RFI_Questions___Answers.pdf

This document is a Questions and Answers summary from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) regarding Request for Information ACTT4926, issued on April 17, 2026. The RFI seeks qualified vendors to provide secure, facility-wide notification and alerting systems designed to support effective communication with incarcerated individuals, particularly those who are deaf and hard of hearing. The pilot system will be implemented at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility located in Corcoran, California, with an anticipated population of 5 to 500 incarcerated persons per facility requiring the portable paging assistive device system. Success of the pilot will be measured by the system's ability to reliably meet real-time needs in the carceral setting, including successful page transmission and receipt, adequate coverage, validated scalability, and absence of security concerns.

The CDCR anticipates deploying the system to approximately 10 prisons statewide, though expansion to all 30 state prisons is possible based on pilot results. Vendors must submit Letters of Interest detailing portable assistive device or system solutions, such as wearable wristwatch paging systems, that meet requirements for secure closed network environments, notification functionality, ADA compliance, reduced staff dependency, ease of use, durability and security, maintenance and support, and scalability. Complete information and details are available in the attached Event Package (Attachments 01-05).