staff seeks month-to-month arrangement while exploring alternatives
Summary
County staff reported the federal cap on detention-center phone rates (referred to in the meeting as the 'Martha Reid Wright Act') reduced vendor revenue and shifted storage/recording costs to counties; staff proposed a month-to-month contract and said the county can cover the initial cost through the fiscal year while researching other vendors.
County staff briefed commissioners on the Securus phone system used at the detention center and the financial effect of a low federal rate cap enacted in recent years (referred to in the meeting as the “Martha Reid Wright Act”). The county previously received free recording and hosting services from the vendor and sometimes received small kickbacks tied to phone-card sales; the federal-cap change has reversed that model and vendors now expect counties to pay for storage and retrieval of recorded calls.
Staff said Securus offered a month-to-month arrangement at a proposed cost that staff negotiated down to roughly $267 per month for storage/record retrieval; staff said they can absorb the cost through the current fiscal year but may need to budget approximately $3,000 for the next fiscal year if the situation does not change. The speaker noted the company that provides phone services also stores recordings used for investigative and prosecutorial purposes and that losing access to those recordings would affect ongoing cases.
Staff proposed signing a month-to-month agreement to preserve access and to re-evaluate if federal rules change or if another vendor can provide a free or cheaper service. Commissioners asked staff to place the contract on the next work session agenda so the commission can consider whether the county should accept the short-term charge or seek alternative vendors. Staff also noted a recent state statute requires one free 10-minute call per week for inmates; the county currently receives free cards for that purpose but said it will confirm whether the new vendor pricing affects those free cards.
Why it matters: recorded inmate phone calls are used for investigations and victim protection; changes to who pays for storage and retrieval shift cost burdens to county operating budgets. Staff requested flexibility while they explore alternative vendors and track federal or state law developments.
