Montana State Legislature

Study Background:  Senate Bill No. 303 (SB 303), sponsored by Sen. Tom McGillvray, requires the LJIC to study inmate telecommunications contracts and costs, including contracts for services provided in state prisons, other state-owned or operated facilities and county detention centers. the House Judiciary Committee amended the bill to require the LJIC to study the topic in the interim. Committee discussion during executive action indicated members understood the importance of the issue with the public, noted the Department of Corrections and the sheriffs' association were willing to help with the study, and preferred to take legislative action related to the telecommunications contracts. However, existing contracts and differences between the operation of state and local facilities complicated the issues, so the legislators decided a study would be the best option to generate information for the next Legislature.

The amendment also required the Legislative Audit Division to conduct a performance audit of the inmate welfare fund, which is partially funded by revenues from the state's contract for inmate telecommunications services. The results should be reported to the Legislative Audit Committee, the LJIC, and the 2023 Legislature.

Documents generated by the study will be posted on this page. To view committee meetings in the 2021-2022 interim, click on the Meeting Minutes tab on the home page.

June 2022 Materials

• Table: FCC Service Charges -- LSD staff
• Draft legislation:
  • SB 303-1
  • SB 303-2

May 2022 Materials

• SB303-1 draft legislation
• Contract expiration dates -- LSD

March 2022 Materials

• Materials for Travis Brown's Presentation
  • Table: Video and Calling Rates (same as January) -- LSD
  • Table: Email and SMS Rates (same as January) -- LSD
  • Table: County Detention Center Population and Capacity -- Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (MSPOA)
  • County detention center responses to questions -- MSPOA
  • Staff memo: Federal Communications Commission Inmate Calling Orders (same as January) -- LSD
  • Table: State Inmate Welfare Fund Detailed Report Synopsis -- LSD
    • Detailed Reports for Inmate Welfare Fund, August 2021 to January 2022 -- Department of Corrections
  • Staff memo: Inmate Calling Legislation in Other States -- LSD
  • Table: Historical State Prison Phone Rates, 2008-2019 -- Prison Policy Initiative
  • Table: Phone Rates for Jails With a Population Over 1000-- Prison Policy Initiative
  • Monthly Facility Summary Report, January 2022 -- CenturyLink/Department of Corrections
• Written testimony -- Stephen Raher, Prison Policy Initiative
• Presentation slides: NCIC -- Craig Storer and Bill Pope (updated 3/21)
  • NCIC subscriber agreement
• Fact Sheet: Inmate Communications -- Department of Corrections
• Fact Sheet: Inmate Welfare Fund -- Department of Corrections
• Presentation slides: Yellowstone County Inmate Telephone System Rates/Commissions - Undersheriff Bofto
• Letter from Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association re March meeting
• Table: Calling Costs for Families -- Janee Weber
• Handout: Survey of People Incarcerated in San Francisco County Jails -- The Financial Justice Project via Janee Weber

January 2022 Materials

• Staff memo: Federal Communications Commission Inmate Calling Orders -- LSD
• Statutory framework for inmate calling -- LSD
• Explainer: Inmate Welfare Fund -- Department of Corrections
• Table: County populations -- LSD
• Table: Video and Calling Rates -- LSD
• Table: Email and SMS Rates -- LSD

October 2021 Materials

• Study update -- LSD staff