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Hall County commissioners press for jail-contract details after FCC fee cap cuts county share of phone/video revenue
Summary
Correction director reported higher quarterly jail revenue but warned new April 1 federal rules cap vendor charges for inmate phone/video and reduce county revenue to about two cents per minute; commissioners asked for the vendor contract and more information before deciding whether to seek a vendor fee for on-site tablets.
Hall County’s correction director told commissioners that the jail population and revenue outlook have improved for the quarter, but a recent federal rule effective April 1 sharply limits how vendors may charge for inmate phone and video visitation and will reduce the county’s per‑minute return.
The director said the new regulation limits what vendors can charge for video to roughly $0.21 a minute and phone to about $0.13, and that the county’s share in the regulated categories will be two cents per minute. "They're making 39 cents and the county is making two cents," one commissioner summarized of the vendor split.
Commissioners questioned whether the county board had been fully informed of the vendor arrangement and asked for the vendor contract and a detailed accounting of projected revenues under the new rules. Staff said the provider is proposing two contracts: a regulated contract for voice and video (covered by the new FCC rule) and a second contract covering unregulated tablet-based services (messaging, games, movies) that can still generate revenue.
Board members said they want to see the contract terms and proposed revenue split and directed staff to negotiate and bring the proposed contract language back to the board. One commissioner recommended exploring whether the county could charge a fee to allow the vendor to place tablets in the jail, given that the company would profit from captive users.
The board did not vote on a contract; commissioners requested further information and placed the item back on a future agenda.
