Corrections department looks to phase out some inmate fees

• That would fund the first of a four-year plan that's projected to cost nearly $5.5 million.

Zoom in: The proposal targets fees for inmate visitations, money deposits, phone calls and tablets. As is:

• Inmates must pay 7 cents per minute for phone calls;
• They pay a 1% fee on certain deposits to their inmate trust accounts;
• Visitors must pay a one-time fee of $25 for background checks, though that doesn't apply to visitors under 18.

Between the lines: The phone and tablet commissions provided about $3.8 million in fiscal year 2023 — plus $560,000 in interest — to the department's Special Service Fund, which must be used for the "benefit, education and welfare of committed offenders," per state law, and to pay for technology and programs for inmate use.

Why it matters: Most inmates earn only 10 to 50 cents per hour, leaving those who lack outside funds with little money, said Donna Leone Hamm, executive director at the advocacy group Middle Ground Prison Reform.

• The visitation fee can also be a burden on families, many of whom lost their primary breadwinner when that person was incarcerated, she said.
• Inmate fees and commissions are "extremely high" compared to their income, ADCRR wrote in its proposal. Some inmates also have mandatory deductions that can reduce 50-cent-per-hour pay to as little as 20 cents per hour.
• "I think we're seeing positive changes. And I would say that, as long as these are tangible benefits and real savings that are being passed onto families and loved ones of incarcerated people, that's a good thing," said Joe Watson, an advocate for incarcerated people and corrections reform.

Yes, but: The proposal is still in the draft stages, the agency told Axios Phoenix, and conversations remain "in the early stages and will be discussed in relation to public safety and departmental mission."

The intrigue: Hobbs said she supports the proposal, telling reporters yesterday, "We shouldn't be balancing the budget on the backs of inmates."

• The agency wrote that the proposal "aligns with Governor Hobbs' Corrections reform goal.
• Hobbs told Axios Phoenix before her inauguration that she was prioritizing reforms in the corrections system.
• When Hobbs appointed Thornell, she touted his leadership on "significant initiatives that re-envision traditional policies and approaches to incarceration" while serving as deputy commissioner of corrections in Maine.

Of note: The department's budget for FY24 is more than $1.5 billion.

• The visitation and trust account fees pump nearly $1.1 million a year into the Building Renewal Fund.
• Some money from the targeted funds is earmarked for heat safety and relief strategies this year as well.

Flashback: The Legislature in 2011 enacted a law permitting the department to impose an inmate visitation fee of up to $25.