Associated Press Published

Group Seeks Reduction in W.Va. Regional Jail Phone Fees

Prison Bars

An inmate advocacy group is seeking a reduction of phone fees charged to prisoners in regional jails.

Stories from South Central says the West Virginia Division of Corrections reduced its fees for inmate phone calls at the state’s prisons. The group says the West VirginiaRegional Jail and Correctional Facilities Authority should follow suit.

Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety spokesman Lawrence Messina tells The Charleston Gazette that the fee reduction at prisons is due to a different vendor winning the contract.

Messina says the regional jail authority hopes to obtain the best deal for the jail system and inmates when it awards a new contract. The current contract expires at the end of August.