Inmate Communication Services

In order for the County to maximize its investment and minimize the cost associated with office operations we
need your help. When doing business with Knox County we are urging you to please go to our website at
www.knoxcounty.org/procurement, register as a vendor in our on-line Procurement system, "KnoxBuys," if you
have not done so and whenever possible to conduct your business with the County through this site. If you
have any questions, please contact the Procurement Division Representative listed in subsection 1.1 of this
document.
1.12 INCURRED COSTS: Knox County will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the proposer in the
preparation of their proposal.
1.13 NON-COLLUSION: Proposers, by submitting a signed proposal, certify that the accompanying proposal is not
the result of, or affected by, any unlawful act of collusion with any other person or company engaged in the
same line of business or commerce, or any other fraudulent act punishable under Tennessee or United States
law.
1.14 PAYMENT METHOD: Knox County utilizes two (2) methods of placing orders for products. The first is the use
of Purchase Orders. These Purchase Orders will be issued from Knox County Procurement Division via the
method selected by the vendor during registration. The Purchase Order will detail the quantity, specific
items(s) and the contracted price for each item.
The second method is the use of the Knox County Credit Card (VISA). Orders placed with the credit card will
list the same information as the Purchase Order.
Vendors will be given the card information and approval to process the transactions by the requesting
department. Vendors must indicate in their proposal response if the vendor will accept the Knox County Credit
Card (VISA) as a form of payment. Proposers are prohibited from charging Knox County any type of merchant
fee from their financial institution to accept this type of payment.
1.15 POSSESSION OF WEAPONS: All vendors and their employees and their agents are prohibited from
possessing any weapons on Knox County property without prior written consent from the County. In the case
of a vendor whose Contract requires possession of firearms or other weapons to successfully complete their
Contract, vendor must provide personnel who are bonded to bear said weaponry.
1.16 PROCESSING TIME FOR PAYMENT: Vendors are advised that a minimum of thirty (30) days is required to
process invoices for payment.
1.17 PROOF OF FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS CAPABILITY: Vendors must, upon request, furnish satisfactory
evidence of their ability to furnish products or services in accordance with the terms and conditions of these
specifications. Knox County will make the final determination as to the vendor's ability.
1.18 PROPOSAL DELIVERY: Knox County requires respondents, when hand delivering submittals, to time and
date stamp the envelope before depositing it in the bid box. Knox County will not be responsible for any lost or
misdirected mail sent by common carrier, nor will Knox County be responsible for submittals delivered to
addresses or Suites other than the delivery address and Suite specified at the top of this solicitation. The time
clock in the Procurement Division shall serve as the official record of time.
Responses must be in a sealed envelope/box prior to entering the Procurement Division office.
Procurement Division personnel are not allowed to see the submittal nor assist in placing documents
in an envelope/box. Additionally, the Procurement Division is not responsible for providing materials
(e.g. envelopes, boxes, tape) for submittals.
1.19 RECYCLING: Knox County, in its continuing efforts to lessen the amount of landfill waste and to further
recycling efforts, request that proposals being submitted on paper shall:
1.19.1 Be submitted on recycled paper;
1.19.2 Not include pages of unnecessary advertising;
1.19.3 Be made on both sides of each sheet of paper.
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1.20 RESTRICTIVE OR AMBIGUOUS SPECIFICATIONS: It is the responsibility of the prospective proposer to
review the entire Request for Proposal packet and to notify the Procurement Division if the specifications are
formulated in a manner that would unnecessarily restrict competition. Any such protest or question regarding
the specifications or proposal procedures must be received in the Procurement Division by May 19, 2026 @
4:30 p.m. local time. These requirements also apply to specifications that are ambiguous.
1.21 SIGNING OF PROPOSALS: In order to be considered, all proposals must be signed. Please sign the
original in blue ink. By signing the proposal document, the vendor acknowledges and accepts the terms and
conditions stated in the proposal document.
