Department of Corrections says funding is main barrier to statewide staff Wi‑Fi in facilities

Department of Corrections officials told the Corrections & Institutions committee on Feb. 4 that limited cellular coverage and proprietary vendor networks leave staff and detained people without consistent internet access, and that funding — not technical feasibility — is the principal obstacle to installing a state‑managed staff Wi‑Fi network inside correctional facilities.

Kristen Calvert, Deputy Commissioner, said the department’s 2023 estimate for an installation was about $3.279 million and that the original quote (referred to during the briefing as “3.29”) included installation, equipment and labor. She said ongoing operational support was estimated at under $50,000 per year but acknowledged those figures need to be updated. “It’s really funding at this point,” Calvert said, adding that the department will refine heat‑mapping and technical requirements with the Agency of Digital Services (ADS) before reapplying for broadband funds.

Why it matters: committee members and DOC staff framed the Wi‑Fi build as foundational — enabling faster reporting, digital grievance and medical requests, language‑access tools for detainees, and potential staff tablets that interact securely with existing systems. Committee members pressed whether modern technology could aid recruitment and daily operations; DOC staff said newer applicants expect modern tools and that the network would enable innovations now blocked by connectivity limits.

Travis Edin, who introduced himself as Chief of Operations for the mock EOC and spoke to technical design, described the intended network as separate from existing vendor or education networks. “This Wi‑Fi network would be staff state owned, dedicated to the staff installed and up to all the cybersecurity codes that ADS would put upon us to make sure that the information that has access to is as highly protected as it needs to be,” Edin said. He and other staff explained there are currently at least two distinct networks in facilities — an education network and vendor‑controlled tablet networks — and that a third, state‑managed staff network would be needed to support staff workflows.

Funding path and timeline: Calvert said the department previously requested broadband funding but the Community Broadband Board prioritized digital equity for education and did not fund the DOC proposal. She said federal guidance on the use of unused broadband funds is expected in early March and the department plans to reapply once those rules are published. Committee members urged DOC to begin coordinating immediately with ADS to refine technical requirements and to update the 2023 cost estimate so the project is “ready in the pecking order for funding.”

Operational and contract questions: committee members raised several implementation details — whether vendor‑installed infrastructure from prior contracts (including language in the IC Solutions contract about infrastructure remaining after termination) could be repurposed, how long installations take, and whether reimbursement models are available if the state fronts costs. Staff said prior installations took roughly three months and that repurposing vendor infrastructure would require ADS review and vendor coordination; they agreed to ask ADS about reconfiguration and any reimbursement possibilities.

Next steps: DOC officials said they will (1) wait for federal guidance on broadband funds expected in early March, (2) continue outreach with the Community Broadband Board and ADS, (3) update cost and operational estimates, and (4) prepare to reapply for funding. The committee closed the discussion by urging staff to accelerate outreach so the department can be in position to apply when new guidelines are released.

The meeting adjourned with no formal vote recorded on the Wi‑Fi proposal.