Virginia inmates will not get free telephone call, video calls, or messages this year if Senate Bill 378 has to deliver it.
SB 378, presented by Senator Jennifer Boysko of Herndon, called for the Department of Corrections to provide telephone systems and web-based or electronic communications systems free of charge. And the bill barred DOC from receiving any commission from telephone systems, “so prisons don’t profit from the calls or videos,” Boysko told members of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
With Boysko’s bill, each inmate would have been allowed to have at least 20 phone numbers of their approved call list.
SB 378 also required correctional facilities to have at least one phone for every 10 inmates in a housing unit.
Boysko told committee members other states pay far less for communications in their prisons and some states and localities have made communications free. Meanwhile, she said one-third of Virginia families go into debt to cover calls with incarcerated loved ones and others are priced out of the system.
“This bill is a cost-effective investment with positive public safety impacts for families and communities. Evidence has shown that increased communication with family members keeps both the incarcerated and the correctional officers safer, reducing incidents by 20%,” the Senator noted.
Boysko also told committee members that studies show maintaining ties with community and family members is one of the most effective re-entry programs. “And I believe it is the right thing to do for the children whose parents are incarcerated,” she said.
The bill came with a $15.4 million budget amendment to cover the cost.
“There’s no question that increased communication between inmates and families is a good thing,” said Senator Adam Ebbin. He noted Virginia is in a “tough fiscal environment.”
“The question would be where would the money come from. This is a good idea that we don’t have the funds to commit to it this time,” he told Boysko.
“It is a very important means of safety and control,” said Senator David Marsden. “Inmates will go to a great length to preserve their communication rights. So, let’s keep it alive until next year.”
He made a motion to carry the bill over to next year and there was a unanimous vote in favor of doing so.
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