House Corrections Committee reviews H.294 draft requiring DOC study of no‑cost inmate calls and wage impacts

The House Corrections & Institutions Committee on Wednesday reviewed draft 3.1 of H.294, a bill that would require the Department of Corrections (DOC) to evaluate options for providing no‑cost telecommunication services to people incarcerated under DOC custody and to produce a separate wage‑impact report on inmate labor.

John Gray of the Office of Legislative Counsel walked members through restructuring the draft so the bill’s intent language applies broadly to both reports and the two required analyses are separated. Gray said the telecommunications analysis would require DOC to report on “including reasonably ascertainable behavioral, security or safety impacts both inside and outside state correctional facilities,” language the committee debated for clarity and scope.

The change reflects the panel’s direction to focus the telecom study on how increased connectivity may affect rehabilitation, family contact and safety. Members pressed for specificity about what “outside the facility” includes; several framed it as the incarcerated person’s “circles of support” — family members, children’s programs and community‑based re‑entry providers — rather than the general public.

The draft also adds a stakeholder‑engagement subsection directing DOC, when practicable, to consult with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Joint Fiscal Office, nonprofit providers with corrections experience, families of incarcerated people, community re‑entry service providers and justice‑reform organizations. Representative Pedrick’s suggested language was cited as the source for the list.

Committee members debated whether the state treasurer should be listed among required consultees and whether the draft should explicitly name CoreCivic and other contracted providers that house Vermonters out of state. Members asked DOC staff to confirm current contract terms and whether people housed in Mississippi or other out‑of‑state facilities should be included in the evaluation.

The bill would also require a wage‑impact evaluation. The draft instructs DOC to collect current inmate wage levels, identify labor categories that support department operations, and estimate the cost to the state if those services were performed by state employees or contractors. Lawmakers debated whether the wage report should focus on whether wages allow incarcerated people to purchase commissary items and telecommunication services — rather than the broader phrase “meet basic needs.”

A related point of contention was whether the study should measure how wage levels affect participation in facility work programs. Members proposed reorganizing the bill so one section measures purchasing power for commissary and telecom and the other estimates how wage adequacy might affect outcomes such as maintenance of family contact, restitution compliance and re‑entry success.

The committee settled on a schedule of check‑ins: DOC will provide a first draft to the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee by Sept. 15 and an updated draft by Nov. 15 so the full committee can review before the final report is due Dec. 1, 2026. Staff counsel said the amended text will be offered as a strike‑all amendment to the introduced version of H.294.

Members also discussed logistics for follow‑up briefings. DOC agreed to supply details about out‑of‑state contracts and current practices so counsel can incorporate or withhold language referencing CoreCivic and Mississippi beds. The committee signaled an interest in holding a possible vote as early as the following day if outstanding details are resolved.

“We want to make clear the locations you’re looking to and [...] focus more acutely on security and safety,” John Gray said while describing the proposed behavioral and safety language. Haley Summers, a DOC staffer on the call, said she could gather contract details for out‑of‑state beds and confirmed the department would provide the information to counsel.

The committee recessed and planned to reconvene at 1:00 p.m. for unrelated business. The chair asked staff to prepare a strike‑all amendment of H.294 that incorporates the committee’s direction on stakeholder engagement, the narrower framing of impacts and the reordering of wage/outcomes analysis.