Advocates, Sheriffs, and Service Providers Face Off Over FCC’s Prison Phone Rates

The battle over how much incarcerated people should pay to stay connected with loved ones escalated recently. Sheriffs, telecommunications providers, and civil rights advocates filed opposing briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit over a Federal Communications Commission rule that slashed prison phone rates and restricted providers from passing along most of the costs associated with call monitoring and other security measures. While sheriffs and service providers opposed the FCC’s limits on passing security costs onto incarcerated people, public interest groups said the FCC’s order didn’t go far enough.