Dallas County Will Not Ban In-Person Visits for Inmates After All

By Stephen Young Tue., Sep. 9 2014 at 4:33 PM

Still open for visits.

Dallas County commissioners are asking for new bids on a controversial contract for the management of visitation and phone services to jail inmates, after County Judge Clay Jenkins and inmate advocates objected to a proposal that would have ended face-to-face visits while letting the county profit off families visiting their jailed loved one via video.

The original version of the contract with Securus, a local technology company, would have obligated the county to cut off in-person visits to promote remote video visits, from which both Securus and the county would reap payments.

Jenkins led the fight against the contract's approval, telling supporters in an email that "video and phone companies hook elected leaders to the sugar of 'commissions' the contracted company share with local government while socking the cost to the loved ones of the incarcerated with a high priced scheme."

The judge hoped to pass a court order that would've completely restarted the bidding process, opening it up to firms around the country.

That measure was voted down 4-1, but Jenkins and the bevy of speakers who came to advocate for inmates didn't walk away empty-handed. The commissioner's court voted to reject the contract and reopen the bidding process to all original bidders. Any new bids are required to eliminate commissions for any paid video visits and to continue to allow in-person, face-to-face visits.

The bidding process needs to be handled quickly, Sheriff Lupe Valdez told the court, because the jail being left without phone services for inmates would be a completely unworkable situation.

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noblefurrtexas

I don't believe having collect phone calls solves the problems. What WOULD solve it is what some other jails have done, and keep a log of all numbers dialed by which inmate and when, and how long the call lasted. This can actually be automated.

This also lets officers know immediately if a prohibited number was dialed, and cancel the call.

The video visits are a bad idea, and I'm glad the commissioners rejected it.

Karl

Montenalone, What do you do about witness intimidation, harassment of people that don't want phone calls from the jail, or any other illegal activity going on over those phone calls? Pay phones are not recorded. Their has to some kind of security on phone calls from a jail.

Montemalone topcommenter

Why can't Lupe call AT&T or some other telecom and have some pay phones installed. Even if the inmates don't have quarters they could still call collect.

Why does it have to be some scam that let's privateers profit?

wcvemail

First! and first to point out the apparent irony of a Repub county judge on the same side as inmate advocates in reversing a terrible policy and looking for a better solution, hopefully a sugar-free one. There might be some hope for this country after all.

paulpsycho78

@Karl ignorance is not bliss, every phone made within lew sterrett is recorded.

oddjobtk

Lupe doesn't have purchasing power or budget approval, either. Different departments.

wilme2

@Montemalone That would reverse things back to roughly the 1980s. Inmates would be able to call and intimidate witnesses, further threaten victims, and easily manage criminal enterprises. AT&T exited the inmate telephone business years ago, and has very few traditional payphones in service. Believe it or not, the provider has to make at least some profit, or no one would willingly provide the service.

noblefurrtexas

@wcvemail Craig Jenkins is a Democrat; not a Republican. The only Republican left on the court is Commissioner Mike Cantrell who represents District 2.

MaxNoDifference

@wcvemail I'm pretty sure that Craig Jenkins is a Democrat.

Karl

I realize currently all phone calls are being recorded for the jail. My comment was directed towards @montelone's comment regarding just installing pay phones & the lack of security regarding those unless you're taking about NSA. Which local municipalities don't have easy access to that data.