What's happening
This bill requires New York state correctional facilities to provide free domestic telephone calls to inmates, eliminating costs for them and recipients.
Why it matters
Reduces financial burdens on incarcerated individuals and their families. by making domestic phone calls free, which can help maintain critical family and community connections that are shown to reduce recidivism.
Removes profit motives from prison telecommunications. by prohibiting the Department of Corrections from receiving revenue from inmate phone services, potentially eliminating incentives for cost inflation or exploitative contracts.
Mandates a shift in procurement and contract structures. for prison phone services, requiring that all new or renewed contracts after April 1, 2020, comply with the new no-cost framework, potentially impacting existing vendor relationships and state budgeting.
Addresses equity concerns. by ensuring that all inmates, regardless of financial means, have equal access to communication with loved ones, which may especially benefit low-income families and communities disproportionately affected by incarceration.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Free Prison Phone Calls
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6276
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 31, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to providing telephone service to inmates at no cost
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 of section 623 of the correction law, as added by chapter 240 of the laws of 2007, are amended to read as follows:
1. Telephone services contracts for inmates in state correctional facilities shall be subject to the procurement provisions as set forth in article eleven of the state finance law [provided, however, that when determining the best value of such telephone service, the lowest possible cost to the telephone user shall be emphasized].
2. The department 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 department to provide or administer a prepaid system. Under a "collect call" system, call recipients are 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, must 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] provide telephone services to individuals within the custody of the department in correctional facilities at no cost to the individuals or the receiving parties for domestic telephone calls.
3. The department shall not accept or receive revenue [in excess of its reasonable operating cost] for establishing and administering such
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11453-01-9
S. 6276 2
telephone system services as provided in subdivisions one and two of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2020 and shall apply to any new or renewal contract for inmate telephone services entered into on or after such date and provided further that any new or renewal contract for inmate telephone services entered into prior to April 1, 2020 shall not run past March 31, 2020.
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 providing telephone service to inmates at no cost
Purpose or general idea of bill
To eliminate the cost of phone calls from inmates to family and friends living in the United States.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends subdivisions 1, 2 and 3 of section 623 of the correction Law to remove sections law that provided for the existing system of prepaid or collect calls and clarifies that the department of corrections shall not accept or receive any revenue for administering telephone services.
Section 2 provides the effective date
Justification
Most of the inmates in New York jails and prisons are low-income indi- viduals and are least able to pay to keep in touch with their families, friends and clergy. The cost of daily calls can be a strain on an inmate's family finances. Families shouldn't have to choose between paying their utility or food bill and speaking to their loved one.
Telephone calls allow parents and guardians to keep in touch with their children and help keep families intact after the incarcerated individual is released. It can be a critical lifeline for families and the incar- cerated person.
In 2019, New York City recently made phone calls from its jails free. Expanding the basic right of communication for inmates in the rest of the state will better prepare them for successful re-entry into their communities.
Prior legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
To be determined
Effective date
April 1st, 2020
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.