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Committee hears bill to make prison phone calls free, sponsors say state cost could be smaller than fiscal note
Summary
Supporters told the House Judiciary Committee that House Bill 401 would remove the phone-cost burden from families of incarcerated Marylanders and shift it to the state, and witnesses estimated the net cost could be far lower than the agency fiscal note if contracts are renegotiated.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on House Bill 401, which would require the state to pay for communications between incarcerated people and their families instead of leaving the cost to those families.
Delegate Kent Roberson, the sponsor, framed the bill as a reentry and family-preservation measure: "Phone calls serve as a pathway to restoration, allowing individuals to stay up to date with events and inspiring them to continue their personal transformation," he told the committee. The sponsor acknowledged a large fiscal note but said further analysis…
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