Power

Prison phone calls will continue to be an overpriced racket

Families often spend thousands of dollars a year to communicate with their incarcerated relatives.

Power

$14
The cost-per-minute for phone calls in several U.S. prisons.
Power

Prison phone calls will continue to be an overpriced racket

Families often spend thousands of dollars a year to communicate with their incarcerated relatives.

A federal court ruled Tuesday that the Federal Communication Commission can’t cap the cost of in-state calls made by prison inmates, which can cost families thousands of dollars a year. The FCC attempted to cap the cost of inmates’ in-state calls — which, in some states, can cost up to $14 a minute — to 11 cents per minute, the Associated Press reported. Last year, Wisconsin, Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Nevada challenged the FCC regulations, arguing that prisons and jails “incur substantial security-related costs” for inmate calling systems, phone repair, technology, and other expenses. Global TelLink and CenturyLink, two of the largest prison phone companies in the country, unsurprisingly supported the court’s ruling.

But advocates say the rules harm inmates and their families.

“Any way you cut it, this is very bad news for families and loved ones, not to mention the prisoners themselves,” Andrew Jay Schwartzman, an attorney who argued for the FCC limits, told the AP.

The FCC does regulate the prices of interstate calls, which can cost up to 25 cents a minute.