The new jail telecom RFP has not yet been publicly released. The five asks on this site reflect CCJT's current positions. As the county makes formal announcements, we will update this site to reflect what has been addressed and what is still in progress.
A Better
Contract
Is Possible.
Kalamazoo County is in the process of preparing a new contract for jail phone and video services. When that contract is finalized, the terms written into it will shape what families in this community pay to stay connected with a loved one who is incarcerated. We think the next contract can be a meaningful improvement over the current one, and this site explains what we are asking for and why.
Kalamazoo County is currently preparing a new Request for Proposal for jail telecommunications services. The criteria and requirements the county puts into that document will determine what the next contract looks like, and community input is most meaningful while those decisions are still being made. That window is open now, and this is a good time to get involved.
Five Requests
For the New Contract
Kalamazoo County is preparing a new contract for jail telecommunications, and there is still time for community input to shape what goes into it. The five asks below are what CCJT is bringing to the table. Each one addresses something specific in the way the current contract is structured that we think the next one should handle differently.
Full Transparency on All Contract Terms
Every rate, fee, and dollar the county receives from a jail telecom contract should be published publicly and updated every year, without someone needing to file a formal records request to find it.
Balance Notification at Release
When someone is released from the jail, staff should help them recover any remaining account balance or make sure they understand that it will expire. Many people leave without knowing their balance is at risk of being forfeited.
End Site Commissions and Signing Bonuses
The current contract structure, where the county receives a share of every call families make, is the main reason rates here are significantly higher than in comparable facilities that have moved away from this model.
Require Rates at or Below $0.10 Per Minute
Removing commissions alone does not guarantee lower rates. The new contract needs an explicit rate ceiling written into it as a requirement, not as an assumption or a hope.
Prohibit Ancillary Fees
Deposit, transaction, and operator fees are separate from the per-minute rate and are often not disclosed clearly. They can more than double the real cost of a call, and they need to be explicitly addressed in the contract.
The RFP Is Being
Written Now.
The county is still in the process of preparing the new Request for Proposal. Reaching out to your commissioners and county administrator before that process is finalized is one of the most meaningful ways to be part of the conversation. Community voices carry real weight at this stage, and we would love your help getting the word out.
Share a Story or Get Involved
If you have experienced this system firsthand, or you want to be part of the campaign in any way, we would love to hear from you. There is no formal commitment required, and everything shared with us is kept confidential unless you say otherwise.
Reach us at ccjtkalamazoo@gmail.com