County Considers Modifying Jail Phone Plan

DALLAS — County Commissioners here have asked staff to investigate a new jail phone service agreement that could reduce costs for inmates’ families, which some defense lawyers and others call exorbitant.

A collect call from jail costs at least $4.10 for the first 15 minutes and Dallas County is taking in an estimated 55 percent commission on those calls. Income from those commissions total more than $3.5 million a year.

AT&T has agreed to lower the cost of local collect calls from $4.10 to $2 as long as Dallas County will give up its commission, according to county officials. The revenue that the county receives is put into a general fund that is used to help offset the cost of operating the county jail. Some commissioners are worried about losing millions in annual commissions and say that taxpayers will have to compensate for the loss.

Collect calls are not regulated in Texas, so AT&T can charge what the local market can afford, according to officials. However, the cost of a collect call from jail is much higher than from local pay phones — an increase of about $0.60 — because counties require more services, such as restricting calls to certain numbers. Rates are so high in some facilities that families have had to ask the phone company to block incoming calls from inmates.

AT&T claims it will not renew the county’s 13-year agreement under the same terms, and will instead offer a 25 percent commission to the county.