Marion County Community Corrections approves contract amendments for job services, in-custody tablets and a women’s residential program

Marion County Community Corrections’ advisory board on Thursday approved three contracts to support reentry services, in-facility communications and women’s residential treatment.

The board voted to extend and increase an existing contract with PACE to continue employment services, approve a three‑year arrangement with ViaPath Technologies to provide tablets and telephone services at work‑release facilities (funded by resident payments rather than county operating dollars), and enter a one‑year contract with Dove Recovery House to make up to 10 residential treatment beds available for women on work release.

Justin Garcia, identified at the meeting as CFO/COO for Marion County Community Corrections, described the PACE amendment as a short extension and a modest increase in the contract limit. "The tenth amendment to this contract would raise the NTE to $506,700 which is an additional $25,000 which would cover services through December of this year," Garcia said. He told the board that the county has begun a solicitation (RFQ/RFP) process for the next contract period and expected that process to conclude before the amended term ends.

Garcia described ViaPath’s offering as a three‑year agreement providing telephone services and tablets intended for resident communication, education and entertainment. He said rates charged to residents would follow Federal Communications Commission‑based pricing included in ViaPath’s materials: telephone calls at $0.09 per minute, remote video visitation at $0.14 per minute, and paid content access at $0.05 per minute; messaging was listed at $0.50 per written message and $0.50 for a photo attachment. Garcia said the county would bear no up‑front cost and that charges would be paid by residents who choose to use the services.

Board members asked about internal messaging, attorney privilege and monitoring. Garcia said internal messaging intended to replace the facility paper message cards would be free, though specific forms and templates were still under review. He said recordings and message records are retained (he stated stored records remain available for roughly 60 days) and that the vendor and facility provide administrative controls to block numbers or designate privileged calls. "That system does provide for stuff like trigger words," a jail representative added, describing existing monitoring tools used in other county facilities.

The board also approved a one‑year contract with Dove Recovery House for Women to provide up to 10 residential treatment beds for women on work release. Garcia said the contract’s not‑to‑exceed amount is $110,000, based on a per‑bed rate of roughly $30 per day. He noted that, historically, the county has not consistently filled a full 10‑bed allotment and that Dove is planning an expansion that may allow a later reassessment of capacity. Judge Jim Snyder (Marion Superior Court, Court 32) said judges have historically requested more options for women and expressed the expectation that the beds could fill quickly.

Each item was approved by voice vote; the minutes and meeting record show an affirmative voice vote on the PACE amendment, the ViaPath agreement and the Dove Recovery House contract. The presenters said implementation steps — including finalizing internal messaging templates, vendor administrative settings, and Dove’s screening process for residents — would follow signatures and contract execution.

Votes at a glance: PACE amendment — approved (tenth amendment; extend through Dec. 30, 2025; NTE $506,700); ViaPath Technologies contract — approved (three‑year term; no county cost; resident‑funded services with FCC‑based rates); Dove Recovery House contract — approved (one‑year term; up to 10 beds; NTE $110,000 at ~$30/day per bed).