Prison Phone Justice

The Vermont Statutes Online

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The Vermont Statutes Online
Title 28: Public Institutions and Corrections
Chapter 11: Supervision of Adult Inmates At the Correctional F
802a. Telephone use; debit and collect call systems

§ 802a. Telephone use; debit and collect call systems
(a) Upon admittance to a correctional facility, the inmate shall within 24 hours be allowed
access to a telephone for outgoing telephone calls at the expense of the inmate.
(b) An inmate shall be allowed easy access in placing collect telephone calls upon
admission to a correctional facility under reasonable conditions determined by the
commissioner, unless the inmate has been prohibited under provisions of section 853 of this
title regarding punishment for a breach of the rules and regulations of the correctional
facility in which an inmate is confined.
(c) When an inmate requests and receives a list of parties approved to receive telephone
calls, the inmate shall be provided the option of using a debit or collect call system to place
such calls. Under the debit system, the inmate shall pay for telephone service at the time of
use, and the cost of such service will be automatically deducted from an account maintained
by the inmate for that purpose.
(d) Any contract to provide telephone services to inmates in state correctional facilities shall
be negotiated and awarded in a manner that provides for the lowest reasonable cost to
inmates, to their families, and to others communicating with inmates. (Added 1995, No. 185
(Adj. Sess.), § 50, eff. May 22, 1996; amended 2001, No. 61, § 79, eff. June 16, 2001.)

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/fullsection.cfm?Title=28&Chapter=011&Section=00802a 12/4/2008