In a lawsuit, Securus Technologies said the department opted for a “wish list of goodies” over lower rates for inmates and their loved ones.
The Florida Department of Corrections used the procurement process for a new phone contract to ask for “value-added” perks such as inmate tracking technology, security upgrades and iPhones for its staff, instead of focusing on affordable calling rates, because it wasn’t getting what it needed from the state Legislature, a federal lawsuit claims.
Securus Technologies, the department’s longtime phone vendor, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in federal court, as first reported by the legal newswire Law360. Securus also owns JPay, which provides tablets, video calling and inmate banking services in Florida prisons.
The company claims the state agency “improperly subverted its inmate-telephone-contract procurement … so the Department could obtain a panoply of goods and services that had nothing to do with inmate telephone services.” Because it focused on lower call rates, Securus lost out on the contract in favor of competitor Global Tel Link, which offered more perks, the lawsuit claims.
Why does this not surprise me? When I went to jail for 19 days for going to a restaurant in a ‘restricted zone’ a friend of mine made a deposit to the sheriff’s office to pay for phone calls. When I got out I had not used all the phone time paid for but do you think my friend got a refund…not! The inmates’ phone service is definitely a money making project.
This is more a curiosity then anything else, but what constitutes a restricted zone for a restaurant ?
In Brevard County Florida a restricted zone is any zone that within 1000 feet includes a childcare center, school, playground, park, or tennis court. I was having dinner in a nice restaurant that unbeknownst to me was within 1000 feet of a ‘closed, empty childcare center, on an adjacent road on the other side of a double set of railroad tracks and a fenced in county truck farm. I didn’t even know the place existed…I do now. I was on GPS otherwise no one would have cared a hoot about it. I am now off of probation and it’s not much of a worry anymore.
The Captain and I both live in Brevard county. The county has a “proximity ordinance” that prohibits an RSO from “loitering” within 1000’ of a school, park, playground, daycare ect. Anything other than a doctors appointment, attorneys visit, church and a couple others are considered loitering. No banks, gas stations, no restaurants, no grocery shopping. You have to contact the Sheriff’s SORT office to see if anyplace you want to stop is I n a restricted area. You are only allowed to travel through the areas without stopping. If you live in an area that becomes a restricted area while you’re living there you don’t have to move but you are only allowed to drive into and out of your property without stopping. Essentially you can’t walk across the street to talk to your neighbors. If you’re not on probation it’s a misdemeanor offense but if you’re on probation it’s a violation and potential prison time.
Easy question… Mcdonalds has a playground in some of its restaurants, and Chuck E Cheese does as well. I have saw them when I lived in Orlando,Fla. and they are out here in Phoenix AZ as well.A probation/parole (conditional release) when I had the Con Release I had 1000 foot law. I was told by probation office not to even walk down the same side of the road as the school,playground etc. Thank GOD I don’t have the 1000 foot law here, I just have to register for life
I wonder what a litigation attorney would say due to the actual definition of loitering. “stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose” If you are in a restaurant (and not on probation) you are there with a purpose, eat drink and be merry! It should not be considered “loiter”. In Spanish the word for loitering implies that someone is there with the purpose of causing harm or looking fir an opportunity for some illegal activity. I understand that the SO = Sherrif Office 😉 makes up their own rules as they go but come on!
Is anyone surprised by this??
We used to hear stories all the time in prison about how big screen TVs and other things were DONATED from organizations for us to have in the dorms, but the officers would commondere them and take the stuff home for themselves.
Is there any other proof needed to show that FL is the most crooked, ass backwards state in the US?? The prisons are an industry for them, plain and simple.
I was wondering about the A.C. when I was in F.D.O.C Seems We was supposed to have cable and big screen t.v, I went in the system in early 90’s I never saw any of these items
So let me get this straight. Securus is suing because it has encountered a Sheriff that is EVEN MORE greedy that it is? Apparently, Securus when bidding this contract was unaware that there is no honor among thieves. Too bad both parties can’t lose this case, and be confined to prison.
Securus and jail admin rob inmates – its fraud – phone calls are pennies at this day and time and they are charging 5 bucks for 15 mins – same thing on commissary- inmates are at the mercy of thieves- and you wonder why they become violent , this needs to stop now
Hmm. Yes. And yet when people like me talk about rising up against these thieves and starting a revolution, I get dismissed as a crazy person and need to be reminded to follow all the rules and laws of the state and blah, blah, blah. The whole country is being run by corporate thieves like this, yet we sit back and let them screw us. Over and over and over and……….
Well you want to do something. What do you suggest