.
. THEY
. THEY SOMETIMES4@ CRAM YOUR PHONE CALS THAT ARE RINGING IN DEPARTMENT4@
OF CORRECTION INMATE4@ WE'VE ALL
GOTTEN ALL TRYING TO SELL YOU
SOMETHING4@ THREATENING THAT YOU
HAVE AN OUTSTANDING BILL. YOU
DON'T KNOW THEM OR HOW THEY GOT
YOUR NUMBER BUT THEY HAVE IT
AND THEY CONTINUE TO CALL AND
INVESTIGATE THE DIGGING INTO AN
UNWANTED CALL. AND TONIGHT WE
EXPLAIN HOW4@ THE STATE4@
OF FLORIDA IS CASHING IN ON
THOSE NUISANCE CALLS IN OUR
SERIES STOP THE CALL, CAN YOU
TELL4@ ME HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
WE TOLD YOU HOW TEN
INVESTIGATORS STARTED LOOKING
INTO THAT JUST SOUNDS TOO GOOD
TO BE TRUE. THE UNWANTED4@ CALLS
COMING TO YOUR PHONE. CAN I
RECORD4@ OUR CONVERSATION HERE?
OUR COLLEAGUE IN SEATTLE EVEN
HAD A COMPANY CALLED NOMOROBO
FOR THE ROBOCALLERS TO HIS
PHONE SO4@ YOU CAN SAVE ME MONEY
ON MY GANDY BILL4@. 4@THE PERSO
FOR THE ROBOCALLERS TO HIS PHONE SO4@ YOU CAN SAVE ME MONEY ON MY GANDY BILL4@. 4@THE PERSON
THE OTHER END OF THAT CALL LET
US4@ RECORD THE CONVERSATION4@
OF PUT IT RIGHT ON THE CALL I
GOT TURNS OUT THAT PERSON IS
DEOXY INMATE NUMBER SEVEN ONE
SIX FIVE4@. WE4@ TRACKED HIM DON
AFTER WE RAN HIS NAME THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
WEBSITE FOUND OUT THAT HE LIVED
AT THIS DLT FACILITY4@. NOW FOR
THIS PART OF OUR STORY WE HEAD
NORTH TO FLORIDA4@ STATE CAPITAL
IN THE FRONT STEPS OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
IN TALLAHASSEE HOPING FOR AN
INTERVIEW WITH THE HEAD OF THE
DEPARTMENT SECRETARY MARK4@ INC.
SO WE'RE AT THE DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS. WE ARE SEEING
IT SECRETARIAT DID HAVE FIVE OR
TEN MINUTES TO TALK TO US BUT
THAT'S AS FAR AS WE GOT ANYBODY
THERE, EVEN A SECRETARY AND ONE
OF YOU4@ GUYS THAT WOULD SIT DON
WITH US. WE ASKED FOR NEARLY A
MONTH TO SIT DOWN4@ WITH THEM. T
ONE POINT THEY SENT US THIS
STATEMENT SAYING INMATES
ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE
IN COMMUNITY WORK RELEASE
PROGRAMS, WORK AT PAID
EMPLOYMENT4@ SITES IN THE
COMMUNITY DURING THEIR
TRANSITION FROM INCARCERATION
TO BECOMING4@ CITIZENS. TEN
INVESTIGATES CATCHING SOME
INMATES HEADING FROM THE POLICE
FACILITY IN ST. PETE TO THIS
OFFICE. AND WHILE THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORR4@ECTIONS TELS
US THEY DO NOT4@ PLACE THESE
INMATES INTO THE POSITIONS
INMATES MAY SEEK EMPLOYMENT4@
IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUBMIT JOB
REQUESTS FOR APPROVAL TO EITHER
OUR STAFF OR4@ CONTRACTED STAFF
DEPENDING ON THE FACILITY WHERE
THEY ARE HOUSED4@. WE DID WORK
THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
IS CASHING IN ON THESE WORK
RELEASE INMATES JOBS WITH
AUTOMATIC DEDUCTIONS FROM THEIR
CHECKS. FIFTY FIVE PERCENT FOR
SUBSIS4@TENCE WHICH THE4@4@ SAYS
WOULD COST TO INCARCERATE THE
INMATE 10 PERCENT SAVINGS FOR4@
DISBURSEMENT OF 4@ALL THE INMATS
RELEASED AND IN SOME CASES AN
ADDITIONAL 10 PERCENT FOR
FAMILY SUPPORT AND 10 PERCENT4@
OF RESTITUTION FOR COST OR
FINES ARE ALSO TAKEN OUT4@ OF OR
CHECK LEAVING SOME INMATES WITH
ONLY 15 PERCENT TAKE4@ FROM THE
MONEY THEY MAKE. WE WANTED4@
ANSWERS. WE CALL WE EMAILED
ASKING TO SIT DOWN WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
SECRETARY. THEY DENIED OUR
REQUEST. WE SAID WE WANT TO
COOPERATE THE THE CAPITAL4@
BOMBING HAD SOMETHING TO SAY.
