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Kentucky Jail Rents Texting Devices to Prisoners

Loaded on Aug. 6, 2019 by Scott Grammer published in Prison Legal News August, 2019, page 61
Filed under: Prisoner Privileges, Computers. Location: Kentucky.

by Scott Grammer

The Noble County jail in Albion, Kentucky has found a new way to make money – by renting texting devices to prisoners. For $4.00 a month plus $0.10 per text, prisoners can send and receive monitored messages. The $0.10 fee applies to incoming texts, too. Most people who are not incarcerated have unlimited texting as part of their cell phone plans, but prisoners constitute a literal captive market. 

In an April 2019 news report, Noble County Sheriff Max Weber said the devices can only be used to send and receive texts, which is called “chirping” by Combined Public Communications (CPC), the Kentucky company that provides the fee-based service. “It’s text only. It is a privilege for them to have that,” the sheriff stated. 

“[I]t generates more money for the county,” added Chief Deputy Brian Walker. “It allows them to communicate with their families. It may deter inmates from misbehaving.” 

CPC’s website allows prisoners’ friends and family members to purchase “talk time” for the texting devices. “For over 17 years, CPC has partnered with corrections professionals to provide inmate communication technologies that are reliable and cost effective,” the company states, noting that it provides services in over 150 facilities, including e-cigarettes, commissary services, tablets, phone systems and video calling, in addition to texting. 

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Sources: kpcnews.com, cpcjail.com

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  1. News in Brief
  2. California County Jail, Private Medical Provider to Pay $825,000 for Prisoner’s Death, by Chad Marks
  3. $100,000 Withheld from Washington Jail for Failure to Fully Implement Ban on Juvenile Solitary Confinement, by Chad Marks
  4. Kentucky Jail Rents Texting Devices to Prisoners, by Scott Grammer
  5. Cook County Commissioners Approve $1.5 Million Settlement for Jail Beating, by Chad Marks
  6. Tennessee Adopts Alternative Sentencing for Primary Caregivers of Minor Children, by Edward Lyon
  7. Oklahoma County Settles Lawsuit Over Jail Prisoner’s Suicide for $350,000, by Matthew Clarke
  8. Former BOP Official Pays $50,000 to Settle Anti-Kickback Claims, by Scott Grammer
  9. $500,000 Settlement in Lawsuit Over Alcohol Withdrawal Death of Indiana Jail Prisoner, by Matthew Clarke
  10. President Trump Pardons Conservative Political Allies, by Douglas Ankney
  11. $50,000 for Missouri Jail Prisoner Who Suffered Injuries Caused by Broken Plumbing, by Edward Lyon
  12. Ninth Circuit Rejects Lawsuit by California Prisoners Over Exposure to Valley Fever, by Chad Marks
  13. Federal Court Caps Attorney Fees in Suit Over Teen Girl Raped in Oklahoma Jail, by Matthew Clarke
  14. Tennessee Prisoners File Lawsuit Challenging Video Visitation Policy at County Jail, by Chad Marks
  15. Increasing Number of Walkaways from California Early-Release Programs, by Edward Lyon
  16. Allegation that Prisoner was Beaten after Guard Outed Him as Sex Offender Stated Eighth Amendment Claim, by Douglas Ankney
  17. Thomas Silverstein, America’s Most Isolated Prisoner, Dies at Age 67, by Matthew Clarke
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  19. $185,000 Settlement in Beating of Florida Jail Prisoner; Guard Convicted, by David M. Reutter
  20. UK Using Facial Recognition Technology on Prison Visitors ... is the U.S. Next?, by Chad Marks
  21. Arizona Federal Court Levies Sanctions Against Corizon Health, by Edward Lyon
  22. Steep Cost for Sending Hawaii Prisoners to Mainland Facilities
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  24. Connecticut DOC Settles Calendar Lawsuit for $1,500, Policy Changes
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  30. $1.1 Million Settlement for Michigan Parole Officer in Sexual Harassment Suit, by David M. Reutter
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  42. Washington: Prisoners’ Complaints Lead to Changes in DOC’s Drug Testing Policy, by Chad Marks
  43. Mumia Abu-Jamal to Receive New Appellate Hearing, by David M. Reutter
  44. $60,000 Settlement for Female Pennsylvania Prisoner in Sexual Assault Suit, by David M. Reutter
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  51. Arizona DOC Bans Book Critical of Justice System, Reverses Decision Following Criticism, by Anthony W. Accurso
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