At today’s McLean County Justice Committee meeting, county board members voted in favor of updating the existing contract with Inmate Communications Solutions, a company that profits off of telecommunications services to correctional facilities. Currently, the County generates 6-figure profit off of this contract.
The update in questions involves the inclusion of tablets that inmates are allowed to use while in their cells. Inmates have access to tablets for music, education, gaming, and more… for a price, of course. It costs inmates $.05 per minute for streaming services. Inmates can send emails at $.25 per email at $.05 a minute while typing. The county makes 25% commission on all streaming revenues and at least 10% revenue on emails. Broke inmates can access Ebooks, educational material, and file grievances. You can all the specifics received via information request from the Sheriff’s department here.
Stats from the McLean County Jail, accurate as of the August 30th, 2021:
Jail population: 213
Proportions by gender:
24 (11.3%) are female
189 (88.7%) are male
Proportions by race:
105 (49.3%) Black
5 (2.3%) Hispanic
103 (48.4%) Persons of a Colonial Complexion
Number of people over 50: 23
Number of inmates sentenced: 22 (10.3%)
Number of inmates pretrial (felony): 171 (80.3%)
Number of inmates pretrial (property felony): 36 (16.9%)
Number of inmates pretrial (misdemeanors): 11 (5.2%)
Number of inmates pretrial for drug offenses: 46 (30.9%)
Number of out of county residences: 71 (33.3%)
The total number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19: 8
The total number of jail staff who have tested positive for COVID-19: 18
The current number of inmates positive for COVID-19: 0
The current number of jail staff positive for COVID-19: 0
Total number of inmates vaccinated for COVID-19 by the jail: 100
Total number of jail staff vaccinated for COVID-19: No records are being kept
The number of current inmates that have been fully vaccinated whether in the jail or on their own: No records are being kept
