State Correctional Facilities - Incarcerated Individuals - Costs of Telephone Communications

HB 401 requires Maryland state correctional facilities to pay for telephone services used by incarcerated individuals directly to providers, eliminating fees charged to inmates or their call recipients. The bill mandates a ratio of one phone for every ten inmates and prohibits facilities from using phone access to replace in-person visitation time. It also establishes a Costs of Telephone Communications Advisory Committee - including formerly incarcerated individuals, advocates, and correctional staff - to oversee implementation. This policy change directly affects all incarcerated people in Maryland state facilities by removing financial barriers to communication with family and support networks. The bill amends existing law to shift telephone service costs from inmates to state facilities, effective upon enactment.