Despite AI call-monitoring concerns, NYC corrections plans to renew $23M telecom contract
Despite AI call-monitoring concerns, NYC corrections plans to renew $23M telecom contract
Publish Date: 2026-05-15 16:09:00
Source Domain: statescoop.com
- New York City’s Department of Correction plans to renew a $23 million contract with Securus Technologies for inmates’ voice and video call services, with the proposed five-year contract starting in July 2026.
- The existing contract has been extended through the end of the year while negotiations for the new contract are ongoing. The department intends to seek an additional six-month extension.
- The renewal includes Securus’ use of artificial intelligence for monitoring inmate calls for criminal activity, raising surveillance concerns from advocacy groups.
- Critics argue that Securus’ monitoring capabilities extend beyond inmates to their friends and family, enabling pervasive surveillance.
- Privacy and civil rights groups, like the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP) and Worth Rises, condemn the contract renewal due to its surveillance implications and potential racial profiling and violations of New York’s sanctuary city status.
