Bill > H5350

This bill repeals an existing law about prisoner telephone use and replaces it with new provisions that require the Department of Corrections and other agencies managing correctional and detention facilities to provide free communication services to inmates and juveniles. Specifically, the bill mandates that facilities must offer voice communication services (such as phone calls), and potentially additional communication methods like video calls or electronic messaging, at no cost to both the person initiating and receiving the communication. The bill also requires facilities to maintain a minimum ratio of communication devices, with at least two operational telephones per housing unit or one device per ten inmates. Moreover, the new law prohibits correctional facilities from generating revenue from communication services and mandates that facilities provide in-person contact visits for people in their custody. This legislation aims to reduce financial barriers to communication for incarcerated individuals and ensure they can maintain connections with family and friends while confined.

Justice

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