Bill > SB1224

This bill amends Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to require the Department of Corrections and counties to provide voice communication services to all persons in their custody and confined in state or county correctional institutions. The bill sets a minimum standard for access to voice communication services and prohibits the Department and counties from charging inmates for using these services. The bill also appropriates $16.5 million annually to support the cost of providing these communication services, with 70% allocated to the Department and 30% allocated to the counties based on their inmate population. The bill aims to ensure that inmates have access to voice communication services without having to pay for them, and it prohibits the use of these services to replace in-person visits.