Active SLED Opportunity · KENTUCKY · COUNTY OF KENTON
AI Summary
Kenton County requests proposals for a comprehensive inmate telephone system including installation, maintenance, call monitoring, fraud detection, video visitation, messaging, and tablet solutions. The contract is for three years with options to extend. Proposals are due June 5, 2026, with a mandatory pre-bid meeting on May 22, 2026.
The Kenton County Fiscal Court (County) is requesting proposals for an Inmate Telephone System for the Kenton County Detention Center. Offerors wishing to propose a system to meet these requirements should study this document and prepare a response that conforms to its requirements.
All proposals submitted in response to this Request For Proposal (RFP) must comply with the following instructions. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.
After all bids are received, each bidder that has successfully complied with all requested materials will be assigned a date and time to visit the Kenton County Detention Center to demonstrate their equipment and proposed solutions. The time allotted to demonstrate their products, and answer questions will be limited to a maximum of two (2) hours.
Questions regarding this RFP are encouraged and must be submitted through the online portal.
Contractual Relationship – Nothing contained herein will create any contractual relationship between the County and the Offeror, any contractor, subcontractor, or supplier. However, proposal statements contained in the response of the successful Offeror will become part of the contract for the equipment, service, and maintenance. All items in the RFP must be responded to as thoroughly as possible. Unclear, ambiguous statements such as “all reasonable efforts to provide“, etc., must be avoided. Failure to address any of the requirements may subject the response to rejection.
Negotiations may be conducted with prospective vendors who submit proposals. The County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or waive portions thereof and to choose the proposal that best meets the needs and requirements of the County. The County reserves the right to require the Vendor to provide demonstrations or samples as part of negotiations.
Any written statement made as part of the proposal, including the RFP questionnaire answer, will become part of the purchase contract. Any amendments to the original proposal, in written form, may also become part of the same contract.
Each proposal must be accompanied by a firm installation schedule based upon an award date.
All proposals should be accompanied by brochures and/or manuals describing hardware, technical specifications, and featured operations.
The Kenton County Fiscal Court (County) is requesting proposals for an Inmate Telephone System for the Kenton County Detention Center. Offerors wishing to propose a system to meet these requirements should study this document and prepare a response that conforms to its requirements.
Proposals should be prepared according to the submittal requirements listed herein and should provide all necessary information that the proposer considers pertinent to demonstrate qualifications for the scope of work.
Unless otherwise provided herein, Liability Insurance in the amount of $1,000,000.00 must be maintained throughout the life of the contract. A Certificate of Insurance, naming the Kenton County Fiscal Court as Additional Insured, must be submitted prior to execution of the Contract.
All liability policies shall apply on a Primary and Non-Contributory basis with any insurance maintained by the County. All policies shall contain a Severability of Interest / Cross Liability clause. The vendor shall require all subcontractors to carry insurance coverages and limits consistent with these requirements, as applicable to their scope of work. Certificates of Insurance for subcontractors shall be provided to the County upon request.
The policy must provide that the County (as Additional Insured) shall be given at least a 10 day advance written notice of any proposed cancellation, material change, or termination of the policy.
Minimum Limits:
This Request for Bid/Proposals is issued pursuant to applicable provisions of the Kenton County Purchasing Ordinance 121.46.
This Request for Bids/Proposals is issued pursuant to applicable provisions of the Kenton County Purchasing Ordinance 121.46.
The proposal by vendors meeting the Request for Proposal guidelines will be reviewed by the Detention Center. Please note that the award will not be made at the time of proposal opening. The Kenton County Fiscal Court reserves the right to require presentations by vendors, should it be deemed necessary by the Detention Center.
The Detention Center will review all proposals to ensure compliance with the design concept for the system and for compliance with specifications.
The award of the contract will be approximately thirty (30) days from the proposal deadline indicated above. Pricing must be firm for at least sixty (60) days beyond this estimated award date. Upon request, the offerors will be notified of the award decision and the process by which the decision was made.
The Kenton County Fiscal Court reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals, to waive formalities, and to negotiate with the apparent qualified Offeror to such an extent as may be determined by the Fiscal Court.
Workers’ Compensation covering all employees and subcontractors as required by law, with Employer’s Liability coverage for accidents and occupational disease.
Minimum Limits:
Workers’ Compensation covering all employees and subcontractors as required by law, with Employer’s Liability coverage for accidents and occupational disease. Kenton County will request proof of Certification at award and at such other times during the life of the Contract as it deems necessary.
Automobile Liability Insurance covering all owned, non-owned, and hired vehicles.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident.
Proposals will be evaluated based on which proposal best fits the needs and is the best value for the Kenton County Detention Center.
A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be help to allow prospective Bidders/Offers to review the site conditions and gain a complete understanding of the full scope of work. Attendance is required for bid eligibility. This meeting will take place on Friday, May 22, 2026 at 9:00 am at 3000 Decker Crane Lane, Covington, KY 41017.
Proposals received from Bidders/Offers who do not attend the mandatory pre-bid meeting will be rejected.
