Collect calls from Glenn A. Davis Juvenile Hall in Martinez, and the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility in Byron have been eliminated, county officials said.
The Contra Costa County Probation Department will now cover the cost when juveniles make calls from the facilities.
“Eliminating this additional financial burden and creating a pathway for increased communication with loved ones is the right thing to do,” said Chief Probation Officer Esa Ehmen-Krause in a statement.
Diane Burgis, the chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, praised the decision.
“In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that everyone stays connected to their families, especially youth, and I applaud the probation department for making it easier on families as we pursue the ultimate goal of reunification and living a healthy life,”
Additionally, in response to coronavirus health orders, the department began using virtual visitation last year amid the pandemic.
The department said it plans to continue this service, also provided at no cost, even after on-site visitation resumes.
Tax payers keep on paying.The American way.Thanks again morons.
These are CRIMINALS…not toddlers lost in the store
Just send me the bill…
Well what numbskull thought up this stupid idea..
Those collect calls were profitable for companies providing service and a burden for low income families. Perhaps phone calls to family can be of benefit.
Had privilege of knowing a therapist who had a practice, was referred persons adult, juvenile on probation by both Courts and Probation departments for anger issues. Said a commonality especially among youthful offenders was their complete lack of empathy for their victims. Before his retirement a number of years ago he would teach counselors at juvenile halls.
He related to me, without any identifying information, a set of affluent parents that paid their son $500 a week NOT to come home until after 11 pm on weekdays and 1 am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He was an inconvenience to their party giving life style. In later years kid became ruthless gag leader in Oakland. Unknown if those parents were smart enough not to get a dog.
Here’s how much those calls (even long distance) cost you, the taxpayer:
$0.00
Seriously. Government offices don’t pay by the call, they pay a set monthly fee for unlimited local and long distance calling. These “collect calls” were just a scam by companies like 1-800-COLLECT to bilk families for the privilege of talking to incarcerated loved ones.
False. It doesn’t cost the tax payer any money, but not for the reasons you stated. The majority of jails, detention centers & prisons across the US are all using VOIP telephone systems. The telephone carriers (which are contracted by the jail) pay a small price per call connected. The carrier then charges the inmate or his family for the phone call at an increased rate. Part of the rate that is charged goes back to the carrier, but most of it goes back to the jail in the form of commission. The jail then uses that income in lieu of taxpayer funds. Collect calls work the same way, however there are three parties involved – the collect call carrier, the contracted telephone carrier, and the jail, which all take their cut of the profits. It is rare for a telephone contract to be awarded only for a juvenile center, they are usually a part of a larger contract that includes the county/city jails. In this case, most likely the contracted telephone carrier will provide these calls for free to the juvenile center and in exchange be awarded the contract with the county jail. Juvenile facility contracts are loss leaders for the telephone carriers, because the population is so small, they don’t make enough revenue to cover the overhead costs, but the county jail contracts are big money, especially a county like Contra Costa.
What’s the Equity Metric?
Come on man this is not some liberal plot. Should prisoners be on the phone all day? No. To call someone and let them know you got busted is not something you should have to make a collect call for. No big deal here. No long distance calls unless you are from out of state. The least of our troubles.
I disagree. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. A bored inmate will lash out at other inmates, guards and is prone to riot. It’s better to keep the inmate busy, unless you are going to keep them in their cells 23 hours a day. Plus this article is about juveniles – all of which will be released back into society. Kids with a stronger connection to their family are less likely to commit crimes. Allowing them access to talk to their families at no cost to them or the tax payer is a great step in keeping them reducing future crime.
I’m not talking about being on the phone all day. I am talking about notifying your parents you are in jail or pertinent information they need to know. You are in jail not in your parents basement.
One error in the story: It is the John Davis Juvenile Hall, Not Glen Davis.