RFI 2027-001-Video Visitation System .pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

RFI No. 2027-001

Due Date: November 30, 2026

INSTALLATION, OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE OF A VIDEO VISITATION SYSTEM TO

BE USED IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Palm Beach County (County) Public Safety Department (PSD), in collaboration with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) in order to receive information relating to the replacement, operation, and support of a Video Visitation System (defined below) to be used in Correctional facilities in Palm Beach County, Florida.

PSD and PBSO are preparing to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) later this year, to select a vendor for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a video visitation system in correctional facilities, which will provide an onsite and remote video capabilities.

This is an RFI only. All information received from the responses may be used for planning purposes to better define the scope of work, technical requirements, operational models, procurement strategy and business terms for inclusion in the RFP.

The County may issue a solicitation that is informed by the information obtained through this RFI.

2 BACKGROUND

Palm Beach County Corrections currently operates inmate visitation and communication systems across a large correctional environment with an inmate population of approximately 2,300 inmates. Existing visitation operations rely on in-person visitation centers with limited kiosk availability in the detention centers and no remote visitation capabilities for regular visitors.

The County is evaluating modernization opportunities for inmate communications and video visitation technologies to improve operational efficiency, inmate access, family communication, attorney access, and overall facility management.

The County is specifically interested in understanding how vendors structure fee-based remote visitation programs that allow the County to avoid upfront capital and operational expenditures.

The County recognizes that correctional communication technologies continue to evolve due to changing operational requirements, regulatory changes, and federal communications rate caps established under the Martha Wright-Reed Just and

Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 and the 2025 Incarcerated People’s

Communications Services (IPCS) Order.

3 OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this RFI are:

• Modernize inmate video visitation capabilities.

• Evaluate remote and onsite visitation solutions.

• Improve operational efficiency and reduce staffing burdens.

• Improve communication access for families, attorneys, and approved visitors.

• Ensure system security, monitoring, and compliance.

• Determine whether the proposed model can be implemented at no direct cost to the County.

4 INFORMATION REQUESTED

Vendors shall provide information regarding complete inmate video visitation, communication platform solutions including software, hardware, infrastructure, implementation, support, and operational services.

The list that follows details the topics of interest to the County that we ask to be included as part of the response to the RFI:

A. Company Information.

Provide a brief description of your firm, including such information as the types of services offered; number, size and location of offices; identification of key firm representatives; and qualifications of your firm, describing any experience in performing work of a similar nature to that outlined in this RFI and/or other related experience.

B. Delivery Timeframe

Provide a typical timeframe for project delivery, from contract execution to start of operations.

C. Demonstration Options

• Portable demonstration and proof-of-concept capabilities.

• Ability to provide virtual and in-person demonstrations.

D. Core Functionality

• Remote video visitation.

• Onsite video visitation kiosks.

• Attorney and professional visitation support.

• Secure messaging and document sharing.

• Monitoring, recording, and audit capabilities.

• Scheduling and visitation management.

E. Video Visitation Requirements

• Remote visitation for approved visitors.

• Free onsite visitation support.

• Secure monitoring and recording.

• Remote attorney visitation capabilities.

• Scheduling and approval workflows.

• Integration with inmate management systems.

F. Fee-Based Remote Visitation Model

Describe the proposed business model, including:

• Proposed fee structure for remote visitation sessions;

• Duration and pricing options;

• Revenue model;

• Any revenue-sharing opportunities;

• Payment processing methods;

• Refund and dispute procedures;

• Visitor account management;

• Fee transparency practices; and

• How the system can be provided at no cost to the County.

The County anticipates that:

• Remote visits conducted from personal devices or residences may incur user fees; and

• Visits conducted from County-designated Visitation Centers will remain free to users.

G. Security & Compliance

• CJIS compliance where applicable.

• Role-based access controls (RBAC).

• Audit logging.

• End-to-end encryption.

• Monitoring and investigative capabilities.

• Secure authentication and administrative controls.

o The system shall include automated monitoring tools capable of detecting inappropriate or prohibited content.

o Voice recognition shall identify and flag prohibited or concerning language using keyword/phrase alerts.

o Video analytics shall identify inappropriate visual behavior.

o Real-time alerts shall be generated for staff intervention.

o The system shall support configurable automatic call termination upon detection of prohibited activity.

o Authorized personnel shall have real-time monitoring access to all non-privileged communications.

o The system shall allow staff to immediately terminate any call.

o Administrative dashboard for system control and oversight.

H. System Architecture

• Cloud, on-premises, or hybrid deployment models.

• High availability architecture.

• Scalable infrastructure for large correctional facilities.

• Redundancy and failover capabilities.