1.22 TAXES: Knox County purchases are not subject to taxation. Tax exemption certificates will be provided upon
request.
1.23 TITLE VI OF THE 1964 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT: "Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs"-"No
person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation
in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal
financial assistance." 42 U.S.C. Section 2000 et seq. It is the policy of Knox County Government that all its
services and activities be administered in conformance with the requirements of Title VI.
1.24 UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES: During periods of closure due to unforeseen circumstances in Knox
County, or closures at the direction of the Knox County Mayor, the Procurement Division will enact the
following procedures in regard to solicitations and closures:
* If the Mayor closes the Administrative offices prior to the time set for solicitation opening of any business
day, all solicitations due that same day will be moved to the next operational business day.
* Other unforeseen circumstances shall be at the sole discretion of the Procurement Director.
* Knox County shall not be liable for any commercial carrier's decision regarding deliveries during any
unforeseen circumstances.
1.25 USE OF PROPOSAL FORMS: Vendors must complete the Proposal forms contained in the Proposal
package. Failure to complete the Proposal forms may result in Proposal rejection.
1.26 VENDOR DEFAULT: Knox County reserves the right, in case of vendor default, to procure the articles or
services from other sources and hold the defaulting vendor responsible for any excess costs occasioned
thereby. Should vendor default be due to a failure to perform or because of a request for a price increase,
Knox County reserves the right to remove the vendor from the County's proposer's list for twenty-four (24)
months.
1.27 VENDOR REGISTRATION: Prior to the opening of this proposal, ALL PROPOSERS MUST be registered with
the Procurement Division. Please register online at our website at www.knoxcounty.org/procurement and click
on "KNOXBUYS," and then "Online Vendor Registration". Vendors must be registered with the Procurement
Division prior to submitting their proposal. Knox County shall not be responsible for technical difficulties
experienced by vendors trying to register less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the proposal closing time.
1.28 WAIVING OF INFORMALITIES: Knox County reserves the right to waive minor informalities or technicalities
when it is in the best interest of Knox County.
SECTION II OBLIGATIONS, RIGHTS AND REMEDIES
These terms and conditions shall be part of the Contract. Knox County reserves the right to negotiate other
terms and conditions it deems appropriate and necessary under the circumstances to protect the public's trust.
2.1 ALTERATIONS OR AMENDMENTS: No alterations, amendments, changes, modifications, or additions to
this Contract shall be binding on Knox County without the prior written approval of the County.
2.2 APPROPRIATION: In the event no funds are appropriated by Knox County for the goods or services in any
fiscal year, or insufficient funds exist to purchase the goods or services, then the Contract shall expire upon
the expenditure of previously appropriated funds or the end of the current fiscal year, whichever occurs first,
with no further obligations owed to or by either party.
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2.3 ASSIGNMENT: Contractor shall not assign or subcontract this agreement, its obligations, or rights hereunder
to any party, company, partnership, incorporation, or person without the prior written specific consent of Knox
County.
2.4 BOOKS AND RECORDS: Contractor shall maintain all books, documents, accounting records and other
evidence pertaining to the goods and services provided under this Contract and make such materials available
at its offices at all reasonable times during the Contract period and for five (5) years from the date of the final
payment under this agreement for inspection by County or by any other governmental entity or agency
participating in the funding of this agreement, or any authorized agents thereof; copies of said records to be
furnished if requested. Such records shall not include those books, documents and accounting records that
represent the Contractor's costs of manufacturing, acquiring, or delivering the products and services governed
by this agreement.
2.5 CHILD LABOR: Contractor agrees that no products or services will be provided or performed under this
Contract that have been manufactured or assembled by child labor.
2.6 COMPLIANCE WITH ALL LAWS: Contractor is assumed to be familiar with and agrees to observe and
comply with all Federal, State, and Local laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations in any manner affecting
the provision of goods and/or services, and all instructions and prohibitive orders issued regarding this work
and shall obtain all necessary permits.
