The Jackson Jambalaya posted an interesting article on cdispatch about the Keefe Group, an inmate communications and services firm that had a contract with the former Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) Commissioner Chris Epps, who has been indicted for fraud and bribery. The Keefe Group made more than $40 million from the MDOC since 2008, nevertheless, no one from from the firm was indicted. Cecil McCrory, the man that owned previous MDOC supplier G.T. Enterprises, which he sold to the Keefe Group in 2008, was also indicted. Check out Keefe’s profile on corrections.com
It’s a convoluted story of bribery and corruption, however, the Keefe Group was paying the MDOC more than 29 percent in commission fees for food and personal care item purchases by inmates. Yes, companies can make large profits selling to inmates, however, the MDOC made out pretty well too. It’s hard to imagine why McCrory would allegedly offer a bribe to get contracts that required such high commission payments.

Perhaps this is why the Keefe Group is the target of an article calling the company predatory because of the high prices they charge inmates for food items. The Under Lock & Key news service is asking people to write the Keefe Group and document any abuses by the company. Perhaps Under Lock & Key should look at what their state’s Department of Corrections is receiving in commissions from the firms that they allow to sell products and services to inmates.  Read article here: http://www.prisoncensorship.info/article/fight-keefe-food-group-corruption/

In a case reported in Alabama, it became public that families were spending up to $100 or double the amount to communicate with a family member who is behind the bars.

Diana Summerford confirms that she used to pay $100 every month to cover her telephone bill. The bill was inflated by calls she made to her son, Jimmy Childers who was held at Decatur Work Release. The costs were high but she had to keep connected to know how her son was doing in prison.

The Alabama regulatory agency had though promised to regulate the inmate call rates to reduce the burden that family members incur while calling their relatives in prison. Despite the intervention to cut down rates, some inmate communication providers made a stand that they were not ready to agree to a reduced call rates regime. The firms depend on their services to prisoners to make profits.

The Alabama Public Service confirmed that the private firms imposed unrealistic charges on phone calls. To avoid detection, the firms first sold calling cards to jail canteen operators at a low price. In turn, the canteen workers sold the tickets at a high price to inmates.

According to pissedconsumer.com, the high prices were part of an illegal plan to contract with a Louisiana-based telecommunications inmate phone service provider that took advantage of their monopoly to charge exorbitant phone call rates. The company was accused of charging transaction fees of more than $4.75 to users when they made any deposit to their accounts. To make things worse, the money deposited in the account disappeared mysteriously in some cases.

However, the exorbitant inmate phone call rates could be reduced if the county considered contracting other firms. IC Solutions is an inmate communications service provider that gives relatively lower charges in opening up an account, and cheaper call rates when using their services. http://icsolutions.pissedconsumer.com/ic-solutions-shady-fraudulent-company-20141224574304.html