HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1190        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 825

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Carlos González

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to telephone service for inmates in all correctional and other penal institutions in the Commonwealth.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Carlos González

10th Hampden

1/18/2017

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

1/30/2017

Russell E. Holmes

6th Suffolk

2/3/2017

Bud Williams

11th Hampden

1/19/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1190        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 825

By Mr. Gonzalez of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 825) of Carlos Gonzalez and others relative to telephone service for inmates in correctional institutions.  The Judiciary.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1614 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to telephone service for inmates in all correctional and other penal institutions in the Commonwealth.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 87 of Chapter 127 of Massachusetts General Laws is hereby amended to include “correspondence of, and telephone service for inmates”. The following subsections are hereby added:—

The cost of local and long distance telephone service provided to prisoners in department of correction facilities and county houses of correction shall be the same as the rates charged for comparable residential telephone service.

            (b) The department of correction and county houses of correction shall negotiate contracts for local and long distance telephone service on the basis of offering the lowest cost to users.            (c) The commonwealth, the department of correction, and the county houses of correction shall not accept commissions or revenues, nor receive any telephone services for their employees at below market rate cost from the provider(s) of prisoner telephone service.