Michael S. Hamden - Attorney, Counselor at Law & Corrections Consultant

NEW MEXICO

Public Service Commission Inquiry into Rates

Charged by ICS Providers
Case No. 07-00316-UT

 

Documents on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) site are “read-only” and difficult to access.  To do so, you must secure a user name and password.  http://www.nmprc.state.nm.us.  The Commission maintains that such credentials are usually provided within 24 hours on any business day.  (Though it surpasses understanding that public records would be so difficult to view or obtain, the procedures of the NMPRC are apparently consistent with New Mexico Law.  N.M. Stat. § 14-3-1, et seq., “Public Records Act,” http://64.132.204.47/NXT/gateway.dll/newmex/282/6745/6768?f=templates$fn=document-frameset.htm$q=%22Public%20Records%22$x=Simple#LPHit1

 

On July 25, 2007, the New Mexico Public Staff petitioned the Commission to make an inquiry into the rates charged by ICS providers in New Mexico.

 

On July 31, 2007, the Commission issued a Notice of Inquiry into the rates charges by ICS providers in New Mexico.

 

On May 13, 2008, the Commission consolidated two previous protests of proposed tariff changes (Case No. 08-00142-UT-T-Netix Telecommunications Services, Inc., and Case No. 08-00143-UT – Evercom Systems, Inc.) with Case No. 07-00316-UT.  This inquiry will now include a review of ICS provider costs for all rates including any fees charged to open accounts or to make payments.

 

Actually, three kinds of non-tariffed fees are at issue –service fees (charged to customers setting up an account for the first time), “recharge fees” (billed when a customer reopens an account), and processing fees – imposed either by a service provider or a third party business – for processing a customer’s payment. 

 

On July 3, 2008, an Order issued in Case No. 07-00316-UT (Document #1048477) which required the inmate phone service providers to:  1) file all cost information related to all of their existing or proposed rates, charges or fees; 2) participate in a status conference will at the Commission’s offices to discuss the cost data and scheduling matters; and 3) allowing the Evercom and T-netix processing fees to go into effect, subject to refund.