Harris County votes to cut the cost of phone calls to inmates from 22 cents to 18 cents to improve quality of life

Harris County, Texas (KTRK) – Harris County commissioners may lower the cost of phone calls from the jail after a vote Tuesday.

County commissioners are expected to vote on a contract that officials say will improve the quality of life for inmates.

Speaking of the inmate’s quality of life, 13 investigators found that the prison had a decade-long rise in prisoner deaths in 2022 and had received two notices of non-compliance from the State Commission on Prison Standards. One was for not booking inmates within 48 hours and the other for not providing insulin to a guest who ended up dying in their hold.

The chief in charge of the Harris County Jail announced his resignation earlier this month as the jail suffers from a high prison population and a “staffing shortage.”

See related story: Supreme Leader Resigns at Harris County Jail Amid Overcrowding and Deaths

Contract delegates are expected to vote to lower the cost from 22 cents a phone call to 18 cents, According to the Houston Chronicle. Inmates will also be allowed access to tablets for communications and video visits.

See related story: 13 Investigators: Decades-old Prisoner Deaths Just One Concern at Harris Corporation Prison