2.7 DEFAULT: If Contractor fails to perform or comply with any provision of this Contract or the terms or
conditions of any documents referenced and made a part hereof, Knox County may terminate this Contract, in
whole or in part, and may consider such failure or noncompliance a breach of Contract. Knox County expressly
retains all its rights and remedies provided by law in case of such breach; and no action by Knox County shall
constitute a waiver of any such rights or remedies. In the event of termination for default, Knox County
reserves the right to purchase its requirements elsewhere, with or without competitive proposals.
2.8 GOVERNING LAW; VENUE: This agreement shall be exclusively construed, governed, and controlled by the
Laws of the State of Tennessee without regard to principles of law, including conflicts of law, of any other
jurisdiction, territory, country, and/or province. Any dispute arising out of or relating to this agreement shall
exclusively be brought in the Chancery Court or the Circuit Court of Knox County, Tennessee. Each party
consents to personal jurisdiction thereto and waives any defenses based on personal jurisdiction, venue, and
inconvenient forum.
2.9 INCORPORATION: All specifications, drawings, technical information, Request for Proposal, Proposal, Award
and similar items referred to or attached or which are the basis for this Contract are deemed incorporated by
reference as if set out fully herein.
2.10 INDEMNIFICATION/HOLD HARMLESS: Contractor shall indemnify, defend, save, and hold harmless Knox
County, its officers, agents and employees from all suits, claims, actions, or damages of any nature brought
because of, arising out of, or due to breach of the agreement by Contractor, its subcontractors, suppliers,
agents, or employees or due to any negligent act or occurrence or any omission or commission of Contractor,
its subcontractors, suppliers, agents, or employees.
2.11 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: Contractor shall acknowledge that it and its employees serve as
independent contractors and that Knox County shall not be responsible for any payment, insurance, or
incurred liability.
2.12 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE: Warranty periods shall not commence until Knox County inspects and
formally accepts the goods and/or services. The terms, conditions and timing of acceptance shall be
determined by Knox County. Knox County reserves the right to reject any or all items or services not in
conformance with applicable specifications, and Contractor assumes the costs associated with such
nonconformance. Acceptance of goods or services does not constitute a waiver of latent or hidden defects or
defects not readily detectable by a reasonable person under the circumstances.
2.13 IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT: By submission of this Proposal, each proposer and each person signing on behalf
of any proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint proposal each party thereto certifies as to its own
organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that each proposer is not on
the list created pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 12-12-106.
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2.14 LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: In no event shall Knox County be liable for any indirect, incidental,
consequential, special, or exemplary damages or lost profits, even if Knox County has been advised of the
possibility of such damages.
2.15 NO BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL: Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 1, by
submission of a response to this solicitation, each proposer and each person signing on behalf of any
proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint response each party thereto certifies as to its own organization,
under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that each proposer is not currently
engaged in, and will not for the duration of the contract engage in, a boycott of Israel.
2.16 NON-DISCRIMINATION AND NON-CONFLICT STATEMENT: Contractor agrees that no person on the
grounds of handicap, age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any individual trait or characteristic
found to be an illegal consideration shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of, or be
otherwise subjected to discrimination in the performance of this agreement, or in the employment practices of
vendor. Contractor shall upon request show proof of such non-discrimination and shall post in conspicuous
places available to all employees and applicants notices of non-discrimination. Contractor covenants that it
complies with the Fair Wage and Hour Laws, the National Labor Relations Act, and other federal and state
employment laws as applicable. Contractor covenants that it does not engage in any illegal employment
practices.
Contractor covenants that it has no public or private interest and shall not acquire directly or indirectly any
interest that would conflict in any manner with the provision of its goods or performance of its services.
Contractor warrants that no part of the total Contract amount provided herein shall be paid directly or indirectly to
any officer or employee of Knox County as wages, compensation, or gifts in exchange for acting as officer,
agent, employee, subcontractor, or consultant to Contractor in connection with any goods provided or work
contemplated or performed relative to the agreement.
