This op-ed originally appeared at the United Church of Christ (UCC) Media Justice Ministry and is reprinted here with permission.

On September 15, 2025, United Church of Christ (UCC) Media Justice helped organize a coalition letter of faith and public interest groups urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to overturn its unjust and unlawful suspension of fair prison phone and video rates. This letter supports a legal filing at the FCC, in which UCC Media Justice is also deeply engaged.

As our supporters know, earlier this year, families finally began to see relief from decades of predatory prison phone bills. Thanks to the bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act—passed unanimously by Congress in 2022 and signed by President Biden in 2023—the FCC adopted new rules capping the cost of calls in jails and prisons. 

Those rules took effect starting in January and were fully in place by April 1, 2025.

So what happened?

The new FCC leadership has started to dismantle the rules. This summer—without notice, public comment, or any request from industry or law enforcement—staff at the FCC suspended the rules. And now recent court filings show that the FCC Commissioners themselves will vote next month to end these protections for good. 

The real impact is heartbreaking. Mothers are telling their children they cannot afford to call their fathers. Grandparents are choosing between saying “I love you” and paying for medicine. Clergy and counselors are cutting back their ministry to people in crisis. For families already struggling, the burden of high phone bills has returned overnight.

Why does this matter?

Christian scripture in Matthew 25 calls us to visit and care for those in prison. Ethics and the teachings of many traditions offer similar beliefs. Staying connected through affordable phone and video calls is one of the most concrete ways families live out that calling. 

Research confirms what we know in faith: when incarcerated people can remain in touch with loved ones, their reentry to society is more successful, recidivism rates are reduced, and communities are stronger. By undermining the new rules, the FCC has undermined both justice and mercy.

So, what can you do?

The rollback of these protections is a major setback, but not the end of the story. 

If you want to help, start by adding your name to our petition with our allies at Worth Rises, calling on the FCC to keep families connected and implement the rules designed to bring relief.

To combat this devastating rollback, we need more information about what is happening on the ground. Do you communicate with incarcerated people or know others who do? Did prices go up or down (or both) this year? Please take a moment to complete this short survey and share it widely. (We will not share identifying information without checking with the person first.)

Finally, if you are part of a faith community, consider lifting up this issue in worship or study, connecting the call to visit and care for those in prison with the real, practical need for affordable communication. 

UCC Media Justice has been at the forefront of this fight for years, pressing policymakers to recognize that phone calls are a lifeline, not a luxury. We’re not stopping now. This is one more step in our commitment to ensure that all families—no matter their circumstances—can stay connected in love. You can learn more at www.uccmediajustice.org.

Cheryl A. Leanza serves as policy advisor to the United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, www.uccmediajustice.org, and on UCC Media Justice’s behalf serves as the Co-Chair of the Leadership Conference of Civil Rights Media & Telecommunications Task Force. On behalf of UCC Media Justice, Leanza was a lead advocate in the passage of the Martha Wrigh-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act and plays a key role at the intersection of civil rights and media justice, with a focus on advocacy on behalf of those who are least served by the media and communications ecosystems.  Ms. Leanza is a cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and the Ford School of Public Policy.

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

© Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 2025. Redistribution of this email publication - both internally and externally - is encouraged if it includes this copyright statement.

For subscribe/unsubscribe info, please email headlinesATbentonDOTorg

Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-220-4531
headlines AT benton DOT org

Share this edition:

Broadband Delivers Opportunities and Strengthens Communities