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Committee reviews bill to shift inmate telecommunications costs to department, raises questions about access and oversight
Summary
A legislative Corrections & Institutions committee reviewed draft language that would move the cost of inmate telephone and tablet communications from incarcerated people to the Department of Corrections, and asked DOC to return with details on costs, vendor contracts, monitoring and equitable access.
Committee member (Speaker 1) said Wednesday that the Corrections & Institutions Committee would spend the session going “through the bill” that would change how telecommunications are provided and paid for in state correctional facilities, and asked the Department of Corrections to return with clarifications.
The committee discussed shifting the expense for inmate telephone, tablet messaging and video calls from individuals to the Department of Corrections (DOC). Committee members raised questions about who pays under current contracts, which calls are monitored, whether incoming calls are allowed, how approved-call lists are created, and how the change would affect usage and department costs.
Why it matters: the bill would alter who bears the cost for in-custody communications and could change the volume of calls and video sessions, with budget implications for DOC and access implications for incarcerated people…
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