Budget Amendment ID: FY2019-S4-1153

EPS 1153

Protecting Family Ties

Mr. Montigny, Ms. Creem, Mr. Eldridge, Ms. Jehlen and Mr. O'Connor moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, by inserting the following new section:-

SECTION XX. Chapter 127 of Massachusetts General Laws of 2016 is hereby amended by adding the following section:--

Section 87A. 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. 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. 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.