RFP C5612999

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is requesting proposals for an Incarcerated Persons Mail Scanning Solution under RFP C5612999, with proposals due September 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. PST and questions due August 31, 2026. This is a services procurement with a 5% Small Business preference, 1%–5% DVBE incentive, and optional TACPA preferences available.

The contractor will operate and maintain a secure offsite facility within the United States to receive, screen, scan, digitize, store, and route all incoming First-Class Mail addressed to incarcerated persons across CDCR institutions. No processing shall occur on CDCR property. The solution must eliminate contraband introduction, reduce operational burden on institutional mailrooms, and ensure timely digital delivery of correspondence. The contractor must maintain 99.5 percent system availability, provide 90-day physical mail retention and two-year digital retention, and comply with comprehensive Service Level Agreements including mail delivery within three calendar days, contraband notifications within one hour, and 99 percent data backup success rates. Monthly SLA remedies include invoice credits ranging from 5 to 50 percent for performance failures, with critical data loss triggering automatic 40 percent monthly credits.

The contract period runs from October 19, 2026, through January 1, 2030, with two optional one-year extensions. The implementation structure includes a 75-day preparation phase, 24-month Proof of Concept/Pilot Operations at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (3,804 monthly Average Daily Population), and 12-month Statewide Operations and Maturation period scaling to 86,146 ADP across 31 institutions. Billing is Time and Materials basis at monthly rates specified in Exhibit B-1, with pricing for Incoming IP First-Class Mail (Standard and Large Flat), Exception Handling/Forwarding, and Print Service Charges. Subcontracting is limited to 40 percent of contract value without written justification and CDCR approval.

Mandatory contractor qualifications include implementation experience with at least three Departments of Corrections and minimum three years' experience digitizing and delivering incarcerated mail to communication tablets. Desirable qualifications include high-volume processing experience exceeding 400,000 pieces monthly (30 points) and offsite facility location within California or a bordering state (30 points). Key staff must include a Project Manager with 10 years' experience, Training Manager with 5 years' experience, Maintenance and Operations Manager with 10 years' experience, and Customer Service Manager with 10 years' experience. All contractor staff must complete CDCR Forms 2189 and 2301 (PREA compliance). The solution must maintain WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility compliance and NIST 800-53 security controls.

Evaluation is four-phase: Administrative (Pass/Fail), Technical (1,179 maximum points), Demonstration/Interview (200 maximum points if applicable), and Cost (624 maximum points). Award will be made to the responsible responsive bidder with the highest combined score. Demonstrations or interviews are tentatively scheduled for September 28, 2026, with cost opening September 30, 2026, Notice of Intent to Award October 2, 2026, and contract award October 12, 2026. Proposals become public record after Notice of Intent to Award. Unsuccessful bidders may protest within five business days. Bidders must submit proof of California Secretary of State certification, SB/DVBE certification if applicable, California Civil Rights Laws Certification, Iran Contracting Act Certification (required for contracts valued at $1 million or more), three client references, completed cost workbook, CDCR Forms 2189 and 2301, DVBE Declaration, TACPA request if applicable, and STD 1000 GenAI Reporting documentation.