2.17 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: In the event of inconsistent or conflicting provision of this Contract and
referenced documents, the following descending order of precedence shall prevail: (1) Written Contract, (2)
Request for Proposal, (3) Proposal Response, (4) Award, (5) Special Terms and Conditions, (6) General
Terms and Conditions, (7) Specifications, (8) Drawings.
2.18 REMEDIES: Knox County shall have all rights and remedies afforded under the U.C.C. and Tennessee law in
Contract and in tort, including but not limited to rejection of goods, rescission, and right of set-off, refund,
incidental, consequential, and compensatory damages, and reasonable attorney's fees.
2.19 RIGHT TO INSPECT: Knox County reserves the right to make periodic inspections of the manner and means
the service is performed or the goods are supplied and warehoused.
2.20 SEVERABILITY: If any provision of this Contract is declared illegal, void, or unenforceable, the remaining
provisions shall not be affected but shall remain in force and in effect.
2.21 TAX COMPLIANCE: Pursuant to Resolution R-07-1-903 passed by the Commission of Knox County,
Tennessee, Contractor hereby acknowledges, by submission of its Proposal or proposal and signature, it is
current in its respective Federal, State, County, and City taxes of whatever kind or nature, and is not
delinquent in any way. Delinquent status must be disclosed or risk debarment by the Knox County
Procurement Division.
2.22 TERMINATION: County may terminate this agreement with or without cause at any time, upon thirty (30)
calendar days' written notice (email). In the event of termination by either party, fees due for services
satisfactorily performed or goods accepted prior to the termination date shall be paid.
2.23 WARRANTY: Contractor warrants to Knox County that all items delivered and all services rendered shall
conform to the specifications, drawings, proposal and/or other descriptions furnished and/or incorporated by
reference, and will be fit for the particular purpose purchased of merchantable quality, good workmanship, and
free from defects. Contractor extends to Knox County all warranties allowed under the U.C.C. Contractor shall
provide copies of warranties to the County upon request. Return of merchandise not meeting warranties shall
be at Contractor's expense.
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SECTION III SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
3.1 INTENT: The intent of these specifications is to set forth and convey to prospective proposers the general
type, character and quality of Inmate Communication Services desired by Knox County and the Knox County
Sheriff's Office (KCSO). Award will be based on Best Value. Best Value means more than low cost. It includes
the initial cost, service quality and other factors detailed herein.
3.2 ACCEPTANCE: Proposers are advised that the payment of an invoice does not necessarily constitute as an
acceptance of products/services that are provided. Acceptance requires a specific written action by Knox
County so stating.
3.3 ADDITIONS/DELETIONS OF GOODS/SERVICES: Knox County reserves the right to add goods and/or
services to this term proposal or delete goods and/or services that Knox County deems necessary. Any
additions/deletions must be approved in writing by Knox County Procurement prior to any changes in service.
3.4 AWARD LENGTH: The length of this Contract will be five (5) years with the option to renew upon mutual
consent of both parties. The term agreement may be renewed for two (2) additional five (5)-year periods, for a
total of fifteen (15) years. Knox County reserves the right to purchase these services from other sources if the
need arises. Knox County reserves the right to revoke the award if a pattern of unavailability arises with the
vendor.
3.5 BACKGROUND CHECKS: A Knox County Sheriff's Office background check may be required for any or all
employees of the Contractor's, and any subsequent subcontractor providing services to Knox County. Any
cost will be borne by Knox County. Certain felony convictions will prevent individual persons from being on
Knox County property. These generally include those offenses that would tend to endanger the health or
welfare of persons or staff.
3.6 CHANGES AFTER AWARD: It is possible that after award, Knox County might change its needs or
requirements. Knox County reserves the right to make such changes after consultation with the vendor.
Should additional costs arise, Knox County reserves the right to consider accepting these charges provided
the vendor can document the increased costs. Knox County reserves the right to make such changes after
consultation with the vendor. Knox County also reserves the right to accept proposed service changes from
the vendor if they will lower the cost to Knox County and/or provide improved services.
