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Q&A
Phone monitoring policies and tablet access for incarcerated individuals
3:00:41
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148 sec
Council Member Gale Brewer inquires about phone monitoring policies and tablet access for incarcerated individuals. DOC officials provide information on the current practices and policies.
- The current term of the Securus contract is for $5,700,000
- An RFP is out for combined phone services and tablets
- All telephone calls are recorded unless the number is on the privileged do not record list
- Monitoring of calls is limited to the Correctional Intelligence Bureau
- Outside entities, such as DAs, require a subpoena to access recordings
- There is a clear message at the start of calls informing that the call is being recorded
- 86% of the incarcerated population has access to or has been assigned a tablet
- Individuals in new admission housing or in custody for less than 30 days do not have immediate access to tablets
- Tablet access may be restricted on an individual basis for those who have repeatedly damaged devices
Gale Brewer
3:00:41
So two questions.
3:00:42
One is, obviously, the controversial one is who can listen in on phone calls or other information on them, number one.
3:00:49
And that's been controversial.
3:00:50
DAs think it's a good thing.
3:00:51
Obviously, legal aid does not.
3:00:53
I'm aware of that.
3:00:54
And then finally, does every single person, the 6,000 whatever the number was, have access to this iPad?
Nell McCarty
3:01:01
I can start by speaking to how many people have access to tablets.
3:01:06
So at this time, 86% of our population have access to a tablet or have had a tablet, I should say, rather, assigned to them.
3:01:15
And so with that, there are individuals that do
Gale Brewer
3:01:17
not The 20% whatever who don't because
Nell McCarty
3:01:20
Yes.
3:01:20
So people who are in new admission housing and people who have not in custody for longer than thirty days do not have access to a tablet until they've, again, transitioned out into the more stabilized housing unit that they may stay in or until they've surpassed thirty days.
3:01:34
An additional part of that is depending on somebody's unique situation, if they have, let's say, broken a tablet and possibly broken more than one tablet, there would be considerations on an individualized basis if we continue to provide them a tablet.
Gale Brewer
3:01:49
Okay.
3:01:49
Alright.
James Conroy
3:01:49
And then, council member, just to to go back to your first question regarding the amount.
3:01:53
So the the current term of the contract is for $5,700,000.
3:01:57
As indicated earlier, it does expire at the end of the year.
3:02:00
And I would note that there is actually an RFP, a request for proposal, out for phone services and tablets combined.
3:02:08
That's public now and we'll be assessing the candidates as that comes along.
3:02:13
With respect to your second question regarding phone monitoring or otherwise, All telephone calls are recorded unless the number in the caller is is placed on the privileged do not record list, which, you know, has been, again, has been documented in the past with the DOI, you know, reports and otherwise.
3:02:33
So the the people that could monitor that monitor that in our facilities is very limited.
3:02:38
You know, it's it's only our our Correctional Intelligence Bureau.
3:02:42
Anyone that requires this from an outside source such as a DA or otherwise requires a subpoena.
3:02:48
So they would not get any recordings without the presence of a subpoena.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
3:02:51
Okay.
3:02:52
And there's a clear message when an individual receives a call, makes a call, that the call is being recorded and if they are privileged, if they're part of privileged communications that they should hang up and make sure that their information is registered with the Department of Corrections.
Gale Brewer
3:03:07
Alright.
3:03:08
Thank you.