New York Makes Contact with Loved Ones More Accessible Phone Call Policy Change

As part of its ongoing mission to prepare individuals in custody for successful reentry and community reintegration, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) announced that, effective August 1, 2025, the Department will make contact with family and loved ones more accessible. Phone calls made by incarcerated individuals—via tablets or facility phones—will be free of charge. This significant policy change eliminates financial barriers to communication and aims to strengthen the vital connections between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. Maintaining meaningful relationships with family and friends is a key factor in promoting positive behavior and successful reintegration upon reentry to the community. This announcement comes at a time when DOCCS continues to recover, recruit and rebuild following the illegal strike earlier this year, and this new program provides an important productive activity and means to communicate while programming and visitation has not fully been restored across the system.