Aircraft Liability Insurance covering owned, non-owned, and hired aircraft, including unmanned aircraft systems (drones), for bodily injury and property damage.
Minimum limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence.
A pre-bid meeting will be held to allow all prospective Bidders/Offers to review site conditions and gain a complete understanding of the full scope of work. Attendance is encouraged but NOT required for bid eligibility. This meeting will take place on Friday, May 22, 2026 at 9:00 am at 3000 Decker Crane Lane, Covington, KY 41017. All attendees should meet by the elevator on the first floor by the Madison Street entrance.
The contract will be for three (3) years with an option to extend for two (2) additional, one (1) year periods, effective on the date of the executed contract. Each year will be evaluated for contract renewal, which will be based on performance, satisfaction with service, percentage of bad debt, LEC returns, true-ups, and transmitted messages versus transmitted returned amount. The yearly review, if unsatisfactory, may result in the termination of the inmate’s telephone contract between the Jailer and the vendor.
The obligation to provide further service under the terms of the resulting agreement may be terminated by the County upon sixty (60) days written notice in the event of material breach by the successful bidder to perform in accordance with the terms hereof. In the event that the County chooses to discontinue this contract, the Vendor warrants that it will remove all its equipment from the facilities without charge. Service and equipment will not be removed until another Vendor has been identified. The removal of equipment and disconnecting of the present system will occur during the implementation of the new system, with minimal interruption of service to the County. It will be necessary that the current vendor cooperate with the new vendor during the implementation of the new system.
All applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations of all authorities having jurisdiction over communications and electrical construction will apply to the contract throughout. They will be deemed to be included in the contract.
Builder’s Risk Insurance written on an “All Risk” basis equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the completed project value, including the interests of the County, Vendor, and subcontractors. Deductibles not to exceed 5% for Named Windstorm and $20,000 per claim for all other perils.
No pre-bid meeting is scheduled for this bid.
Bidders/Offerors shall submit all inquiries regarding this bid via the county eProcurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/kentoncounty. Questions must be submitted by 9:00 am on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. All answers will be posted on the County's eProcurement Portal no later than 4:00 pm on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Questions will not be accepted after the deadline.
Bidders should also click “Follow” on this bid to receive an email notification when answers are posted. It is the responsibility of the bidder to check the website for answers to inquiries.
The Offerors shall guarantee compliance with the Kentucky State and OSHA Safety Regulations that are in effect on the date of the contract and will defend and hold the County harmless from all claims, fines, and judgments if the equipment, without modification, is properly used by the County.
Crime Coverage including employee dishonesty, forgery or alteration, and computer fraud.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
Bidder/Offerors shall promptly notify Kenton County of any ambiguity, inconsistency or error which they may discover upon examination of the bidding documents. Interpretations, corrections and changes will be made by addendum. Each bidder/offeror shall ascertain prior to submitting a bid that all addenda have been received and acknowledged in the bid.
Bidders are required to register for an account via the county eProcurement Portal hosted by OpenGov. Once the bidder has completed registration, they will receive addenda notifications to their email by clicking “Follow” on this project. Ultimately, it is the sole responsibility of each bidder to periodically check the site for any addenda at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/kentoncounty/projects/262019.
Cyber Liability Insurance including Network Security and Privacy Liability coverage shall include liability arising from theft, dissemination, or use of confidential information stored or transmitted electronically; unauthorized access, tampering, or hacker attacks; denial of service; and introduction of malicious code or viruses. Coverage must include PCI breach expenses if the Vendor collects credit card information, as well as monitoring, remediation, and notification costs required under state law.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per loss.
The County will have no liability to the Vendor for fraud, theft, vandalism, damage, or loss of the Vendor's phone equipment inflicted by the inmates or the public. All costs associated with the repair of the phone will be the responsibility of the Vendor. Other ancillary services may require hardware that falls outside of this stipulation.
Vendor warrants that all repairs will be made at its expense. Vendors shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the calling service is operational and repaired as quickly as possible.
Sealed bids are due no later than 10:00 am, on Friday, June 5, 2026, at which time they shall be opened in public. Bidders shall submit their proposals through the County's eProcurement Portal located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/kentoncounty/projects/262019.
Bids will automatically be unsealed at 10:00 am, on Friday, June 5, 2026, at which time they will be posted on the County's eProcurement Portal located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/kentoncounty/projects/262019.
Without exception, responses will not be accepted after the submission deadline regardless of any technical difficulties such as poor internet connections. Kenton County strongly recommends completing your response well ahead of the deadline.
Kenton County reserves the right at any time and for any reason to cancel this Request for Bids/Proposals, accept or reject any or all bids/proposals or any portion thereof, or to accept an alternate bid/proposal. Kenton County reserves the right to waive any immaterial defect in any bid. Kenton County may seek clarification from any bidder/offeror at any time and failure to respond promptly is cause for rejection.
