Revises provisions relating to offenders. (BDR 16-709)
Summary
SB323 revises Nevada laws governing offender communications and certain deductions from offender accounts. The bill makes permanent a prior pilot program that provided free daily 15-minute telephone calls between offenders housed at Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center and their family members, with the stated goal of maintaining family relationships during incarceration. It also authorizes the Department of Corrections to adopt regulations to administer the program.
The bill further changes how the Department may charge offenders for communications services. It prohibits the Department from charging more than the actual cost to the Department for audio or video calls made by or to an offender, and it requires any communications-services contract to include a term ensuring compliance with federal rules on returning unused money in incarcerated people’s communication accounts, as those rules existed on January 1, 2025. The bill also makes a state General Fund appropriation to the Department of Corrections for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to implement the free-call program.
Impact
SB323 amends Chapter 209 of NRS, especially NRS 209.246, by narrowing the Department of Corrections’ authority to deduct communication-related costs from offender accounts and by adding a new permanent statutory program for free family calls at Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center. It affects the Department of Corrections, incarcerated people, their families, and private communications vendors contracting with the state. The bill also creates a direct General Fund expenditure for implementation and requires any collected reimbursements under NRS 209.246 to continue being deposited into the appropriate State General Fund account.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support: the bill passed the Senate unanimously, 20-0, on final passage. The bill text and structure suggest a policy emphasis on family connection, affordability, and consumer protections for incarcerated people’s communications. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so the record here reflects broad legislative approval rather than documented debate.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are fiscal cost and the scope of limits placed on correctional communications charges. The bill requires a state appropriation to fund the free-call program, which may raise budget concerns, and it restricts the Department’s ability to recover communications costs by capping charges at actual cost and requiring contract terms tied to federal IPCS refund rules. Another possible issue is that the free-call program is limited to offenders assigned to Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center, which could prompt questions about whether similar benefits should extend to other facilities or offender populations.