WE CAN'T GET4@ TO TALK TO WHAT
ARE YOU GOING TO TRY AND HAVE A
CONVERSA4@TION THEM TO SEE WHATS
GOING ON I THINK IS PART OF A
MUCH BROADER CONVERSATION ABOUT
POLICE4@ AND HOW WE SHOULD BE
TALKING TO REPORTERS FROM
AROUND THE STATE4@ AND
ENCOURAGING AND INCENTIVIZING
EMPLOYERS TO ACTIVELY UTILIZE
TH4@E POLICE INMATES TO HELP THM
GAIN SKILLS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO
IN THREE TO SIX NINE MONTHS ARE
GOING TO BE RELEASED. WE WANT
THEM TO HAVE SKILLS SO THAT
THEY REENTER THE THE THEY
BORDER AND ARE ABLE TO COMPETE4@
.WERE YOU AWARE THAT THE
INMATES WERE4@ WORKING AT PAUL
CENTER? NO, I WASN'T AWARE THAT
THEY WERE WORKING IN CALL
CENTERS. BUT I THINK IT
HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT WE
MORE EMPLOYERS TO STEP UP AND
TO ENGAGE WITH OUR DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS IN ORDER TO TAKE
ONE OF THESE INMATES. THERE
HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS
WITH THE BBB ABOUT THE CALL
CENTER HERE, PINELLAS PARK
WHERE SOME OF OUR INMATES WORK
THE BBB EVEN HAS A WARNING ON
THEIR SITE ABOUT A PATTERN
OF COMPLAINT STATING CONSUMERS4@
CLAIM THAT THE BUSINESS WILL
NOT STOP CONTACTING THEM EVEN
AFTER CONSUMERS4@ ASK THE
BUSINESS4@ TO STOP THE FREQUENCY
OF THE CALLS IS JUST REALLY
ANNOYING. MARK SANTO'S LIVES
IN CALIFORNIA WHERE MANY
OF THESE CALLS ARE DIRECTED.
CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES
COMMISSION TELLS US THEY
RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS@
THE LAST 16 MONTHS ABOUT SFB
ENERGY WHICH THE FACILITY
PINELLS PARK IS CALLING ON
BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE4@ WHO OVERSEES
TELEMARKETING LICENSES TELLS
INVESTIGATES THEY HAVEN'T4@ HAD
ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CALL
CENTER. THEIR MAIN OFFICES ARE
NEXT DOOR TO THE DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONS. WE'RE GOING TO
WORK BUSINESSES AS WELL AS4@ AND
THEY DID AGREE TO TALK TO US. 4@
HOW DO YOU GUYS MAKE SURE THAT
THE TELEMARKETERS ARE FOLLOWING
THE VERALL PUT IN PLACE FROM
THE FTC, THE FTC AND THE STATE4@
?THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
APPROVED MORE THAN SEVENTY ONE
HUNDRED TELEMARKETING4@ LICENSES
ALONE LAST YEAR. SO AS YOU CAN
IMAGINE, WE HAD MANY4@ QUESTIONS
FOR THEM. WE'LL HAVE MORE
OF OUR CONVERSATION WITH THEM
TONIGHT ON4@ SITE AT 11:00.
REMEMBER WE STARTED THIS
INVESTIGATION BY LOOKING AT
ROBOCALLERS IN GENERAL WHO'S
BEHIND THEM? HOW DO YOU4@ GET
THEM TO STOP? DOES THE DO NOT
CALL LIST WORK? THE LAW CAN
FIND4@4@ EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO
KNOW TO STOP THE CALL RIGHT NOW
AT CEDC TAMPABAY DOT ROBOC4@ALL
AND YOU NOTICE THAT YOU BLURRED
THE MUGSHOTS OF SOME OF THE
INCARCERATED PEOPLE IN THIS
CASE4@. WE DID THAT BECAUSE WE
WANT TO BE CLEAR THE INMATES
ARE NOT TO BLAME. THEY ARE
DOING NOTHING WRONG. THESE ARE
JOB APPROVED4@ BY T4@HE D.O.C. D
THEY MUST HAVE THESE JOBS
IN ORDER TO STAY OUT4@ PRESENT.
WHAT TYPE OF CALLS DO WE SEE
THE MOST HERE IN THE TAMPABAY
AREA? LET'S TAKE A DEEPER DOVE
INTO THAT ACCORDING TO YOUMAIL
AND MADE UP THE MOST CALLS WITH
FORTY ONE P4@ERCENT IN APRIL4@
TWENTY TWENTY ONE A4@LERT AND
REMINDERS MADE UP TWE4@NTY FOUR
PERCENT TELEMARKETING DATA
TWENTY THREE PERCENT PAYMENT
REMINDERS ELEVEN PERCENT AND
YOU CAN SEE A FULL BREAKDOWN
OF THOSE CALLS4@ AND EVEN SEE WO
IS BEHIND THE TOP TWENTY CALLS