Garage Liability and Garage Keepers Liability Insurance covering Vendors that manage parking facilities or service County vehicles.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
Detention personnel assigned to this project have ongoing operational responsibilities that are vital to the organization and must be maintained during this procurement process. For this reason, it is essential that excessive or unscheduled visits, or requests for information be limited.
Inland Marine/Equipment Floater covering tools, equipment, mobile machinery, and materials in transit or at temporary or job-site locations.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
There are currently sixty (60) inmate wall telephones in the Detention Center and five (5) roll-around phones as well as three (3) FREE five (5) minute wall phones; one in the visitor lobby and two in the booking area. In addition, there is a TTY payphone in the booking area. The ADP (Average Daily Population) of the Detention Center was 605 for 2025.
The County requires the system to be new and installed for thirty (30) days prior to final acceptance of the system. This will help ensure that all RFP requirements are met by the awarded system.
Kenton County will not be liable for any costs incurred by bidders/offers in replying to this Request for Bids/Proposals.
Bids/Proposals must be submitted via the county eProcurement Portal https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/kentoncounty. All information and certifications called for must be furnished. Bids/Proposals submitted in any other manner, or which fail to furnish all information or certificates required, may be summarily rejected. Bids may be modified or withdrawn prior to the time specified for the opening of bids/proposals.
Any required documents or forms shall be filled out legibly in ink or typewritten with all erasures, strikeovers and corrections initialed in ink by the person signing the bid. The bid shall include the legal name of the bidder, the complete mailing address, and be signed in blue ink by a person or persons legally authorized to bind the bidder/offeror to a contract. Name of person signing should be typed or printed below the signature.
Liquor Liability Insurance required when Vendor sells, serves, or furnishes alcoholic beverages.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
Commission rates alone will not be the sole deciding factor for the basis of this award. The County will evaluate all competitive bids. The award will be given to the company that meets the overall needs of Kenton County Detention Center.
Describe all proposed rates, fees, and County commissions in your uploaded proposal. All proposed rates, fees, and commissions shall be fully compliant with current FCC rules and regulations in effect as of April 6, 2026.
The County will not accept or consider any Technology Grants or Signing Bonuses as a part of the vendor’s financial offer. Further, if the Vendor is offering a Minimum Annual Guarantee (MAG), the proposed MAG must be the same or greater for all years of the contract and any extension periods.
Kenton County Detention Center will require the agreed commission rate of the inmate telephone gross revenue paid by the 15th of each month for the life of the contract.
Vendor shall include a detailed analysis as to how they determine commissionable revenue, including examples of consumer deposits from all points-of-sale, the fees they pay, the dollar amount available for a call given the deposit, and the amount that the County is commissioned after the dollar amount has been used from an accepted call.
It is the intent of Kenton County to award a contract to the lowest responsible bidder/offeror meeting specifications. Kenton County reserves the right to determine the lowest responsible bid/offer on the basis of an individual item, groups of items, or in any way determined to be in the best interests of Kenton County. Award will be based on the following factors (where applicable):
Bids/proposals accepted by the Kenton County Fiscal Court will be available to all local municipalities in Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties.
Bidders/Offers are cautioned to verify their bids/offers before submission. Negligence on the part of the bidder/offeror in preparing the bid/proposal confers no right for withdrawal or modification of the bid/proposal after it has been opened. In case of error in the extension of prices in the bid/proposal, the unit prices will govern. All price extensions are to be checked by the buyer to insure the total bid/proposal is accurate.
Kenton County will not be liable for any costs incurred by bidders/offers in replying to this Request for Bids/Proposals.
Maritime liability coverage for work on or near navigable waters, including liabilities under the Jones Act, U.S. Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (USL&H), and general maritime law.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
The price quoted for each item is the full purchase price, including delivery to destination, and includes all transportation and handling charges, premiums on bonds, material or service costs, patent royalties and all other overhead charges of every kind and nature. Unless otherwise specified, prices shall remain firm for the contract period.
The County believes in providing fair and affordable services to friends and family. The Vendor must disclose all possible consumer fees if the Vendor’s proposal is selected. This includes Vendor fees and third-party fees. The County may reject proposals if all potential fees are not fully disclosed. This would include, but is not limited to, any and all deposit fees, transfer fees, refund fees, account maintenance fees, billing fees, paper bill fees, monthly access fees, etc.
Vendor billing to called parties must include the vendor information and a toll-free telephone number to resolve billing disputes.
Kenton County Detention Center must have immediate access to rated call records on a real-time or near-real-time basis. Once a call has ended, the rated call detail record should be available for reporting using the web-based inmate phone system. Remote report generation by the Contractor is not an acceptable alternative; intervention by the Contractor must not be necessary for authorized facility personnel to access rated call detail records.
Prices quoted must be net after deducing all trade and quantity discounts. Where cash discounts for prompt payment are offered, the discount period shall begin with the date of receipt of a correct invoice or receipt or final acceptance of goods, whichever is later.
Prepaid Cards
Prepaid cards allow the inmate to make telephone calls to numbers that cannot accept collect calls. These numbers can be from competitive local exchange carriers with no collect call billing agreement or cell phones, which many consumers have switched over to local access lines. Prepaid cards must be able to be purchased for “call time” via the Vendor’s website and are also to be sold from the commissary or a machine located in the lobby.
