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In a significant move towards supporting incarcerated individuals and their families, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to significantly reduce the cost of phone calls from prisons and jails. This change, expected to be put into effect next month, targets the end of what the agency describes as prohibitively expensive call rates.
On July 18, the FCC plans to vote on proposals that would cap per-minute rates for not only out-of-state and international calls from correctional facilities but also bring in-state audio calls under these rate limits. This update was shared in a news release by the FCC on Wednesday, highlighting a decisive step to alleviate financial burdens that have long been placed on people in prison and their loved ones.
This initiative is in line with the FCC’s commitment to closing the gaps in the current communication system that negatively impact family connections and contribute to higher recidivism rates. The agency was given the green light to undertake these reforms through the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, a piece of legislation signed by President Biden in the early part of last year.
Should the FCC’s proposed changes pass, the cost savings for individuals in correctional facilities could be substantial. For example, a 15-minute phone call that currently costs as much as $11.35 in some large jails could drop to 90 cents, while a similar duration call from small jails might see a reduction from $12.10 to $1.35.
This crucial legislation has not only clarified the FCC’s right to regulate in-state calls from these facilities but also extended its charge to overseeing video call rates. Until now, the agency’s authority had been limited to capping charges for interstate communications, as reported by the Prison Policy Initiative.
A collective of organizations, concerned about the adverse effects of high communication costs, voiced their concerns in a letter to the FCC dated June 17. They emphasized how these excessive charges contribute to depression, isolation, and loneliness among those incarcerated, urging the FCC to lower rates to the greatest extent feasible to combat these issues.