Stop phone companies from profiteering off of the families of prisoners
Use this link to Submit your public comment to the FCC asking for a fair cap on call charges.
Stop phone companies from profiteering off of the families of prisoners
For the 2.7 million children who have one or both parents incarcerated, a phone call from mom or dad means the world. But when those calls cost $20 or more for just a few minutes, it can jeopardize the finances of families already in peril.1
In a perverse system of kickbacks, county and state prisons contract to run their prison phone systems private companies that charge prisoners "commission fees" on every minute of each call. Those commissions end up as kickbacks to the prisons, creating an incentive to pick companies that charge prisoners more.2
Tell the FCC: Enact a fair cap on what prison telephone companies are allowed to charge for interstate long distance phone calls. Click here to submit a public comment -- it only takes a few moments.
Over a decade ago, Martha Wright-Reed -- the blind, 86 year-old grandmother of a former prison inmate -- filed a lawsuit against the telephone companies that were colluding to keep the rates as high as possible. Martha was charged over $1,000 a year to keep in contact with her grandson just twice a week for a few minutes at a time. But it often overwhelmed her budget, leaving her grandson without his lifeline to his family.3
Now the lawsuit has resulted in proposed rule changes with the FCC, which is finally taking the cost of these calls seriously. While the FCC can't end the kickbacks, they can cap the cost-per-minute of interstate phone calls, which will help keep the rates low enough for families to stay in touch without breaking the bank.
These outrageous charges are not only hurting the families of prisoners, but also hurting us. A critical part of lowering crime rates among former offenders is ensuring that they have strong familial communication while in prison. The more they stay in touch with their family, the less likely they are to offend again.4
Let's stop this unfair practice and put an end to profiteering off prisoners' families. Click here to submit a public comment to the FCC asking for a fair cap on charges. It only takes a few moments.
There is strong momentum to fix this problem. One of the FCC's five commissioners is firmly in support of a change5, and a "notice of proposed rulemaking" -- a proposal the commission can vote on -- has been published and the Commission is currently seeking comments from the public on this proceeding.6
Lots of public comments in favor of a fair cap can have a big impact on the decision-making process, and help push the FCC in the right direction.
Submit your public comment to the FCC asking for a fair cap on call charges.
Thank you for standing up against corporate greed.