3.7 COMMUNICATIONS: The successful execution of this Contract will require extensive communication between
all parties involved. While information may be transmitted via telephone, it should always be followed up with
an e-mail. The Contractor will be required to submit a list of individuals, along with direct phone numbers, cell
phone numbers, and e-mail addresses for the agency contacts. These individuals must be familiar with the Knox
County Contract and have the authority to make adjustments as requested by Knox County.
3.8 COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE REGULATIONS: Vendor agrees and covenants the company, its
agents and employees will comply with all City, County, State and Federal codes, laws, rules, and regulations
applicable to the business to be conducted under this Contract. If the Vendor performs any work knowing it to be
contrary to such laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, the Vendor shall bear all costs arising from them.
3.9 CONTACT PERSONNEL: It shall be essential to the success of this Contract to develop a good working
relationship with the Contractor(s). It is imperative that the Knox County account be handled efficiently and
professionally. Knox County should be assigned no more than two (2) Contractor contacts to handle billing
inquiries and service-related issues. In the event one (1) or both contacts leave the Knox County account, the
Contractor shall formally introduce the new contact(s) to County personnel. Any newly appointed contacts
must be knowledgeable of the County's account to avoid any interruption of service.
3.10 CONTRACT EXECUTION: The award of this Proposal may result in a Contract between Knox County and the
successful vendor(s). The Knox County Procurement Division will draft this Contract and no vendor forms
(e.g.: Terms and Conditions, Service Agreements, or other standard Company forms) will be accepted as
Contract attachments. The submission of such forms may cause the disqualification of the Vendor's proposal.
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3.11 ENTRANCE TO KNOX COUNTY SITES: Only authorized employees of the successful vendor are allowed
on the premises of Knox County sites. Vendor employees are not to be accompanied in their work area by
acquaintances, family members, assistants or any person unless said person is an authorized employee of the
vendor. Visual employee identification is greatly encouraged. (e.g. uniform, badge.) All vendor employees
entering a secure area must pass a background check authorizing clearance and completion of a Vendor
orientation, if required, prior to having authorization onto the property.
3.12 EVALUATION CRITERIA: This proposal will be evaluated using the following criteria:
Technology/Equipment/Software/Data Storage 40 Points
Proposed Rates and Commission / Agency Cost 30 Points
Inmate Programming/Content 20 Points
Industry Experience/References/Scheduling 10 Points
3.13 EVALUATION REVIEW: Knox County reserves the right to use all pertinent information that might affect the
County's judgment as to the appropriateness of an award to the best evaluated proposer. This information
may be appended to the proposal evaluation process results. Information on a service provider from reliable
sources, and not within the service provider's proposal, may also be noted and made part of the evaluation
file. Knox County shall have sole responsibility for determining a reliable source. Knox County reserves the
right to conduct written and/or oral discussions/interviews after the proposal opening. The purpose of such
discussions/interviews is to provide clarification and/or additional information to make an award that is in the
best interest of Knox County.
3.14 GRATUITIES AND KICKBACKS: It shall be a breach of ethical standards for any person or company to offer,
give, or agree to give any employee or former employee, or for any employee or former employee to solicit,
demand, accept, or agree to accept from another person, a gratuity or an offer of employment in connection with
any decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation of any part of a program requirement or a
purchase request, influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice,
investigation, auditing or in any other advisory capacity in any proceeding or application, request for ruling,
determination, claim, or controversy or other particular matter, pertaining to any program requirement of a
contract or subcontract or to any solicitation or proposal therefore. It shall be a breach of ethical standards for
any payment, gratuity or offer of employment to be made by or on behalf of a subcontractor under a contract
to the prime contractor or higher tier subcontractor or a person associated therewith, as an inducement for the
award of a subcontract or order.
