DATE: December 10, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Margaret Mims, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
SUBJECT: Revenue Agreement with Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. to provide Telephone and Video Visitation Services to Inmates in County Jail Facilities
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a revenue Agreement with Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. to provide Local, IntraLata, InterLata and Interstate telephone and video visitation services to inmates incarcerated in County Jail Facilities, effective January 1, 2020, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations requires the Sheriff to develop and implement a plan which allows inmates reasonable access to public telephone service. Approval of the recommended action will allow the Sheriff to comply with these regulations at no cost to the County. The recommended revenue agreement will allow for the receipt of commissions from services provided to inmates by Legacy Long Distance International, Inc.; these funds will be deposited in the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund (IWF) and will be utilized for the benefit of the inmates. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There are no viable alternative actions. Your Board could consider a bid submitted by another vendor that was acceptable by the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, but not recommended.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. According to State Law, Title 15 of the California Code, all revenue generated by inmate telephone services must be deposited in the IWF for the benefit of the inmates. Under the proposed revenue agreement, the commission to the IWF will be 80% of all monthly gross revenues for telephone calls, voicemails and video visitations. Revenue received from the current contract totals $1,614,480 for calendar year 2018.
DISCUSSION:
The Sheriff is required, under Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations, to develop and implement a plan that allows inmates reasonable access to public telephone service. This requirement goes beyond those telephone calls allowed at the time of booking and includes calls to persons outside the facility.
Since December 1, 2009, telephone service has been provided under a contract with Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. The current contract will expire on December 31, 2019. Therefore, on June 14, 2019, the County of Fresno on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office issued RFP No. 19-080 for Inmate Telephone and Video Visitation services to 802 vendors registered in Public Purchase. The response period closed on July 16, 2019 and five vendors responded: Legacy Long Distance International, Inc., Inmate Calling Solutions LLC, ComApp Technologies, NCIC Inmate Communications, and Securus Technologies Inc.
An evaluation panel composed of representatives from the County Administrative Office and the Sheriff’s Office evaluated each proposal solely based on the requirements of the RFP. Each evaluator individually reviewed each proposal on its own merit based on bidder-provided data, capability, and qualifications.
The evaluation panel recommended the proposal submitted by Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. as the number one selection to provide inmate telephone services under the terms of the RFP. The recommendation for award was based on:
• Their new proposal is less per call than under the current contract.
• The scope of work covered all needs required.
• Their customer service line is operated by a person (no phone tree), in conjunction with an on-site technician response time offer hours/weekends of two hours (while still being able to remote in for troubleshooting).
• The recommended vendor is also willing to provide all-encompassing Kiosks.
As an added benefit, not specified in the RFP, Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. has offered voicemail capabilities to the friends and family of the inmate population. Overall, the evaluators concluded that the proposal from Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. better met the RFP requirements than the proposals received from Inmate Calling Solutions LLC, ComApp Technologies, NCIC Inmate Communications, and Securus Technologies Inc.
Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. will provide and maintain the County with 25 video visitation devices to be placed in the facilities as determined by the County. These devices will be able to display video visitation within the facility, and also be able to display video visitation from remote locations. The hardware shall meet industry standards for correctional institutions. Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. will include a video implementation plan that includes but is not limited to a fiscal/cost structure to the inmate and public. This includes the process of purchasing a “video” visit vs. a phone visit.
Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. will replace all current telephones in the dayrooms in the Main Jail and North Annex Jail with Kiosks that will integrate with the current jail management system (JMS). Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. will install, repair and maintain all Kiosks. The West Annex Jail will also have Kiosks throughout the facility when it becomes operational. Kiosks will be able to integrate with current jail online forms and have the capability to order commissary from the canteen vendor (Canteen Fresno). Legacy Long Distance International, Inc. will be required to replace half of the existing phones with Kiosks in the first year of the contract. All phones will be replaced with Kiosks by the end of the second year of the contract.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 26, February 10, 2015
BAI # 25, August 7, 2012
BAI # 6, December 12, 2009
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Legacy Agreement
CAO ANALYST:
Jeannie Z. Figueroa