WORCESTER, Mass. – New legislation will allow inmates in Massachusetts jails and prisons to make phone calls for free, but Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis has some concerns over the law.

Evangelidis, a Republican, said he expects the expense for free phone calls to be about $500,000 a year. The Department of Corrections is currently charging 12 cents per minute, with some counties charging up to 14 cents per minute.

Evangelidis said the money they take in from phone calls is used for important programming.

"Right now, some of the expenses we get reimbursed for with the inmate calls actually provide them programming, whether it be education, substance abuse, our music program, things like that,” he said. “Mental health is particularly paid for by the revenues we get from the inmate calls. I don't know how we're going to make up for that revenue, and if we do, it will ultimately be paid for by the taxpayers.

“So as far as I’m concerned, we all understand the need for inmates to be in touch with their families while incarcerated. But again, it adds an enormous expense to this, and the question comes down to who's going to pay for it?"

Evangelidis said the state Legislature has appropriated $20 million dollars for reimbursement, but he said it's not nearly enough.

Gov. Maura Healey signed the bill into law last week, saying it's important for inmates to stay in touch with their families. The new law takes effect Dec. 1.