In order for people in prison to use phone or video calls to chat with family, the person on the other line must pay.
As of 2021, according to research by the Prison Policy Initiative, they've paid an average of $3 for a 15-minute phone call.
The new rules will force a business model change for correctional telecommunications companies as they contend with an estimated $500 million loss in revenue, according to Worth Rises.
Only five states have passed legislation to make jail phone calls free, according to Prison Legal News.
Wanda Bertram, a communications strategist for the Prison Policy Initiative, said prisons tend to negotiate better contracts with telecommunications companies and, therefore, tend to have better rates for prisoners.
Persons:
—, they've, Peter Wagner, Viapath, ICSolutions, –, Bianca Tylek, Wanda Bertram, Paul Wright
Organizations:
Service, Federal Communications Commission, Business, FCC, Correctional, Worth, Connect, PBS, Companies, Human Rights Defense Center
Locations:
ICSolutions, New York , Ohio, Rhode