What's happening
This bill establishes new rules for contracting inmate telephone services in local correctional facilities, emphasizing competitive pricing and security.
Why it matters
Puts strong limits on inmate phone call costs. by requiring local jails to choose telephone service providers mainly based on offering the lowest qualified price—potentially reducing the financial burden on incarcerated people and their families.
Mandates more transparent and competitive contracting. through standard municipal procurement rules, making it harder for jails to sign exclusive or high-cost contracts without public accountability.
Expands payment options and flexibility. for inmate phone calls, ensuring that both prepaid and collect call systems (and combinations thereof) are available, with mechanisms so outside parties can pre-fund accounts for calls.
Prioritizes facility and public safety. by directing state oversight agencies to create rules ensuring phone systems have appropriate security features, balancing access with the need to prevent misuse.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lower Cost Jail Phone Calls
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 5456a
- Amend and recommit to crime victims, crime and correction
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- Referred to finance
- Referred to crime victims, crime and 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 Prison Calls
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Alicia Hyndman
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5456--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 1, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MONTGOMERY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction -- recommitted to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- 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.
LBD07646-02-0
S. 5456--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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to inmate telephone services at local correctional facilities
Purpose
Enactment of this bill would provide local correctional facility inmates and their families and other contacts with the best value on telephone rates.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new section 623 (a) to the correction law.
Section 2 adds a new subdivision 5 to section 623 of the correction law. Section 3 adds a new subdivision 18 to section 45 of the correction law. Section 4 is the effective date.
Justification
This bill amends correction law to provide the lowest cost of local jail telephone service to those people using such service. When determining "best value" as stated in state procurement requirements, the cost to the user shall be emphasized. A local correctional facility shall provide for either a "prepaid" or "collect call" system, or a combina- tion of the two, for telephone service. The facility shall not receive revenue in excess of what it reasonably costs to provide such telephone services. The state commission of correction shall establish rules and regulations to ensure an inmate phone call system protects the security and privacy of correctional facility staff and receivers of inmate phone calls. A local correctional facility will still choose its own vendor for inmate telephone program services.
As an additional option, this bill provides a mechanism by which a local jail may request to participate in the telephone services contract procured by the state department of corrections in order to receive the same rate as the state prison system, currently $0.048 per minute with no additional first minute rate or other connection fees. Local correc- tional facility rates now range from a low of $1.76 for the first minute to $4.35 for the first minute per call. Additional minutes cost from $0.15 per minute to $0.40 per minute. This bill will help ensure that local correctional facilities secure and provide the lowest cost tele- phone service to those people using such service.
Fiscal implications
This bill has no state fiscal implications.
Local fiscal implications
This bill may have a fiscal implication on some local correctional facilities.
Effective date
April 1, 2021
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.