House Corrections committee probes commissary revenue, tablet-phone data and costs under bill on inmate communications

The House Corrections and Institutions Committee on May 22 reviewed Department of Corrections figures and vendor materials for House Bill 294, a proposal addressing phone and tablet communications and the DOC-operated commissary for people in state custody. Committee members said they received DOC data showing $1,083,001 in commissary commission revenue over the last two fiscal years and asked for a detailed ledger and additional breakdowns before taking further action.

The committee’s chair said the DOC reported roughly $572,000 of the $1,083,001 had been applied to salaries linked to commissary operations; committee members asked DOC to provide itemized journal entries and a list of standard-issue items that should not be purchased via commissary. Members also noted the commissary contract’s commission rate was recently renewed to 32% after previously being 29%.

Why it matters: commissary and communications revenues touch inmate hygiene, recreation and family contact, DOC operating budgets, and potential general-fund pressure if the state changes who pays for communications. Committee members pressed for data needed to estimate the fiscal and operational effects of any policy change.

Key facts and requests

- DOC figures: Committee members reported that DOC provided commission revenue of $1,083,001 for the past two fiscal years…