PRINTER'S NO. 1663
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1224
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY CAPPELLETTI, HAYWOOD, FONTANA, SAVAL, COSTA, KANE,
BREWSTER, SCHWANK AND MUTH, MAY 31, 2024
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, MAY 31, 2024
AN ACT
Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating
to official visitation, providing for communications services
for inmates in State or county correctional institutions.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 5912. Communications services for inmates in State or county
correctional institutions.
(a) Requirements.--The department and counties shall provide
to all persons in their custody and confined in a State
correctional institution or a county correctional institution,
as applicable, with voice communication services as follows:
(1) The department and counties must maintain no less
than the access to voice and other communication services as
was allowed by them on January 1, 2023.
(2) The department and counties must maintain a ten to
one ratio of persons in custody to operable voice
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communication devices in each housing unit or recreational
yard with at least two voice communication devices inside
each housing unit.
(b) Optional additional communications services.--The
department and any county may voluntarily supplement the voice
communication service with other communication services,
including, but not limited to, video communication and
electronic mail or messaging services.
(c) Prohibition on fees and charges.--Any voice
communication service or other communication service shall be
provided free of charge to any inmate and any service, whether
initiated or received through any voice communication service or
other communication service, shall be free of charge to the
person initiating or receiving the communication.
(d) Prohibition on revenue and commissions.--The department
and counties shall be prohibited from charging any inmate for
use of or access to any communication service, device or system.
(e) Prohibition of replacing visits.--Communications
services shall not be used to replace any in-person visit
program and nothing in this section shall authorize or permit
the department or county to limit or prohibit in-person contact
visits.
(f) Funds.--
(1) For fiscal year 2024-2025 and each fiscal year
thereafter, the General Assembly shall appropriate the sum of
$16,500,000 in addition to any funds deposited in the
department's general government operations, for the purpose
of supporting the cost of providing communications services
to inmates in State or county correctional institutions.
(2) The appropriation and additional funds shall not be
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used for indirect expenses related to the provision of
communications services to inmates in State or county
correctional institutions and are only eligible for invoiced
expenses from a communication service vendor.
(3) Any additional funds appropriated to the department
for the supplemental allocation shall be allocated annually
as follows:
(i) 70% to the department; and
(ii) 30% to counties, allocated to each county on a
proportional basis calculated on a per capita inmate
population in county correctional institutions.
(g) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Other communication services." Communication services other
than voice communication services, including, but not limited
to, video calls and electronic messages.
"Voice communication services." Real-time, audio-only
communication services, namely telephone calls made over
wireline telephony, voice over Internet protocol or any other
technology infrastructure.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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