Prepaid card vending machines for the jail lobby must be supplied, collected, and maintained by the Vendor.
Vendor must supply international prepaid cards for INS prisoners.
Direct Pay
Direct pay allows end users to pay for calls from the Detention Center in a couple of ways. The first option is by money order; the second option is by credit card, paid directly to the Vendor.
The inmate recording system shall allow for live monitoring in real time via the Vendor’s website, without any interference to existing recording operations. This feature should be available locally over the PC workstation's speakers, as well as remotely to a telephone number specifically designated by the system administrator. Additionally, the Detention Center wishes to have the capability, while monitoring, to conference into the call or terminate the call from the phone keypad. Callers shall not detect monitoring.
The recording system must store a minimum of 365 days or one (1) year's worth of recorded calls online for immediate retrieval without a change of storage media.
For playback purposes, the recording system shall provide the facility personnel the ability to “group” recording calls on the search screen based on station and/or cellblock.
The system shall provide the hardware and software to allow recorded calls to be transferred to digital media for transport and replay on any computer with audio capabilities.
Vendor must supply the ability for up to 150 users to access the web-based administrative terminals at no cost to the county or jail.
The inmate telephone system must provide administrators with the capabilities to print reports directly from the search screen.
System users must be able to attach a note document to any call record for the purpose of inclusion of information such as the case number or other pertinent information. This note should have the capability to be saved to disk and used in word processing programs such as Microsoft Word, and still retain formatting.
The Offeror will keep the title to the equipment. All licenses are the responsibility of the Offeror.
Professional Liability/Errors & Omissions Insurance covering wrongful acts, errors, or omissions in professional services.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per claim.
Property Insurance covering Vendor-owned or leased property used in performance, including contents, improvements/betterments, and property in the Vendor’s care, custody, or control (as applicable).
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
All Bidders/Offerors must have or obtain a Kenton County and Cities Occupational License prior to performing any work in Kenton County or any of it’s Cities, Kenton County Ordinance 225.19, Section III (a). Bidders/Offerors must be in full compliance with all Kenton County and Cities’ Occupational License Ordinances (KENTON COUNTY FISCAL COURT ORDINANCES 78-6-1, 220.8, 223.0, 223.7, 225.19, 225.25) prior to awarding of a contract. Kenton County shall have the right to reject any bids/offers from Bidders/Offerors that are not in compliance with Kenton County and Cities’ Occupational License Ordinances.
The system shall have the capability to inform the called party of the call cost prior to acceptance. Billing charges shall begin at the time of the call acceptance when the calling party is connected to the called party and shall be terminated when either party hangs up. Incomplete calls, such as network intercept recordings, busy signals, no answers, refusal of calls, answering machine pick-ups, etc., shall not be billed.
• The proposed system shall provide an option for the called party to request the rate of the call prior to acceptance.
• The proposed system shall include user prompts in English and Spanish. Vendor will provide an explanation of other languages available and methods for how callers of other languages would be served.
• The called party must actively accept the call.
• The inmate cannot communicate or hear the called party until the call has been accepted.
• Billing does not begin until the call is accepted.
• System allows County to enable some telephone numbers to be called without any charge, i.e., to Public Defenders, at County’s discretion.
Vendor must provide a lobby kiosk that allows friends and family to deposit funds directly into the inmate calling/PIN account or a phone number. Deposits will not go into the inmate’s trust account.
Lobby kiosk must:
• Have a touch screen, a receipt printer, two (2) bill acceptors.
• Be built in a steel case to prevent vandalism.
• Be ADA compliant.
Vendor must be able to demo the kiosk before installation.
Kenton County is not subject to Federal Excise tax. Per Kentucky Administrative Regulation 103 KAR 30:225E, Kenton County is exempt from state and local taxes.
Pollution Liability Insurance covering bodily injury, property damage, and cleanup costs arising from the release of pollutants.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
Reference to brand names and numbers is descriptive, but not restrictive, unless otherwise specified. Bids/Proposals on equivalent items will be considered, provided the bidder/offeror clearly states exactly what is proposed to be furnished, including complete specifications. Unless the bidder/offeror specified otherwise, it is understood the bidder/offeror is offering a referenced brand item as specified or is bidding/offering as specified when no referenced and does not propose to furnish an “equal”. Kenton County reserves the right to determine whether a substitute offer is equivalent to and meets the standard of quality indicated by the brand name and number.
Must be browser-based, and designed to work with equivalent security in all major modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge).
The system shall be a Web-based, easy-to-use application that is available for secure remote access from anywhere in the continental United States.
The proposed system must be programmed for auto shut-off at times designated by the County.
County personnel must be able to manually shut down the service in case of emergency.
The proposed system shall be secured via two-factor authentication, including password, to permit only appropriate County personnel access to the service.
The system must have the capability to enable and disable any phone in the County from any secured computer.
