Communication Services for Inmates at Pierce County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center

Pierce County, Washington is soliciting proposals for a turnkey inmate communication system serving the Pierce County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center (Remann Hall), with proposals due August 14, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. and a mandatory pre-proposal site visit required. This is a single-prime-contractor procurement, and the selected vendor must demonstrate 5–10 years of experience providing inmate communication services to at least one correctional facility.

The scope encompasses inmate telephony (collect, prepaid collect, and debit calling), video visitation, secure tablets and kiosks, family and friends communication tools, and all supporting hardware, software, and infrastructure. The system must integrate seamlessly with Pierce County's Legal Information Network Exchange (LINX) and Jail Management System (JMS) and comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and national corrections communication standards. The contractor must be licensed to operate in Washington State and provide 24/7/365 availability for Priority One and Two service issues, dedicate one full-time on-site technician with at least two years of related experience, designate an ADA liaison and account representative, and supply and support all hardware and software exclusively (no contractor devices may connect to the County network without express Information Technology approval).

The current system comprises 275 inmate telephones across three facilities serving an average daily population of approximately 900 inmates in main jail facilities and 25 juvenile detainees. Call rates are capped between $0.10–$0.12 per minute for audio calls and $0.17–$0.19 per minute for video calls under the 2025 Incarcerated People's Communications Services Order. The contractor shall bear all costs for installation, operation, upgrades, maintenance, and contractor-installed telephone lines; the County bears costs only for County-owned network components. The contractor must remit monthly commissions to Pierce County based on total gross revenues with no deductions, due within 15 days of the billing month end.

The initial contract term runs from early 2027 through 2032 (five years), with the County retaining an option to extend for four additional 12-month terms at its sole discretion. Prevailing wage requirements under Washington RCW 39.12 apply; contractors and subcontractors must file an Intent to Pay Prevailing Wage form with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries prior to work commencement. Questions are due July 29, 2026. Evaluation uses a points-based scoring method with 24 separate criteria totaling 1,070 base points plus optional points for enhanced features.