Inmate Telephone Services

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a comprehensive Inmate Telephone Services contract, seeking a state-of-the-art hosted solution for telephone services across 27 State Correctional Institutions, PADOC Headquarters, and satellite offices. The primary objectives include providing inmates with reliable communication services, enabling call monitoring and recording, and generating revenue for the inmate general welfare fund. The contract is structured as a no-cost, commission-based agreement with a 5-year term and five potential 1-year renewal options. Evaluation criteria will focus on two primary components: 60% of cost points allocated to the lowest blended per-minute rate and 40% of points awarded to the highest commission percentage. Vendors must submit detailed proposals including blended per-minute rates for intrastate and interstate calls, commission percentages, and comprehensive technical capabilities for call monitoring and system infrastructure. The RFP was initially posted on October 28, 2013, with proposal submissions due by December 16, 2013 at 2:00 PM, and vendors were allowed to submit follow-up questions until November 26, 2013 at 3:00 PM EST.

The RFP indicates provisions for small diverse business participation, though specific set-aside percentages are not explicitly detailed in the provided documents. The contract requires the selected vendor to provide a fully integrated telephone system that can interface with PADOC's existing commissary and jail management systems, with strict requirements for system security, call recording storage (minimum 2-year retention), and comprehensive reporting capabilities. While no incumbent vendor is specifically mentioned, the RFP suggests the current system will require complete replacement with a modern, hosted solution. The system must support all intrastate and interstate calls with a single, flat fee rate structure, and include features for administrative and investigative call monitoring. Though precise budget figures are not provided, the documentation indicates an estimated 5,348,000 revenue minutes for the fiscal year, suggesting significant potential revenue generation through commission structures. The Commonwealth reserves the right to extend the contract for up to three additional months and maintains flexibility in procurement methods.