For security purposes, the system must be a centralized cloud solution, with all data and recordings stored securely off-site. Describe your system and how your system will meet this requirement in the proposal.
System can set a maximum call length for calls made by inmates. In response, describe the range of time and increments that calls can be limited to in your proposal.
System can shut down all or subsets of inmate telephones (by floor, block, or other grouping).
The proposed system must be able to detect potentially fraudulent telephone activity and, at the jail's discretion, disconnect calls automatically. Describe the types of fraudulent telephone activity Vendor’s system will detect and the method by which it is detected in the proposal.
System is designed to restrict incoming calls to inmate phones.
System allows the jail to enter specific numbers to block them from receiving calls from the facility.
System shall deny access to 800, 888, 877, 411, 555-1212, 900, 911, 950+1, 976, or 10-10xxx numbers. Allow blocking of specific telephone numbers, such as victims, witnesses, judges, and county staff.
System can set a maximum call length for calls made by inmates. In response, describe the range of time and increments that calls can be limited to in your proposal
System must provide an announcement prior to call connection to both the inmate and the called party that the call has originated from the Kenton County Detention Center, and the call may be monitored and recorded.
System can be programmed to automatically shut down and activate phones on a scheduled basis.
System allows facility to enable some telephone numbers to be called without any charge, i.e., to Public Defenders, etc.
Call recordings must be accessible by the facility for a minimum of five years or the length of the contract, whichever is longer. Upon request, call recordings must be made available to the facility at no charge for three years after contract expiration, even if the Jail decides to use another inmate phone system provider.
Recorded calls must be backed up to minimize the risk of lost calls due to a catastrophic system failure. Please describe the Vendor’s system backup plan and system redundancy in your proposal.
The Vendor’s system provides call detail recording and the capability to produce recurring and ad hoc reports. Please describe system reporting capabilities and provide samples of reports in the proposal.
Vendor’s system must support traditional collect calling and prepaid calls. Describe how the system processes each type of call in your proposal.
Vendor should provide information related to other system capabilities/functionalities that they feel would be beneficial to the Jail or must describe the system capabilities/functionality, how it would benefit the detention facility, and any financial impact on either the facility, the inmates, or those with whom inmates communicate.
Vendor must provide a terminal for detention center staff to print and sell prepaid calling cards from administrative offices.
Sexual Abuse & Molestation Insurance required when Vendor provides services to youth or other vulnerable populations.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
The proposed system must be able to detect potentially fraudulent telephone activity and, at the County’s discretion, disconnect calls automatically. Describe the types of fraudulent telephone activity Vendor's system will detect and the method by which it is detected in the proposal.
The proposed system shall:
• Prevent the inmate from receiving a second dial tone, or “chain-dialing”.
• Prevent extra digits dialed by the inmate after the party has accepted the call. Please describe the process in your proposal.
• Continue to play the brand recording at random intervals throughout the call.
• Guard against “hook-switch-dialing” and other fraudulent activities. Please describe in your proposal.
• Not all the inmate to communicate with the party called until the call has been accepted.
• Detect the difference between an accepted call, an answering machine, a busy signal, and other telephone activity. Please describe in proposal.
• Also have the ability to assign approved calling numbers according to a specific inmate.
• Permit the called party to block all future calls from a correctional facility.
Umbrella/Excess Liability Insurance providing coverage in excess of General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Employer’s Liability.
Minimum Limit: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
Samples of items, when called for, must be furnished free of expense and, if not destroyed in the evaluation process, will, upon request, be returned at the vendor’s expense. Request for the return of samples must accompany the sample and include UPS Pickup Slip, postage or other acceptable mode of return. Individual samples must be labeled with bidder/offeror’s name, item reference, manufacturer’s brand name and number.
All call recordings shall be stored online and available through the online user interface for five (5) years.
Facility personnel must be able to search call recordings by dialed number, date, time, inmate account, or site ID.
Facility personnel must be able to simultaneously live monitor conversations while the system is recording the conversations.
Call recordings must be accessible by the County for a minimum of five (5) years or the length of the contract, whichever is longer. Upon request, call recordings must be made available to the County at no charge for five (5) years after contract expiration, even if the Jail decides to use another inmate phone system provider.
Recorded calls must stored in a secure off-site data center with multiple locations for redundancy and a robust backup and recovery strategy in place.
The proposed system shall have the capability to remotely survey inmate calls and be able to transfer specific calls in progress to investigators.
The system will need to be equipped with a remote conferencing feature and an e-mail feature for those numbers that are under surveillance by the investigative unit. The feature will need to allow authorized personnel to monitor a call and receive an email notification from a designated remote location, while the call is in progress. The call will need to be automatically conferenced to a predetermined investigator’s telephone number in listen mode only once the call is accepted by the called party in progress.
The proposed system must allow for all calls to be remotely conferenced to investigators to be accepted by the investigator with a unique PIN.
The system shall include a single unified login for all functions and modules. SSO (Single Sign On) capability is not required, but will satisfy the requirement.
