By Mr. Swan of Springfield, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1738) of Benjamin Swan and others relative to telephone service for inmates in correctional institutions in the Commonwealth.  The Judiciary.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Benjamin Swan

Gloria L. Fox

Elizabeth A. Malia

Kay Khan

Willie Mae Allen

Ruth B. Balser

William N. Brownsberger

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to telephone service for inmates in all correctional and other penal institutions in the commonwealth.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 87 of Chapter 127 of Massachusetts General Laws is hereby

amended to include “correspondence of, and telephone service for inmates”. The following subsections are hereby added:—
            (a) The cost of local and long distance telephone service provided to prisoners in department of correction facilities and county houses of correction shall be the same as the rates charged for comparable residential telephone service.
            (b) The department of correction and county houses of correction shall negotiate contracts for local and long distance telephone service on the basis of offering the lowest cost to users.
            (c) The commonwealth, the department of correction, and the county houses of correction shall not accept commissions or revenues, nor receive any telephone services for their employees at below market rate cost from the provider(s) of prisoner telephone service.