YET ANOTHER STATE PRISON SYSTEM MAKES ALL INMATE CALLS FREE - WHY NOT IDAHO?

In a November, 2023 article posted on this site (ANOTHER STATE PRISON SYSTEM MAKES ALL INMATE CALLS FREE) I discussed how some states across the country are fighting back on the exorbitant fees charged by companies to allow prisoners to keep in contact with families and friends on the outside. Since then, the state of Massachusetts has added their name to the list of jurisdictions to mandate free calls from prisoners - but they've taken it two steps further - they are also making emails, video calls and messaging free, and prohibiting prisons and jails from taking kickbacks from telelcom companies.

In another insightful and informative article published March 24, 2024 in the Idaho Statesman on the issue of unconscionable telephone rates for prisoners in Idaho prisons and jails [FN1], Opinion Editor Scott McIntosh illustrated an example of the real life problems created by the RICO-like conspiracies of jail and prison administrators in contracts with vendors providing telecom services for prisoner populations in Idaho - those who have been convicted of crimes, and many who haven't.

Officially titled the CONCESSION SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR INMATE COMMUNICATION AND KIOSK-BASED TECHNOLOGY ACCESS (CO14-017), the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) originally contracted with CenturyLink Public Communications, Inc. in 2014 to provide telephone services to IDOC prisoners. CenturyLink then subcontracted the task to Inmate Calling Solutions (ICS). In 2019 however, ICS purchased CenturyLink, making ICS the primary contractor. ICS was subsequently acquired by TKC Holdings, a for-profit conglomeration of companies created to [provide services] at considerable expense to prisoners and their families.

Originally, the IDOC allowed CenturyLink to subcontract their email, video visitation and other kiosk and tablet-based telecom services through JPay, Inc. and another company known as JLG Technologies. A few years later, Securus Technologies purchased JPay, and has been slowly moving to become the primary contract holder in all IDOC telecom services. Securus then hired ICS to maintain hardware in IDOC all facilities.

The current IDOC telecom contract was set to expire on June 30, 2024, but it was recently learned the contract has been extended through December 2024. This extension was granted because the IDOC failed to prepare and offer a contract for an Invitation to Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposal (RFP) in time to allow the different companies to bid on the new state contract.

According to the latest contract data available, the IDOC is using a formula called an ADP (or Average Daily Population) fee to calculate the amount of kickbacks the state will receive from ICS/telephone calls. Described as a "tiered system" based on average monthly (telephone) minutes used by prisoners, the amount of money realized by the state is $16.19 per IDOC inmate - per month. Between 2014 and 2021 (according to contract data) this amounted to an average kickback to the IDOC of $1.3M annually through those years, and increases as does the number of prisoners in the IDOC - including Community Release Centers. It's a great [money-making] reason for Idaho to keep their prison population high.

According to the current telephone contract (revision date 5/17/23), the ADP fee is to be paid into the Inmate Management Fund (IMF) to be used for programs, services and purchases that directly benefit the prison population. In practice however, any IMF monies are paid quarterly to the General Fund, and are appropriated to the IDOC annually by the legislature. These monies are used for many things other than benefitting prisoners, including coffee and snacks for staff.

When AccessCorrections (a subsidiary of the Keefe Group which still provides commissary services to the IDOC) lost their contract to sell music to Idaho prisoners in 2014 (and JPay took over), there was a push to force prisoners to relinquish (send out) the Mp3 players sold to them because JPay would not load the music to their platform (tablet). With some prisoners having purchased hundreds, even thousands of dollars of music, there was a significant backlash, and IDOC administrators eventually allowed prisoners to keep both the Mp3 and order JPay tablets. Same will likely hold true with prisoner purchased [JPay] tablets and media content, including emails, games, music, videos and photos, but we'll have to wait and see.

As mentioned in Scott McIntosh's article, there are any number of things that can be done to stop this corruption. New York, Ohio and Rhode Island have outlawed kickbacks (sometimes labeled 'site commissions') from telecom companies to correctional facilities. A nonprofit organization (Ameelio) builds software that allow prisoners to communicate free, a much better alternative than allowing layers of out-of-state companies to pull millions of dollars out of the Idaho economy every year. The state would have to simply pay for maintenance and storage of recorded calls.

As reported, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota and now Massachusetts have enacted legislation to make prisoner phone calls free. With all the technological options available, there is no longer (if there ever was) a need for the State of Idaho to continue their Cartel-like robbery of Idaho prisoners and their families for telecom services.

__________
[FN1] IDAHO SHOULD END CORRUPT SYSTEM OF PRISON TELEPHONE CALLS - pg. 12B