Inmate Communication Services

The vendor is required to provide that inmate communication services is a vital service to the county.
- The investigative tools, operational efficiencies, and added security are some of the important aspects expected to be derived from this service
- Provide a system, including hardware, software, installation, connectivity, and maintenance at no cost to the county.
- The county aims to secure the best combination of commission and call rates for the benefit of the county, inmates, and their friends and family
- The inmate communication services system must include:
1. Software:
• IP-based
• Mobile-friendly (android and apple)
2. Applications:
• Telephone service
• video visitation
• Texting and e-messaging applications
• Automated information service interfaced with jail management system
• Mail scanning applications for both on-site and off-site
• Commissary ordering application
• Custom web-based application(s)
• Forms and grievance application
• Law library options
• Video, music, and education applications
• Job view application
• Tablets
• Options for deaf and hard of hearing inmates to communicate
• Investigative applications
• Phone recording applications, including social visitation phones
• Roller or removable phone for segregation options
• Inmate electronic signature applications
• Other applications or new technology not listed here
• Hardware, as described herein
- County sheriff’s office staffing:
• Total employees: 283
• Jail division employees: 90
o 66 correctional officers
o 4 programmers
o 10 sergeants
o 2 lieutenants
o 1 commander
o 6 office support
o 1 transport deputy
- County jail data parameters:
• Jail capacity: 228
o Males
o Females
o Up to 5 juveniles
• Average daily population (ADP):
o 2022: 126
o 2023: 139
o 2024: 136
• Average inmates booked annually:
o 2022: 3,550
o 2023: 5,400
o 2024: 5,500  - The current number and location of inmate telephones and visiting booths:  • Intake pre-book room:                     3 telephones
• Intake female pre-book room:                                      1 telephone
• A200 – adult male general housing:                             4 telephones (includes 2 video phones)
• B200 – adult male segregation housing:                      1 telephone
• C200 – adult male separation:                                      1 video phone
• D200 – adult male general housing:                             4 telephones (includes 2 video phones)
• A400 – adult male classification housing:                     4 telephones (includes 1 video phone)
• B400 – adult male general housing:                             3 telephones (includes 1 video phone)
• C400 – adult male separation housing:                        1 videophone
• D400 – adult female separation housing:                    1 videophone
• E400 – adult female general housing:                          3 telephones (includes 1 video phone)
• F400 – adult male general housing:                             4 telephones (includes 1 video phone)
• Two-cell juvenile housing:                                           1 telephone
• Three-cell juvenile housing:                                        1 telephone
• Juvenile program area:                                               1 telephone  
• Visiting booths level 2 (handsets):                              2 inmate/4 visitors
• Visiting booths level 3 (handsets):                             10 inmate/20 visitors
• Visiting booths level 5 (handsets):                             10 inmate/20 visitors
• bonding booth level 1 (handsets):                            1 inmate/1 visitor
- The software used by corrections staff must be web-based and easy to navigate.
- It must also run on a TCP and IP network and be a VOIP and video-hosted solution.
- The system must record all inmate conversations and record all inmate video visits with the exception of communication with a verified attorney.
- Visiting booth phones will also have the ability to record conversations.
- The system must not require an on-site server to store records.
- All records generated from the contractor must be kept for a minimum period of two (2) years.
- The system must include a customizable permissions scheme assigned by a user. role based authentication (RBAC).
- The communication software must not utilize any version of adobe flash for the operation of the system
- The system must provide and support TDD capabilities on all devices.
- Equipment installed in the facility must be durable and detention grade.
- Please include specifications on any hardware or equipment that will be installed in the jail for inmate use, including but not limited to phones, kiosks, and tablets.
- The contractor must provide technical support for both hardware (phones, tablet, kiosks) and
software.
- The contractor must provide a way for corrections staff to submit requests to repair equipment and software 24-7.
- The system must be integrated with the current commissary (turnkey corrections) and jail management system (central square-inform jail) vendors for a seamless transfer of inmate data at no cost to the county.
- The system must allow admin users to easily restrict inmate access to services/applications on an
individual inmate, area, and device level.
- Kiosks and tablets must have access to a law library at no cost to the inmate
- Contractor shall implement a debit/prepaid program funded by the contractor which shall allow inmates the option of using debit service where the funds are taken from their account or prepaid services where another party pays for the calls.
- Contractor shall provide free intake calls to new arrestees, with a procedure agreed upon mutually between the contractor and the county.  - Inmate management
• Ability for the phone to pull a personal identification number (pin) generated by the county’s jail management system (central square-inform jail), for use by the inmate to make phone calls or login to software.
• Staff must be able to search inmates and all their relevant activities through the system simply and concisely.
• Staff must have the ability to limit or suspend an inmate's system access and permissions for discipline, investigative, or legal reasons or suspend or deny communication with specific individuals.
• The system must allow staff to send a message to any individual or group of inmates to be read
from devices installed and/or used in the jail.
• The system must require inmates to view and acknowledge that they viewed any content and document uploaded by staff on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis, prior to accessing other applications on a device.