Breach of the provisions of this paragraph is, in addition to a breach of this Contract, a breach of ethical
standards which may result in civil or criminal sanction and/or debarment or suspension from being a
contractor or subcontractor under Knox County contracts.
3.15 INTERPRETATION: No oral interpretation will be made to any proposer regarding the meaning of
specifications. All questions are to be submitted in writing or electronically (email) and will be answered in the
form of an amendment to the solicitation by the Knox County Procurement Division.
3.16 INVOICE DETAIL: Knox County is requesting invoices to show the following detail to help expedite review
and payment. The Contractor(s) may be required to modify invoicing procedures to show the detail. All
potential Contractors are hereby cautioned that Knox County will only pay from original invoices and not
facsimiles or copies. Invoices which do not adhere to these details may be returned to the Contractor for
correction.
3.16.1 The invoice must show the amount due to the Contractor by Knox County;
3.16.2 The invoice must show an itemized detail of items;
3.16.3 Invoices are to be original and uniquely pre-numbered;
3.16.4 Invoices which do not show this information are subject to rejection.
3.17 INVOICE REVIEW: Knox County shall review all invoices for adherence to the terms and conditions of the
Contract. Variations from the Contract and Contract pricing are strictly prohibited. Any variations found on the
invoice will result in the rejection of those invoices. Rejected invoices will be returned to the Contractor(s) for
correction. If a discount for prompt payment is offered, the timeline does not commence until Knox County
receives a correct invoice.
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3.18 INVOICING: All invoices shall be mailed in duplicate to the Knox County Sheriff's Office, 400 Main Street,
Suite L-149, Knoxville, TN 37902. All invoices must show the purchase order number or contract number.
Without this information, the invoice may be rejected for payment. Invoices can also be emailed to
invoices@knoxsheriff.org.
3.19 NEWS RELEASES BY VENDORS: As a matter of policy, Knox County does not endorse the services of a
Contractor. A Contractor will not make news releases concerning any resultant contract from this solicitation
without the prior written approval of Knox County.
3.20 NO CONTACT POLICY: After the date and time that the vendor receives this solicitation, any contact initiated
by any proposer with any Knox County representative, other than the Procurement Division representative
listed herein, concerning this Request for Proposal, is strictly prohibited. Any such unauthorized contact may
cause the disqualification of the proposer from this procurement transaction.
3.21 OFFER WITHDRAWAL: No proposal can be withdrawn after it is filed unless the proposer makes a request in
writing to the Knox County Procurement Division prior to the time set for the opening of proposal or unless the
County fails to accept within ninety (90) business days after the date fixed for closing the Request for
Proposal.
3.22 OPEN RECORDS ACT: Knox County is subject to the Tennessee Open Records Act 10-7-503 et seq.
Proposers are cautioned that all documents submitted on behalf of this Request for Proposal shall be open to
the public for viewing and inspection and Knox County will comply with all legitimate requests. Submission of
your proposal will be an acknowledgement to this provision.
3.23 ORAL PRESENTATION/INTERVIEW: Knox County may require proposers to give oral presentations or
interviews in support of their proposal or to exhibit or otherwise demonstrate the information contained therein.
These presentations/interviews may be conducted virtually through video conferencing or in person. Knox
County reserves the right to request oral presentations and/or interviews during the initial evaluation phase.
The County also reserves the right to complete the initial evaluation phase and then request oral presentations
and/or interviews from all proposers or the highest rated proposers. In this case, the evaluations may be
revised based on additional information received during presentations.
3.24 PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on May 12 , 2026 beginning at
10:00 am local time. Location will be the Knox County Procurement Division, 1000 North Central Street, Ste
100, Knoxville, TN 37917. Though not mandatory, interested parties are encouraged to be present. Please
bring a copy of this solicitation with you.
