What's happening
This bill establishes rules to ensure fair procurement, reasonable costs, and security measures for inmate telephone services at local correctional facilities.
Why it matters
Focuses on minimizing costs for inmates and their families. by requiring that contracts for inmate telephone services prioritize the lowest qualified bidder and emphasize the lowest possible cost to users, potentially reducing the financial burden on those communicating with incarcerated individuals.
Standardizes procurement and oversight. by mandating local correctional facilities follow established municipal procurement laws and allowing them to join state-level contracts, which may increase transparency, fairness, and bargaining power in service selection.
Expands payment options and accessibility. by ensuring facilities must offer both prepaid and collect call systems (or a combination), and require providers to allow recipients to set up accounts for advance payments, making it easier for families to fund communication.
Mandates robust security measures. for all inmate phone systems, requiring the creation of rules and procedures to protect facility safety, staff, and call recipients, addressing public safety and security concerns related to inmate communications.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lower Cost Prison Calls
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Print number 6257a
- Amend and recommit to ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Referred to correction
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Lower Cost Jail Phone Calls
In Senate Committee · Crime Victims, Crime And Correction · Sponsor Velmanette Montgomery
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6257--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 4, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. HYNDMAN, ARROYO, BLAKE, WEPRIN, WALKER, SAYEGH, DARLING -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction -reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to inmate telephone services at local correctional facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 623-a to read as follows:
§ 623-a. Inmate telephone services at local correctional facilities. 1. Telephone services contracts for inmates in local correctional facilities shall be subject to the procurement provisions as set forth in article five-A of the general municipal law provided, however, that when determining the best value of such telephone service, the lowest qualified bidder in accordance with the safety requirements of the local correctional facility shall be emphasized.
2. The sheriff of such local correctional facility shall make available either a prepaid or collect call system, or a combination thereof, for telephone service. Under the prepaid system, funds may be deposited into an account in order to pay for station-to-station calls, provided that nothing in this subdivision shall require the sheriff to provide or administer a prepaid system. Under a collect call system, call recipients shall be billed for the cost of an accepted telephone call initiated by an inmate. Under such collect call system, the provider of inmate telephone service, as an additional means of payment, shall permit the recipient of inmate calls to establish an account with such provider in order to deposit funds to pay for such collect calls in advance.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07646-03-0
A. 6257--A 2
3. The commission, in consultation with local correctional facilities, shall establish rules and regulations or procedures to ensure that any inmate phone call system established by this section provides reasonable security measures to preserve the safety and security of each correctional facility, all staff and all persons outside a facility who may receive inmate phone calls.
4. Pursuant to rules and regulations established by the department and the commission, a local correctional facility may request to participate in a contract procured by the department pursuant to subdivision one of section six hundred twenty-three of this article. A copy of such request shall be provided to the commission. The cost and administration of telephone services secured pursuant to this subdivision shall be borne by the local correctional facility.
§ 2. Section 623 of the correction law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
5. Upon application by a local correctional facility pursuant to subdivision eighteen of section forty-five of this chapter, the department may include such local correctional facility under a contract it procures to receive inmate telephone services pursuant to subdivision one of this section provided that such inclusion has no fiscal impact on, or requires continuing administration by, the department.
§ 3. Section 45 of the correction law is amended by adding a new subdivision 18 to read as follows:
18. Promulgate rules and regulations, in consultation with the department, for inmate telephone services provided in local correctional facilities and to assure that such telephone services contracts are subject to the procurement provisions as set forth in article five-A of the general municipal law and that when determining the best value of such telephone service, the lowest possible cost to the telephone user shall be emphasized. Such rules and regulations shall also provide for application by a local correctional facility to participate in the following inmate telephone services contract that shall be secured by the department for state correctional facilities provided that the cost and administration of the services applied for shall be borne by the local correctional facility.
§ 4. This act shall take effect April 1, 2021 and shall apply to contracts for inmate telephone services issued, renewed, modified, altered or amended on or after such effective date and any new or renewal contract for inmate telephone services entered into prior to April 1, 2020 shall not run past March 31, 2021.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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