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2001 SESSION

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011011608
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 600 Offered January 10, 2001 Prefiled January 10, 2001 Requesting the Department of Corrections and the Department of Information Technology to study the feasibility and cost of implementing a debit inmate telephone system in state facilities. ---------- Patron-- Almand ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, the House Committee on Rules requested the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to study the rates charged to recipients of long distance telephone calls placed by inmates in state, local, and regional facilities; and

WHEREAS, the Commission's Division of Communications recommended consideration of modifications to the current collect-only inmate calling system, including the commissions or rebates paid to facilities, the imposition of time limits on phone calls, implementation of call restrictions, application of surcharges, inmate education on use of the system, and SCC regulatory control of these calling systems; and

WHEREAS, the Division also recommended consideration of a debit or debit/collect inmate telephone system similar to the debit system used in California's Department of Corrections; and

WHEREAS, recommendations for local and regional facilities, if it is found that those facilities could not or should not participate in a debit calling system, suggest the use of prepaid calling cards; and

WHEREAS, finally, the Division suggests that before adopting any alternative to the current system, surcharges, potential impact on inmates' families, and the security and safety of the individual facility and general public need to be considered; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Corrections and the Department of Information Technology be requested to study the feasibility and cost of implementing a debit inmate telephone system in state facilities.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the departments for this study, upon request.

The departments shall complete their work in time to submit their findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2002 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.