• Centralized management

I. Reporting and Analytics

• Usage reporting.

• Visitation reporting.

• Audit reporting.

• Financial and revenue reporting where applicable.

J. Implementation Requirements

• Implementation and deployment plan.

• Pilot or phased deployment options.

• Testing and validation procedures.

• Operational transition planning.

• List all JMS vendors they currently integrate with.

K. Training and Support

• End-user training.

• Administrator training.

• Train-the-trainer programs.

• 24/7 technical support.

• Service level agreements (SLAs).

• Onsite support staffing options.

• Device replacement support.

L. Performance Requirements

• System uptime expectations.

• Video/audio quality standards.

• Device reliability metrics.

• Response and repair time expectations.

• Real-time reporting capabilities.

• System performance for large inmate populations.

M. Standards Compliance

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.

• Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022.

• 2025 Incarcerated People’s Communications Services (IPCS) Order.

• Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) requirements where applicable.

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity guidance.

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements.

• Applicable correctional industry best practices and standards.

N. Vendor Qualifications

• Experience supporting correctional facilities.

• Experience supporting large inmate populations.

• Financial stability and long-term viability.

• References from comparable agencies.

• Experience with inmate visitation systems.

• Experience with infrastructure deployment in detention facilities.

O. County Cost Structure

• Provide information on pricing models and system deployment costs.

• Infrastructure costs.

• Annual support and maintenance plans.

• On-site staffing costs.

• Breakage and replacement cost structure.

• Optional feature pricing.

P. Vendor Questions and Recommendations

The County encourages vendors to provide:

• Recommendations regarding best practices;

• Suggested operational models;

• Innovative approaches;

• Risk considerations;

• Sample implementation plans; and

• Any additional information the vendor believes would assist the County in evaluating available solutions.

Q. Submission Requirements

Responses should include:

a. Executive Summary

b. Company Profile

c. Detailed Response to Requested Information

d. Proposed Business Model

e. References

f. Sample Agreements or Terms of Service (if available)

g. Supporting Documentation

5. DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS

The County will accept questions regarding this RFI until 5:00pm EDT on November 17th, 2026. All questions must be submitted via electronic mail to pur-purchteam2@pbc.gov AND djuhe1@pbc.gov, David Juhe, Procurement Manager will be the contact person for this RFI.

6. DEADLINE FOR RESPONSE

Responses are due on or before November 30, 2026. Responses must be in .pdf format and submitted to:

David Juhe, Procurement Manager Palm Beach County Procurement Department 50 S. Military Trail, Suite 110 West Palm Beach, FL 33415 Email: pur-purchteam2@pbc.gov AND djuhe1@pbc.gov

IMPORTANT NOTES: This RFI is not a Request for Proposal, Request for Submittal, and

Request for Quotation, Offer, or an Invitation for Bid, nor does its issuance restrict PBC on its eventual disposition activities. This is an RFI only, and all information received will be used for informational and planning purposes only. Your response may be releasable to the public under Florida Public Records Law (Section 119.07, F.S.). If you wish PBC to consider any portion of your response exempt from disclosure under the Florida Public

Records Law, you should clearly mark that portion as “confidential information” and state the portion of the applicable statute that meets the exemption you are seeking.

Respondents will not be notified of any results derived from a review of the information provided. This RFI should not be construed as a commitment by PBC, and PBC does not intend to award a contract on the basis of your responses. All information contained in the

RFI is preliminary and is subject to modification and is in no way binding PBC. PBC will not pay for information received in response to this RFI. Responders to this RFI are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

mailto:pur-purchteam2@pbc.gov mailto:djuhe1@pbc.gov mailto:pur-purchteam2@pbc.gov mailto:djuhe1@pbc.gov

Exhibit A –Estimate of Cost

Estimated Installation Costs

Item Description Estimated Cost

Hardware/Equipment

Software/Licensing

Network/Internet Upgrades

Installation/Setup

Training

Other One-Time Costs

Total Estimated Installation Cost: $___________

Estimated Annual Operating Costs

Item Description Annual Cost

Software Maintenance/Support

Internet/Bandwidth

Equipment Maintenance

Staff Support/Monitoring

Cloud Storage/Hosting

Other Recurring Costs

Total Estimated Annual Operating Cost: $___________

Revenue / Cost Recovery Estimates (If Applicable)

Revenue Source Estimated Annual Revenue

Notes

Visitor usage fees

Commissary revenue share

Vendor commission/revenue sharing

Grants/funding sources

Other revenue

Revenue Subtotal: $___________

Budget Summary

Category Amount

Total Installation Costs

Total Annual Operating Costs

Estimated Revenue Offset (if applicable)

Estimated Net Annual Cost