45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION AND THE CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT TO EXAMINE THE RATES CHARGED FOR COLLECT CALLS PLACED BY NEW MEXICO INMATES AND DETERMINE WHETHER THE CHARGES ARE REASONABLE AND HOW REVENUES DERIVED FROM CHARGES ARE EXPENDED.

WHEREAS, close communication between inmates and their families is an important factor in the rehabilitation of those incarcerated; and

WHEREAS, much of the communication that occurs between New Mexico inmates and their families is through collect calls placed by the inmates; and

WHEREAS, according to news reports, the rates charged to the families of inmates for the collect calls are excessive and unreasonable; and

WHEREAS, according to news reports, the revenue received for the phone calls by the public and private entities that incarcerate New Mexico inmates has now become an important revenue source for those entities; and

WHEREAS, contracts for services provided to correctional facilities should be awarded to those companies that offer the best service at the lowest cost, not to those that offer the highest rebate to the prison operator;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the public regulation commission be requested to investigate the rates charged by the corrections department, and by private entities that incarcerate inmates on behalf of the corrections department, for collect calls placed by inmates and determine if the rates are excessive and unreasonable when compared to similar services offered to other citizens of this state; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the corrections department be requested to cooperate with the investigation of the public regulation commission and to examine whether the revenue received by private operators of correctional facilities for the collect calls is credited against contract payments made by the state and to also examine whether the revenue received by the corrections department for the collect calls is made available for future appropriation by the legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public regulation commission and the corrections department report their findings by December 1, 2001 to the appropriate legislative interim committee as may be designated by the New Mexico legislative council; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the public regulation commission, the corrections department and the New Mexico legislative council.