Worth Rises
Critical Connections: The Power of Free Communication in Prisons and Jails
For decades, incarcerated people, their families, and allied advocates have decried the high cost of correctional communication services and its destructive impact on society as a whole. But, in recent years, the tide has turned, and campaigns to not just reduce the cost of communication but make it entirely free to incarcerated people and their families have been successful.
Advocates Applaud the Advancement of Legislation Restoring FCC's Authority to Address High Cost Phone Calls for the Incarcerated
On March 22, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee moved the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2021 (S.1541) out of committee after a markup. Introduced in 2021 by Sen Tammy Duckworth (D–IL), the bill advanced with an amendment agreed to by prison phone justice advocates and the National Sheriffs’ Association. The bill would restore the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to regulate all prison and jail calls and stop prison telecom corporations from charging incarcerated people and their loved ones predatory rates.