Hendry County Sheriff Simplifies Inmate Communication
Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden has selected a new inmate phone service provider to save labor, increase security, and enhance investigation tools. He has recently awarded Telmate, LLC a new contract to provide inmate telephone systems and service to Hendry County Jail in LaBelle.
This new service reduced the amount of administrative work that correctional officers performed passing messages from friends, family members and attorneys. Telmate provides each inmate with one call upon booking so they can notify their family of their whereabouts and condition. On the day of the changeover all inmates got free calls for 24 hours so they could notify their families of the new phone system and how to place and pay for calls. The software provides voicemail service whereby families and other approved outside parties (like attorneys) may leave a confidential voice message for an inmate.
Telmate kiosks can been found at the Hendry County Sheriff's Office lobby in both Clewiston and LaBelle; this will allow family members and friends of inmates to deposit funds for phone calls at the county jail. By placing a kiosk in the Clewiston sub-office it provides easier access to family members and eliminates the 30 mile drive to LaBelle. In addition, a 24/7 toll free bi-lingual customer service line offers facility staff, inmates and family members a significant improvement for issue resolution.
The Hendry County Jail will be able to streamline transfers of inmates to and from Glades County Jail, which also utilizes the Telmate system. When an inmate is released they will be issued a MasterCard debit card which is an easy-to-manage option for returning unused funds. This program eliminates the need for facility staff to handle cash or write checks and allows released inmates access to their own money, even if they have no bank account.
With the new Telmate phone system, inmates will use voice verification technology along with a PIN number before each phone call. This will protect each inmate's phone time securely by establishing identities during the call placement process. The Telmate system makes available a tremendous number of new tools available to crack down on criminal activities by allowing live secure review of inmate phone calls.
Sheriff Steve Whidden stated "under this contract, Telmate pays for all equipment, maintenance, software and infrastructure to provide inmate phone service and payment kiosks. This includes any upgrades to the system or additions in hardware to ensure that Hendry County receives the most advanced solution possible, at no cost to the taxpayer."
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