The system shall support location based searches, i.e., individual cell(s), within a dorm or the whole facility. Describe how the system can be configured to enable this level of granularity, how a user would utilize it, and what limitations it may have.
Detailed Tablet Tracking Reports with “role based” permissions capabilities, including administrative access devices, tracking, and reporting tools, specifically including the capability of reviewing inmate usage data. This is a requirement.
System shall include real-time English audio translation and written transcription of the following languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese. Provide a full listing of all languages available, and specific detail on whether real-time translation and transcription is available for each one. Since we house I.C.E. inmates from all over the world, this feature is a requirement.
Robust A.I. assisted search functionality that can summarize and synthesize multiple data points.
The vendor shall supply a method to retrieve call detail reports to the County. The reports shall contain a variety of call information and be customizable to suit the County’s needs.
Vendor shall attach samples of their call detail and other standard reports.
Vendor shall provide secure access to all calling activity within the facility via the internet/web.
State or list by reference on the reverse side of the Bid/Proposal form herein any variations to specifications, terms and/or conditions.
Seller shall indemnify and hold harmless Kenton County, its agents, officials, and employees from and against all injuries, losses, claims, suits, costs and expenses which may accrue against Kenton County as a consequence of granting the Contract.
Vendor must fully describe all available calling options.
All deposit methods, whether provided by the Vendor or a third party, must be thoroughly described.
All associated fees (whether to the depositor or to the inmate) must be fully disclosed for all proposed deposit methods in Vendor’s RFP response. No fees will be allowed to be charged once the contract is negotiated that are not already disclosed in Vendor’s RFP response.
Vendor should be responsible for all refunds related to the Inmate Telephone System.
Time is of the essence of this contract and if delivery of acceptable items or rendering of services is not completed by the time promised, Kenton County reserves the right, without liability, in addition to its other rights and remedies, to terminate the contract by notice effective when received by Seller, as to stated items not yet shipped or services not yet rendered and to purchase substitute items or services elsewhere and charge the Seller with any or all losses incurred. Kenton County shall be entitled to recover its attorney’s fees and expenses in any successful action by Kenton County to enforce this contract.
The system should have the below:
• Allow on-site video visitation.
• Allow for remote video visitation.
• Have the ability to display the inmate handbook.
• Allow inmates to file Grievances and Forms.
• Allow for PREA notifications and reporting.
• Allow for online scheduling.
• Be secure and built for the correctional environment.
• Allow for recording and live monitoring of video visitation sessions.
The County is interested in implementing an inmate messaging solution that will allow inmates to easily send and receive messages from friends and family. The Vendor should describe their ability to provide an inmate messaging solution to the County as well as any associated costs in the proposal.
A Bid Bond amounting to five (5%) percent of the proposed bid/proposal price must be provided with the response. The Bid Bond may be in the form of a surety bond, cashier check or other form of surety satisfactory to the county attorney. If the contract is awarded to the bonded bidder, the bidder will accept the contract as bid, or else the surety will pay the Fiscal Court a specific amount because of default on part of the bidder.
The County is interested in a tablet solution for use by inmates and for the purposes of education and entertainment. The Vendor should describe the features available on the proposed tablet as well as any associated costs in the proposal.
A Performance Surety Bond amounting to one hundred (100%) percent of the Contract price must be provided prior to execution of the contract assuring Kenton County that the project will be pursued with due diligence and completed according to the plans and specifications. This requirement may also be met by a letter of credit.
Materials or equipment purchased are subject to inspection and approval at Kenton County’s destination. Kenton County reserves the right to reject and refuse acceptance of items which are not in accordance with the instructions, specifications, drawings or data of Seller’s warranty (express or implied). Rejected materials or equipment shall be removed by, or at the expense or, the seller promptly after rejection.
Provide a digital viewing system to allow inmates access to view and manipulate (zoom in/out, rotate, etc.) scanned mail in each housing area. This will include the ability of inmates to report issues with specific documents.
Processes and makes available high-definition color scans of inmate mail within 24 hours of it being received by the Vendor.
Provides electronic access to scanned inmate mail at no cost to the inmate or the public. Receives, scans, and makes available to view at a minimum of 5 days per week, excluding recognized holidays.
Stores hard copies of all mail for a minimum of 30 days.
Provides the public with the ability to digitally track their sent mail.
Provides the public with the ability to receive rejected mail.
Tracks when it is received, scanned, approved by the facility, and read by the inmate.
Has the ability to accept or reject all or part of the sender’s contents per mailing.
Labels each document with a unique identifier that is searchable in the database.
Retains a searchable database for each registered sender and all correspondence received.
Inmate accounts must be password-protected to prevent unauthorized access by other inmates.
System must have fraud prevention to reduce unauthorized access by other users.
24x7x365 live, U.S.-based service for all called parties and facility staff.
Data mining, link analysis, and investigation tools.
Any additional services and/or features, the cost or financial impact to commissions, if any, must be indicated.
Agency must be able to print mail for an individual inmate.
Facility-wide batch printing available, presorted by inmate and by housing location.