3.25 PRICING: Proposers must quote a firm fixed price for the goods, services and commissions noted herein.
These prices/charges may not change during the term of the Contract. However the Contractor may request a
price increase at each renewal period. A request for a price increase must be accompanied by proof of
increased price to the Contractor. Knox County reserves the right to accept or reject the requested price
increase. If the price increase is rejected the Contractor may:
3.25.1 Continue with existing prices
3.25.2 Not accept the renewal offer
3.25.3 Request a lower price increase
If a price increase is approved by Knox County and Knox County Sheriff's Office, the approval notification will
be done in writing and the vendor will be notified of the new price schedule. This documentation will become
part of the Proposal file. No approvals will be authorized verbally. Any price increase shall not exceed the
Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all Urban Consumers. However, vendor must submit proof of price increase.
3.26 PROPOSAL EVALUATION: In evaluating the Proposals, Knox County reserves the right to use any or all of
the ideas from the Proposals submitted without limitation and to accept any part or the entire successful
Proposal in selecting an operation which is judged to be in the best interest of Knox County. All material
submitted becomes the property of Knox County.
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3.27 PROPOSAL FORMAT: This solicitation is in the Request for Proposal (RFP) format. At the specified date and
time of closing, each Proposer's name will be publicly read aloud. No further information will be given at this
time. Evaluation of the proposals will proceed as expeditiously as possible and successful, as well as
unsuccessful, notification will be given.
Upon the issuance of a formal Notice of Intent to Award, all submissions will be made public and open for
viewing and inspection as specified in TCA 10-7-503. Interested individuals may call the Procurement Division
to schedule a time to review the submissions.
3.28 PROPOSER OBLIGATION: Each proposer shall become fully acquainted with conditions relating to the
scope and restrictions attending the execution of the work under this RFP. The failure or omission of a
proposer to become acquainted with existing conditions shall no way relieve the proposer of any obligations
with respect to this RFP or to the Contract.
3.29 QUANTITIES: Knox County does not guarantee any quantities of goods or services will be ordered under this
agreement. Goods and/or services will be ordered on an as-needed basis.
3.30 REFERENCES: Proposers must furnish five (5) references of Agencies for whom they have provided similar
services in the last five (5) years. Knox County may not be used as a reference. Provide complete information
as requested in Section VII, Part III.
3.31 REJECTION OF PROPOSALS: Knox County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a
result of this request and to waive any informality, technical defect, or clerical error in any proposal, as the
interests of the County may require. Non-acceptance of any proposal will be devoid of any criticism of the
proposal and of any implication that the proposal is deficient in any manner. Non-acceptance of any proposal
shall be construed as meaning simply that the County does not deem the proposal to be acceptable or that
another proposal was deemed to be more advantageous to Knox County for the particular services proposed.
3.32 REMOVAL OF CONTRACTORS EMPLOYEES: The Contractor(s) agrees to utilize only experienced
responsible and capable people in the performance of the work. Knox County may require that the successful
Contractor(s) remove from the job covered by this Contract, employees who endanger persons or property or
whose continued employment under this Contract is inconsistent with the interest of Knox County.
3.33 REPRESENTATIONS OF CONTRACTOR: The Contractor represents and warrants:
3.33.1 That the firm is financially solvent and that it is experienced in and competent to perform the type of
work, or to furnish the plans, materials, supplies or equipment to be so performed or furnished by it; and
3.33.2 That the firm is familiar with all Federal, State, municipal and county laws, ordinances and regulations,
which may in any way affect the work of those employed therein, including but not limited to, any
special acts relating to the work or to the project of which it is a part; and
3.33.3 That such temporary and permanent work required by the contract documents as is to be done by the
firm can be satisfactorily constructed and used for the purpose of which it is intended and that such
construction will not injure any person, or damage any property; and
3.33.4 That the firm has carefully examined the plans, the specifications and the site of the work and that from
its own investigations, has satisfied itself as to the nature and location of the work, the character,
quality, quantity of surface and subsurface materials likely to be encountered, and character of
equipment and other facilities needed for the performance of the work, the general and local conditions
and all other materials which may in any way affect the work or its performance.
