End Prison-Phone Exploitation
Ensure affordable and accessible communications for incarcerated people and their loved ones.
Prison-technology companies like Securus have long exploited incarcerated people and their loved ones by charging astronomical rates for phone calls and video visitations. While research shows that regular contact with the outside world allows families to maintain stronger bonds and reduces rates of recidivism, these companies and the institutions that contract with them have reaped huge profits by making it difficult and expensive for incarcerated people to communicate.
The Obama FCC took initial steps to rein in these extortionate prices, but the Trump FCC failed to defend this decision during a court challenge. Unscrupulous tech corporations should not be allowed to exploit families with incarcerated loved ones. People deserve affordable ways to stay connected.
Starting points:
Support the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2019, which repairs FCC authority over extortionate prison-phone rates.
Oppose measures to replace in-person prison visitation with video calls. Video and phone contact must be supplements, not replacements for in-person visits.
Image courtesy of Media Justice Network, mediajustice.org