Inmates must be notified when mail is received and rejected, including standardized messaging explaining the reason for rejection.
Ability to identify inmates of interest and segregate mail for approval by investigative staff before delivery.
Ability to segregate mail with markings or drawings, photographs, or other information requiring additional approval while delivering the text portion of the document.
Vendor must provide and support all hardware and software using background-screened personnel.
Vendor shall provide initial onsite training to the County staff in system administration, operation, and reporting. Training thereafter can be remote or, if requested by the County, onsite.
Describe the training program. Include a description of topics covered and any applicable documents with the proposal upload.
Seller warrants that all goods and services furnished hereunder will conform in all respects to the terms of this solicitation, including any drawings, specifications or standards incorporated herein, and that they will be free from latent and patent defects in materials, workmanship and title, and will be free from such defects in design. In addition, Seller warrants that said goods and services are suitable for, and will perform in accordance with, the purposes for which they are purchased, fabricated, manufactured and designed or for such other purposes as are expressly specified in this solicitation. Kenton County may return any nonconforming or defective items to the Seller or require correction or replacement of the item at the time the defect is discovered, all at the Seller’s risk and expense. Acceptance shall not relieve the Seller of its responsibility.
Seller represents and warrants that the goods or services furnished hereunder (including all labels, packages and container for said goods) comply with all applicable standards, rules and regulations in effect under the requirements of all Federal, State and local laws, rules and regulations as applicable, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act as amended, with respect to design, construction, manufacture or use for their intended purpose of said goods or services. Seller shall furnish “Material Safety Data Sheets” on all chemicals.
Vendor shall provide a 24-hour, toll-free service number.
Vendor shall address all major service outages within four (4) hours.
Vendor shall provide service policies and procedures as an attachment to this proposal.
Describe the maintenance and quality assurance programs for telephones to be installed.
Detail the method of determining service interruptions and service call priorities. List the response time for each priority and the level of expertise devoted to each priority, and/or provide a formal copy of the Service Level Agreement.
Provide a contact person who will be responsible for ongoing account management and support.
Kenton County will require that an administrator be on call sixteen (16) hours a day, approximately from 7:00 A.M to 11:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.
Vendor must specify who will provide maintenance services on the proposed system for the duration of the contract.
Contractor shall comply with the Kentucky Human Rights Act, HRA 344.150 – 344.270 as amended and any rules and regulations promulgated in accordance therewith, including, but not limited to the Equal Employment Opportunity EEO 45.550 – 45.640 which is incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, the Contractor shall comply with the Employment Discrimination Act, EDA 344.040, 344.050 as amended.
Except as provided in other sections of this document, the Offeror shall use his/her best efforts to maintain all equipment supplied; provide a supply of spare or replacement parts for the life of the contract from the date of acceptance. Spare parts for all equipment will be kept at each location that houses that equipment. If, during the contract period, the Offeror or manufacturer intends to discontinue the manufacture or supply of spare or replacement parts for the equipment, the Offeror shall give the County at least six (6) months’ notice of such intention and shall afford the County the opportunity of ordering at reasonable prices, such quantities of spare and/or replacement parts that the County may require.
The Vendor will provide inmate phone sets, an automated inmate call control system, visitation recording sets, remote system access and all other ancillary services requested in the system and ensure they are working properly. This installation is to be completed within sixty (60) days after contract award.
Vendor shall submit a complete and detailed schedule of the time frame required for installation, including utility coordination, internet service provider installation, training, cut over, and testing. The service must be installed in a manner and under a timeframe designed to minimize disruption of normal function of the County.
Any delay in the implementation of the Vendor’s schedule that is caused by the County will increase the Vendor’s time allowance to complete installation, but the Vendor must submit a complete and detailed schedule of additional time required.
The risk of loss and/or damage will be assumed by the Vendor during shipment/travel, unloading, and installation.
Seller shall pay all royalties and license fees. Seller shall defend all suits or claims for infringement of any patent, copyright or trademark rights and shall hold Kenton County harmless from loss on account thereof.
This contract shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Pursuant to the provisions of KRS 45A.343, the contractor or vendor is required to reveal to Kenton County any final determination of a violation of KRS Chapters 136, 139, 141, 337, 338 and 342 by the contractor or vendor within the previous five (5) years; and further that said contractor or vendor has been and is in continuous compliance with the provisions of KRS Chapters 136, 139, 141, 337, 341, and 342 for the duration of the contract. The failure of a contractor or vendor to reveal a final determination of a violation to a local government, or to comply with the statutory requirements, is considered grounds for cancellation of a contract and disqualification of the contractor or vendor from eligibility for any Kenton County contracts for a period of two (2) years.
Monthly progress reports shall be submitted on the first business day of each month of the project. This report shall describe the progress achieved during the past month; problems encountered and proposed solutions, the current schedule and estimated completion date, upcoming requirements of the Kenton County Detention Center staff, and subcontractor progress reports.
Please include with your proposal a list any facilities you serve; including name, location, and size of facility, date of installation, contact name, address, telephone number, and email addresses.
