Corrections: communications.

Existing regulation requires that a state prison provide a prisoner with use of a telephone consistent with their assigned privilege group. Existing law provides that the sheriff of each county may maintain an inmate welfare fund to be kept in the treasury of the county into which, among other funds, any rebates or commissions received from a telephone company attributable to the use of pay telephones that are primarily used by inmates, is required to be deposited. Existing law contains numerous provisions governing the incarceration and detention of juveniles, including the right to maintain and continue frequent contacts with family members through telephone calls for those confined in a facility of the Division of Juvenile Facilities. This bill would require that a state prison, or a state, county, or city youth residential placement or detention center provide voice communication services to incarcerated persons free of charge to the person initiating and the person receiving the communication, subject to the operational discretion of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in a state-operated facility, as specified. The bill would prohibit a county, city, or state agency from receiving revenue for the provision of communication services to persons in its custody. To the extent this bill would mandate that a local government provide a new program or higher level of service, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory authority over public utilities, including telephone corporations. Existing law requires the commission to require telephone corporations to provide customer service to telecommunication customers that includes, but is not limited to, reasonable statewide service quality standards. This bill would require the commission to establish service quality standards for incarcerated persons calling services, as defined, to be adhered to by communication service providers rendering services to state or local correctional or detention facilities. Under existing law, a violation of any order, decision, rule, direction, demand, or requirement of the commission is a crime. Because a violation of a commission action implementing this bill's requirements would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.