TELEPHONES DON'T TEMPT SCOTT COUNTY INMATES

BENTON -- Clever crooks incarcerated around the country are using telephones to remotely control their crime organizations, intimidate witnesses, conduct credit card thievery and even arrange escapes -- but not in Scott County.

"We're the only county jail in the state of Missouri that does not have inmate phones," said Sheriff Bill Ferrell.

The only telephone available for inmate use at the Scott County jail is in the lobby, where officers escort inmates to use the phone in emergencies.

Ferrell said that phone privileges end up being a burden on the families of inmates, as the calls are placed collect. Family members will often not be able to afford the call, but don't want to refuse a call from an incarcerated family member.

"We've received complaints from county residents," said Ferrell. "I've heard of bills as high as $800-$900 per month."

Even without phones at the Scott County jail, county residents still find themselves pressured to receive the expensive collect calls. Scott County prisoners are often housed at other county jails due to lack of jail space.

Another security concern Ferrell has is with monitoring communication.

Ferrell pointed out the phone companies that service detention centers typically have high rates, with a percentage going back to the county. "The jails aren't here to make a profit off of other people's misfortune," said Ferrell, "and the unfortunate ones are the family members who pay for the calls."

Don Chance, administrator at the Mississippi County Detention Center, acknowledged they receive a percentage on certain types of calls, but said it is "a very small amount." He said the revenue was not so much a deciding factor as the entire package offered by Evercom, the largest independent provider of inmate phone systems.

The inmate telephones are part of a package in which the facility was equipped with an "electric guard" data and printout inmate head count system. The inmate phones are provided at no cost to the county.

The phone use is a privilege for the inmates at the Mississippi County jail between 7 a.m. and midnight "as long as everyone is in compliance with the rules and regulations," according to Chance. He said that prisoners from out of the area are "surprised by the ready access for inmates" to the telephones, but that the locals often have complaints about being unable to contact relatives who have blocked collect calls from their number.

Among those services are security systems that enable jailers to listen in on and record inmates' phone conversations. As with mail communication screens, inmates are advised upon being booked, and notices are posted near inmate phones.

"The only reason we put them in is for security reasons," explained Mascarro, who said that the monitoring systems are used at all state facilities, but rarely at the county level.

Jailers, however, always have control of phone use at their fingertips. A "kill switch" that turns the phones on or off is a standard feature, with automatic on-off switches also available that can enable scheduled phone sessions.

Mascarro conceded that although they are constantly developing systems to prevent them, there will always be the potential for abuses with the phone privileges.