• The system must also track the dates and times that contents/documents have been reviewed by each inmate for auditing purposes.
• Any form of inmate communication needs to have a message to alert the visitor that the transmission may be subject to monitoring and/or recording.
• A procedure explaining how to have an attorney/client communication exempt from monitoring and recording must also be provided
- Telephone system
• The system must only allow for outbound calls initiated by the inmate. if your system allows for incoming calls, please detail the process and security protocols in place.
• The system must allow staff to limit the maximum call duration. please specify the maximum call duration your system allows.
• Staff must be able to live-monitor and terminate calls through their web-based software interface.
• The system must allow staff to download individual call records or batches of call records in mp3,
wav format.
• The system must allow staff to add notes to call records.
• The system must have voice biometrics/speaker id/transcription products or have an in-house solution to meet these requirements. if your system offers any voice biometric services, please explain what Options are available and outline any associated costs.
• Inmates shall have the ability to purchase phone time through their commissary accounts.
• Your system must integrate with the facilities inmate banking software.
• The inmates shall have the ability to make a collect call. direct billing shall be available to the inmate’s friends and family.
• The system must allow staff to designate certain calls, such as the public defender, as a free call and private so as not to record the phone call.
• The system must allow staff to block destination phone numbers for individual inmate or for every inmate.
• Instructional call prompts must be available in english and Spanish to inmates.
• The system must allow the county to dictate the days and times inmates may place outbound calls.
• Phones must have the ability to be easily disabled or activated for an individual, device, site or entire facility.
• The system shall have all foreign embassy phone numbers installed.
• The system shall allow for covert alert numbers for inmates to call for PREA concerns and a tip line.
• The county prefers an ability for friends and family to leave a message on the phone system weekly that the inmate can get access to.
- Video visitation service
• Any video visit between an inmate and a non-attorney contact must be recorded and available for
staff to review.
• The system must facilitate recorded remote video visits.
• The system must transcribe the audio from recorded video visits into readable and searchable text for investigative purposes.
• The system must allow staff to monitor any video visitation session in real time.
• Staff must also be able to type a short message to appear on the screen of one or both visiting parties.
• Staff must also be able to terminate live video visits.
• The system must record and store data of completed video visitation sessions.
• All video data must be accessible for play back or download. please explain how long recordings will be accessible in your system.
• The system must enable friends and family to schedule both local and remote video visitations via a web-based website.
• The system must give staff the option to require approval whenever friends and family request to communicate with an inmate through video visitation.
• The system must allow the staff to manage an inmate’s list of contacts and approve or deny communication access.
• The system must allow the staff to display a customized message and disclaimer when friends and family schedule a video visitation session.
- Electronic messaging
• The system must allow for inmates to send and receive electronic messages with approved contacts.
• Electronic messages shall be text only messages routed through an application available on their tablet.
• An exception to text only is photo with a review and approval process set-up through the system.
• The system must allow staff limit to maximum character length of an individual message.
• The system must allow staff to add to and manage a flagged text library that will identify any word(s) within a message and prohibit any message from being delivered unless manually approved.
• The system must allow staff to read conversation history between any inmate and one of their contacts.
• The system must allow for friends and family to attach pictures to a message.
• Picture message must be subject for review by staff prior to delivery to the inmate.
• The system must allow staff to block individuals from sending inbound and outbound messages.
• Please outline the cost of electronic text messaging services.  - Electronic inmate forms and grievances
• The system must offer the ability for inmates to securely submit any form using a tablet.
• The system must allow staff to create notification groups of users to receive certain forms.
• Access to inmate form submissions and reporting must be capable of being limited to users who are approved to read, respond to, and approve forms.
• The system must allow staff to download and print any individual form or batches of forms.
• The system must allow staff to type and send a response to any submitted form.
• That response must be accessible by the inmate.
• The system must allow staff to restrict the quantity of forms an inmate can submit on a custom interval of time.
• The system must track which staff users have viewed and/or responded to any submitted form.
• The system must allow for a grievance form, customizable per the facilities policy and procedures.
• At minimum there must be three steps involved for a grievance form, allowing an inmate to appeal at least twice.
• The system must allow staff to configure forms to be available to inmates in certain areas of the facility.
• The system must allow trained staff members with permissions to create forms.
• All forms must be stored and recorded indefinitely at no cost the county.
- Billing
• The system must inform the called party of the call cost prior to acceptance.
• The contractor shall be responsible for the collection of charges for fraudulent or otherwise uncollectible calls.
• The contractor shall be responsible for any and all billing disputes, claims, or liabilities that may arise in regard to its provisions of this contract.
• Contractor billing to called parties must include the contractor’s information and a toll-free telephone number to resolve billing disputes.
• Billing charges begin at the time of the call connection when the calling party is connected to the called party and shall be terminated when either party hangs up.
• Network intercepts, recordings, busy signals, no answers, refusals of calls, answering machine pick-ups, etc. shall not be billed.
• Describe the procedure for billing.
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: March 24, 2025