Two speakers from the Campaign for Criminal Justice Transparency came before the county board Monday with five specific requests around jail telecommunications, the phone and communication systems that incarcerated people and their families pay to stay in contact.
Their requests included: full public disclosure of all contract terms, rates, fees, and commission structures; a notification process at release so people know if they have money remaining in communication accounts (which can be forfeited under inactivity policies); and a move away from commission-based telecom contracts, which she said effectively shift costs onto families.
The board received the comments but took no action. Speakers noted that states across the country are already moving away from commission-based jail telecom arrangements.
You can learn more here:
https://www.ccjtkalamazoo.org/jail-telecommunications-contract