The County is contacting prospective vendors who have an interest in or are known to do business relevant to this RFP for ITS and ancillary services. The vendor must be an experienced, reputable firm providing the requested system. Vendors who are currently not involved with these systems may not be considered for this contract.
Proposals will be evaluated based on cost, vendor qualifications, and completeness of proposal. The County reserves the right to clarify any information submitted in response to this RFP and to negotiate terms with the selected vendor if deemed necessary.
All parties must possess and submit valid insurance certificates, performance bond if required, and necessary permits and licenses as required by federal, state, and local law.
The County reserves the right to not award a contract, to reject any and all responses, or to advertise for new bids if the County judges its interests to be better served thereby.
The signee hereby certifies that they have read and understand the contents of this solicitation and agree to furnish at the prices shown any or all of the items listed, subject to all instructions, conditions, specifications and attachments hereto.
The bidder/offeror affirms to the Kenton County Fiscal Court the ability to meet all requirements and further affirms that the work will be done in compliance with all Federal, State and Local codes, ordinances, and regulations.
Upload your price proposal here.
Upload your proposal here.
Describe all proposed rates, fees, and County commissions. All proposed rates, fees, and commissions shall be fully compliant with current FCC rules and regulations in effect as of April 6, 2026.
Describe all points of sale that will accept payments for all proposed services.
What other revenue streams (if any) is your company willing to offer the Kenton County Detention Center for the privilege of installing a telephone switch and phones for inmate telephone use?
What is the Prepaid Account Deposit Minimum/Max? Is it different based on Cash vs. Debit/Credit?
Does vendor or subcontractor provide ready access to live agents via telephone?
After what period of inactivity does a prepaid account balance expire?
How long does it take after a credit card deposit is received before calling is restored? (# minutes, hours, days?)
State the number of qualified persons that are available currently on staff at Vendor’s company for the following:
Inmate Telephone Maintenance Person Personnel _________
Inmate Telephone Installation Personnel _________
Inmate Telephone Technical Support Personnel _________
Describe your response time for each of the following situations. Response time is defined as the time from initial report until a qualified technician begins working on the problem. Provide any description of your response plan that will assist the detention facility in their decision.
Entire System is out of service ________
50% of system is out of service _______
25% of system is out of service _________
A single telephone is out of service _____
Do your technicians work on holidays and weekends _______
Vendor must specify who will provide maintenance services on the proposed system for the duration of the contract:
Name of Company: _________________
Address: ________________________________
Describe the training program. Include a description of topics covered and any applicable documents.
For security purposes, the system must be a centralized cloud solution, with all data and recordings stored securely off-site. Describe your system and how your system will meet this requirement.
System can set a maximum call length for calls made by inmates. In response, describe the range of time and increments that calls can be limited to.
The proposed system must be able to detect potentially fraudulent telephone activity and, at the jail's discretion, disconnect calls automatically. Describe the types of fraudulent telephone activity Vendor’s system will detect and the method by which it is detected.
Recorded calls must be backed up to minimize the risk of lost calls due to a catastrophic system failure. Please describe the Vendor’s system backup plan and system redundancy.
The Vendor’s system provides call detail recording and the capability to produce recurring and ad hoc reports. Please describe system reporting capabilities and provide samples of reports.
The Vendor’s system provides call detail recording and the capability to produce recurring and ad hoc reports. Please describe system reporting capabilities and provide samples of reports.
Vendor’s system must support traditional collect calling and prepaid calls. Describe how the system processes each type of call.
Vendor should provide information related to other system capabilities/functionalities that they feel would be beneficial to the Jail or must describe the system capabilities/functionality, how it would benefit the detention facility, and any financial impact on either the facility, the inmates, or those with whom inmates communicate.
The proposed system must be able to detect potentially fraudulent telephone activity and, at the County’s discretion, disconnect calls automatically. Describe the types of fraudulent telephone activity Vendor's system will detect and the method by which it is detected.
The proposed system shall prevent extra digits dialed by the inmate after the party has accepted the call. Please describe the process.
The proposed system shall guard against “hook-switch-dialing” and other fraudulent activities. Please describe.
The system shall detect the difference between an accepted call, an answering machine, a busy signal, and other telephone activity. Please describe.
The County is interested in implementing an inmate messaging solution that will allow inmates to easily send and receive messages from friends and family. The Vendor should describe their ability to provide an inmate messaging solution to the County as well as any associated costs in the proposal.
The County is interested in a tablet solution for use by inmates and for the purposes of education and entertainment. The Vendor should describe the features available on the proposed tablet as well as any associated costs in the proposal.
List of any facilities you serve, including name, location, and size of facility, date of installation, contact name, address, telephone number, and email address.
Will you be using a cashier check for your bid bond?
Upload an image of your Cashier Check.
All Cashier's Check should be received by the County by 10:00 am on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Proposals whose cashier's check are not received by the date and time indicated, may be rejected.
It is the respondents responsible to ensure that the cashier's check is received on time.
Upload a copy of your Bid Bond here.
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SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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