* From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
* To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
* Subject: 9/8 MON: Pack court f/ prison phone justice (Albany)
* Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:47:43 +0000 (GMT)
* Priority: normal
The case seeks a declaration that the prison telephone system
violated
people’s constitutional rights and also seeking refunds for prison
families
who have unjustly paid 630% more for a collect call from a NY State
prison
than a normal collect call consumer. [Also the monopoly pays a multi-
million
dollar kickback to Corrections.]
. . .
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:58:20 -0400
From: Lauren Melodia <LMelodia {AT} ccrjustice.org>
Subject: prison phone contract DELAYED AGAIN
This email includes:
1. UPDATE ON PRISON TELEPHONE CONTRACT TRANSFER DELAY
2. PACK THE COURTHOUSE: ORAL ARGUMENTS IN WALTON V. NYSDOCS ON SEPT.
8, 2008
IN ALBANY, NY
UPDATE ON PRISON TELEPHONE CONTRACT TRANSFER DELAY
Last you heard from me, the prison telephone contract – currently held
by
Global Tel Link – was delayed in being transferred to comply with the
Family
Connections bill. First it was supposed to switch over on April 1,
2008.
Then GTL took DOCS to court about the new contract, and we expected a
new
system to be in effect on September 1, 2008. Well, it’s been delayed
AGAIN.
Since there has been no legal resolution, the new contract possibly
won’t go
into effect until the end of this year (because DOCS has 90 days to
switch
over the contract AFTER the legal resolution and official award of
the
contract). We are looking into ways that we, as families and allies,
can
speed up this process. I’ll let you know once we’ve done a little
more
investigation of the process.
PACK THE COURTHOUSE: ORAL ARGUMENTS IN WALTON V. NYSDOCS ON SEPT. 8,
2008 IN
ALBANY, NY
On September 8, 2008, CCR Attorney Darius Charney will be making oral
arguments before the Appellate Division of the NY State Supreme Court
in
Walton v. NYSDOCS. Walton v. NYSDOCS is a potential “class action”
suit and
challenges the constitutionality of the NYSDOCS’ prison telephone
contract,
specifically its unjust high rates and its illegal backdoor tax on
prison
families. The case seeks a declaration that the prison telephone
system
violated people’s constitutional rights and also seeking refunds for
prison
families who have unjustly paid 630% more for a collect call from a NY
State
prison than a normal collect call consumer.
The case, which the NY’s highest court allowed to move forward in
February
2007, had all of its constitutional claims dismissed by Judge Ceresia
in
December 2007. This oral argument is our appeal of that decision. We
need
you to join us in the court room to demonstrate to the Appellate
Division
that this case must be heard! We will be taking a small contingent
from NYC
up to the argument. If you are interested in joining us, please
contact me
as soon as possible. We will be able to cover the travel costs for a
limited
number of people traveling with us, so sign up now!
PACK THE COURTHOUSE – WALTON V. NYSDOCS MUST BE HEARD!
Monday, September 8, 2008 at 1pm
Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Empire State Plaza, Justice Building Room 511
Albany, New York 12223
Directions to the courthouse can be found here:
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ad3/DirectionsfromtheNSEW.html ;
in struggle,
_____________________
lauren melodia | center for constitutional rights | 666 broadway 7th
floor |
ny ny 10012 | 212.614.6481 | lmelodia {AT} ccrjustice.org
From: Lauren Melodia [mailto:LMelodia {AT} ccrjustice.org]
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 12:16 PM
To: Lauren Melodia
Subject: new prison telephone contract delayed
Hello,
As you know, the NY Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) prison
telephone contract is supposed to change this year to comply with the
Family
Connections bill, which we all worked together last year to get
passed.
Originally we thought it would switch over on April 1, 2008, because
the
current contract with Global Tel Link was supposed to officially end
on March
31, 2008. The last you heard from me DOCS was taking 90 days to
switch over
the contract and had told us it would change in June.
The contract turnover has now been delayed again. GTL has challenged
the
award of the new contract in court (apparently this is typical in the
world
of multi-million dollar government contracts), and there is currently
litigation pending that is prolonging the implementation of the new
contract.
DOCS is expecting resolution over the dispute this month, but because
of the
litigation they have not been able to start any of the work they need
to do
in advance of the change in contract. DOCS now expects the new
contract to
be up and running in September.
I wish I had more information at this point, but because of the
litigation,
DOCS has also not been able to get the contract finalized and it is
still not
publicly available. I will certainly be sending you more specifics as
I
receive them, so stay tuned!
We had anticipated having a meeting this month to relay information
about the
new contract and what you should expect, but we will now most likely
have
that meeting in September when we have all of the information to share
with
you.
in struggle,
_____________________
lauren melodia | center for constitutional rights | 666 broadway 7th
floor |
ny ny 10012 | 212.614.6481 | lmelodia {AT} ccrjustice.org
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