Knox Co. eyes new contract tied to inmate tracking, communications

A touchscreen kiosk at the jail

A Texas-based security company is negotiating to take over the high-tech communications system that monitors inmates at the Knox County Detention Facility.

The county and Securus Technologies are ironing out a contract for the firm to oversee the jail’s inmate phone and video network and inmate management structure that tracks prisoners from intake and processing when they enter the jail to their release.

The matter is on the Knox County Commission’s agenda to discuss Monday, although officials said it might be deferred at least another month as officials on both sides work out the details.

All of it is part of an effort by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to upgrade its technology and better manage the 1,200 or so inmates in the county’s three holding facilities, particularly the main jail on Maloneyville Road.

The electronics also reduce paperwork and maintain up-to-date records on the inmates.

MORE: Bid documents issued by the county that describe the what the jail needs

Gone are the old Hollywood images of an outdated jail that serves only bread and water and allows for just one phone call.

In recent years, the Sheriff’s Office has upgraded its services, and the jails now feature electronic touch-screen kiosks and tablets that inmates can use to video-conference with family, order food, schedule haircuts, electronically manage their money, and handle medical services.

The software also tracks inmates and records their purchases and just how much money they have in an account.

The services are currently overseen by Pay-Tel Communications and Tech Friends Inc, on a month-to-month basis, since the contracts expired earlier this year.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Lawsuit: Jail censoring inmate mail

A nonprofit that advocates for prisoners' rights says Knox County is censoring its mail to inmates, and it's seeking a court order to stop the practice.

The non-profit Prison Legal News filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Knoxville. It claims the Knox County Jail has censored at least 147 items it has sent to inmates since November 2014.

Jail policy says all personal mail to inmates must be on standard-size postcards with preprinted stamps.

The suit claims that policy serves no legitimate government interest and violates the plaintiff's free-speech rights to communicate with inmates.
The lawsuit names Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones, Assistant Chief Deputy Rodney Bivens and Knox County as defendants.

Prison Legal News, an advocate for prisoner's rights that sends its publications to more than 2,600 correctional facilities across the country, wants a temporary court order to stop the censorship while the case makes its way through the courts.

A spokeswoman for the Knox County Sheriff's Office says they don't comment on pending litigation.

"As part of its organizational mission, PLN engages in core protected speech on matters of public concern, such as prison operations and conditions, legal updates on prison litigation, prisoner health and safety, and prisoners' rights," the lawsuit states.

Knox Sheriff: Jail population hits all-time high; safety center needed

As the Knox County jail population reaches “an all-time high," jailers are left double-bunking inmates, and top officials are again pushing for a public safety center designed to house and treat the mentally ill who are arrested for nonviolent crimes.

The move, according to Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.”Jones, would ease overcrowding at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility on Maloneyville Road, and stave off potential lawsuits.
But, he suggested, there’s another option that would work as well: Build a multi-million dollar jail pod.

“As the population grows, we run the risk of extensive and expensive litigation regarding jail conditions,” the sheriff wrote in a Dept. 15 letter to Knox County Commissioner Chairman Dave Wright. “We currently are so close to our rated capacity that our inmate objective classification systems is being compromised. Any classification failure could also expose the county to failure to protect litigation from the injured inmate.”

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

Hard time goes high tech at Knox County Jail; contracts for bid

The Knox County Detention Facility holds more than 1,000 inmates. The average stay for most is 12 to 14 days. Those couple of weeks of hard time behind bars are now high-tech.

Gone are the old Hollywood images of the county jail that serves bread and water while only allowing inmates to make one phone call. The Knox County jail on Maloneyville Road features electronic touch-screen kiosks where inmates can video conference with family, order food, schedule haircuts, electronically manage their money, and handle medical services.

While buying snacks, having visitors, and receiving medicine is nothing new to jails, the high-tech methods of delivering these services are modern. The electronics are designed to reduce paperwork, keep better track of prisoners, and maintain up-to-date records.

The county has been able to implement these technological upgrades by contracting with private vendors.

"It has really brought the sheriff's office from manual to electronic over the last few years. And we've done that through contracting with no cost to the taxpayers," said Rodney Bivens, a Knox County Sheriff's Office assistant chief deputy who is over corrections and personnel for the department.

"Prior to these contracts... everything was done on paper forms and kept in files somewhere."

Now some major contracts are about to be up for grabs and the county aims to negotiate better bargains for the services behind bars. Bivens said he hopes the competitive bidding process will allow the jail to save taxpayers some money, but said it could also help generate more revenue.

"These are some huge contracts," said Bivens. "One contract is for the communications system we use for phone calls, video visitation, and electronic banking. Another contract is for the pharmacy and our electronic medical system. Then we want to put a request for bids on a third contract for our commissary."

You can read the rest of the story RIGHT HERE. The link also includes the two TV stories (yes, they're different!) that ran at 6 and 11 yesterday.