County limits calls from Alachua County Jail, provide 2 free non-attorney calls

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include the limitation of inmate calls, a decision made after publication.

Alachua County Jail inmates on Sunday began making free phone calls to friends and family members thanks to an initiative passed in April by the County Commission.

Inmates, who previously paid 21 cents a minute to use the phone, are now allowed two free 10-minute phone calls each day. The monitored calls can be made between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. — the same as before — but must include at least a 15-minute break between calls.

Commissioners voted in April to allow inmates to make an unlimited number of free calls, but Deputy County Manager Carl Smart said it's better to start small before expanding the offering.

"The board made it clear that it's up to the sheriff to manage the calls, to manage availability, to manage the time that inmates spend on the calls, based on their expertise managing the jail," he said. "Start with two, see how that works. This is new for the jail. Hopefully, it will work out just fine."

Those who needed to make more than two calls could initially have funds deposited into their commissary account and make paid calls, as previously done. The rate for those calls was 12 cents per minute after the county in April voted to eliminate its 9-cent commission from the phone service.

Commissioners, however, were unaware that paid calls were still allowed until The Sun reported it late Monday afternoon. They asked the sheriff's office on Tuesday morning to put an end to additional paid calls.

"They want to make it fair for all inmates," said Mark Sexton, county spokesman. "The county is not trying to micromanage how the jail puts this policy into place. They (jail officials) came up with the two phone calls, 10 minutes each, but that's certainly something that's open to change as they learn more about how it's functioning."

As was the case in the past, inmates can still make additional free calls to counsel as they navigate the legal system.

Local news: Gainesville residents file lawsuit against DeSantis for GRU Authority appointments

More: 'Bounce' sculpture a celebration of Alachua County Sports & Event Center in Gainesville

The county's share of the previously paid calls generated roughly $375,000 annually. The remaining 12 cents went to Securus Technologies, the company that owns and operates the phones, lines and equipment at the jail.

Then-sheriff Clovis Watson’s office estimated in April that phone calls could likely double and generate a loss in revenue of $1.3 million. Data, however, from other counties that made the changes show that calls only increased about 30%, so the loss would be roughly $700,000.

The county is currently in the process of evaluating new proposals to run the phone system, something Smart hopes will offset the loss of revenue as a result of the free calls.

"What we're giving up amounts to almost a half-million dollars. But we'll be negotiating a new contract, so hopefully that number will come down a lot," Smart said.

If a new vendor is chosen, a company will have to install its own equipment, which is estimated at $800 to $1,000 per line. There are roughly 110 phones and 120 video phones in the Alachua County Jail.

Smart said they plan to present the graded proposals to the board later this month.

Spearheading the free calls

The idea to provide inmates with free phone calls was spearheaded by a University of Florida group known as the Florida Student Policy Forum. Students involved write proposed legislation and ordinances on issues that generally have bipartisan appeal at the local and state levels.

The proposal for free phone calls was written by Gainesville native Graham Bernstein, 20, and then presented to the county by the Florida Student Policy Forum and the Alachua County Labor Coalition. Bernstein noted they also worked with Florida Prisoner Solidarity, a group that works to reduce or eliminate prisons and instead promotes rehabilitation initiatives.

Bernstein, a junior at UF, said the free calls will help inmates by promoting communication between them and the outside world, save taxpayer money by reducing recidivism rates, and help families that have to decide between buying food and medicine or paying to speak to their incarcerated loved ones.

"I feel surprised and honestly really glad that I was able to participate in something that I feel will make a difference for the community I live in," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Alachua County Jail inmates now able to make free phone calls