Board upholds award for inmate tablet and electronic mail system after protest

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on May 6 affirmed the county administrator’s decision and denied a bid protest from Smart Communications challenging the award of RFP LK25026 — the county’s inmate tablet and off-site mail scanning system — to Inmate Calling Solutions LLC (IC Solutions).

Carrie Roberts, a county director overseeing the procurement process, told the board the solicitation received four submissions and that IC Solutions was ranked top by the evaluation committee. "We had Inmate Calling Solutions as the top ranked performer, and Smart Communications was the number 2," Roberts said, describing the procurement and the subsequent protest.

Smart Communications had protested on the grounds that IC Solutions lacked direct experience performing the off-site mail-scanning service and that IC Solutions intended to subcontract critical elements of the contract. John Logan, owner and founder of Smart Communications, told the board his company invented the inmate mail-scanning workflow used by departments to reduce contraband and argued that IC Solutions had historically relied on third parties for tablets and mail services. "IC Solutions has 0 experience actually giving tablet and mail services themselves," Logan said, and he told commissioners he believed the RFP required prime-contractor experience without subcontracting for the DPMS (off-site mail service).

IC Solutions’ vice president of sales and marketing, Mike Kennedy, defended his company’s responsiveness to the RFP and said the firm would perform the off-site mail service in its own San Antonio operation if awarded. "We will do the DPMS in San Antonio with San Antonio ICS-based employees," Kennedy said, adding that the company had operated in Pasco County for two decades in other capacities. Kennedy said IC Solutions had provided references and that the company controls the contract and the customer interface even when components are manufactured by specialized hardware vendors.

Purchasing staff told the board that subcontractor experience may be counted toward the five-year experience requirement as part of a vendor’s overall track record, but that the awarded vendor had provided an affidavit stating it would perform the DPMS services using its own employees rather than outsourcing. County counsel and the purchasing director characterized the affidavit as determinative for the procurement’s responsiveness.

After hearing presentations from both sides and questions from commissioners, the board voted to affirm the purchasing director’s decision and reject Smart Communications’ protest. The board did not disclose a roll-call vote in the transcript; the chair called for the motion, members voiced approval and the motion passed.

The resulting contract is a three-year agreement with two renewal options for a total potential term of five years. County staff said the award carries standard vendor performance oversight and that corrections staff preferred a single prime contractor the county could hold responsible for tablets, messaging and mail scanning.

County officials said the procurement will proceed; corrections staff and the purchasing office will finalize implementation timelines and vendor onboarding. Smart Communications and IC Solutions both said they would be available to support a smooth transition during procurement closeout and implementation.

No additional county funding was requested during the board meeting; procurement and corrections staff said contract costs and fees were included in the RFP evaluation and will be managed within the corrections operating budget.