3.34 SAFETY AND PROTECTION: The Contractor shall be solely and completely responsible for initiating,
maintaining and supervising all safety precautions and programs in connection with the work. Furthermore, the
contractor is solely responsible for the training of all their employees on all safety issues as required by OSHA
regulations for the project.
The Contractor shall take all necessary precautions for the safety of, and shall provide the necessary protection
to prevent injury to, all employees on the work site and other persons including but not limited to, the general
public who may be affected thereby. All work is to be done as required as by OSHA, EPA and AHERA.
The contractor shall be responsible for providing and for the placement of barricades, tarps, plastic, flag tape
and other safety/traffic control equipment required to protect the public, surrounding areas, equipment and
vehicles. The flow of vehicular traffic shall not be impeded at any time during the project. The safety of the
public is of prime concern to Knox County and all costs associated are the responsibility of the contractor.
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Knox County does not assume any responsibility for the protection of or for loss of materials, from the time that
the contract operations have commenced until the final acceptance of the work by the project manager. The
contractor is responsible for training their employees in Safety and Health Regulations for the job, assuring
compliance with Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Regulations and any other Regulatory Agency.
3.35 SUBMIT QUESTIONS: Prospective proposers may submit questions concerning this solicitation until May 19,
2026 @ 4:30 p.m. local time. All questions must be submitted in writing as directed in Section 1.1. Questions
received after this date and time will not be considered. All questions will be answered in written addenda
issued from the Knox County Procurement Division.
3.36 WORKMANSHIP: Where not more specifically described in any of the various sections of these specifications,
workmanship shall conform to all of the methods and operations of best standards and accepted practices of
the trade or trades involved, and shall include all items of fabrication, construction or installation regularly
furnished or required for completion of the services. All work shall be executed by personnel skilled in their
respective lines of work.
SECTION IV CURRENT ENVIRONMENT
4.1 INTENT: The Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is seeking proposals for Inmate Communication Services at
all Knox County Correctional Facilities. This process will be done with strict oversight from KCSO personnel and
will require extensive communication between the parties involved.
4.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The Knox County Sheriff's Office (hereinafter referred to as KCSO) operates
three (3) facilities housing inmates. So far, in 2026, the facilities average approximately One Thousand, Two
Hundred, Eighty-eight (1,288) inmates per day, with a rated total capacity of one thousand, three hundred sixty-
six (1,366), (See Attachment E). These facilities are located at different addresses listed below. Generally,
inmates are out of their cells from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, although not all inmates are out at the same time.
Knox County Jail Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility
400 Main Street 5001 Maloneyville Road
Knoxville, TN 37902 Knoxville, TN 37918
Knox County Work Release Center
4800 Maloneyville Road
Knoxville, TN 37918
4.3 COMPATABILITY: The vendor must be able to interface with Knox County's current inmate management
system and investigation system (NOVA). For successful integration with this system, the vendor must be able to
connect to an external database and retrieve predefined data. It is the vendor's responsibility to retrieve and
apply this data as needed for the proposed system. Vendor must also have the ability to integrate with KCSO's
current Live Scan/Mugshot System (Dataworks) in order to share photo and demographics. This vendor requires
the ability to share data from a SQL database structure.
4.4 FACILITY ORIENTATION: All employees performing work at any Knox County Correctional Facility shall be
required to go through an orientation of the facility and facility procedures before beginning work at or in the
facility. All personnel who may be working at any facility must attend this meeting. Additional Contractor
employees will also need to attend the orientation if they are assigned to the job at a later date.
4.5 INSTALLATION: Contractor will be required to install the entire system for Knox County Sheriff's Office.
Installation costs must be included in Section VII, Part IX. There shall be no hidden charges. Installation
includes, but is not limited to, all set up and connecting of equipment, hardware, software etc. for the system to
be fully functional. Installation will not be considered complete until all aspects of the system are tested and
shown to be fully operational and compatible as determined by KCSO.
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