Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1634
       
       
        
       By Senator Book
       
       
       
       
       
       32-00438A-22                                          20221634__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to prisoner communication services;
    3         creating s. 944.8033, F.S.; requiring the Department
    4         of Corrections to provide prisoners daily voice
    5         communication services, free of charge; requiring the
    6         department to maintain a certain ratio of prisoners to
    7         operable voice communication devices; authorizing the
    8         supplementation of voice communication services with
    9         other communication services; requiring such services
   10         to be provided free of charge; providing an effective
   11         date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Section 944.8033, Florida Statutes, is created
   16  to read:
   17         944.8033 Prisoner communication services; free of charge
   18  and minimum daily duration.—The department shall provide to each
   19  prisoner in the correctional system, in a state correctional
   20  institution, or in a detention facility with free of charge
   21  voice communication services for a minimum of 15 minutes per day
   22  and shall maintain a 10-to-1 ratio of prisoners in custody to
   23  operable voice communication devices in each living unit. Voice
   24  communication services may be supplemented with other
   25  communication services, including, but not limited to, video
   26  communication and electronic mail services. To the extent that
   27  such voice communication services or any other communication
   28  services are provided, each such service must be provided free
   29  of charge to the person initiating and to the person receiving
   30  the communication.
   31         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.