Costly prison phone calls are another kind of punishment

COSTLY PRISON PHONE CALLS ARE ANOTHER KIND OF PUNISHMENT

July 27, 2020
The Boston Globe

Now, more than ever, family communication is a lifeline

Re “Calling home: A hardship for prisoners, a boon to Bristol County sheriff” (Editorial, July 21): The US District Court’s ruling, upholding the right of Commonwealth sheriffs to exploit families with incarcerated loved ones, is devastating. Communication is now, more than ever, a lifeline for incarcerated people, especially with visits suspended. Amid a health pandemic and a growing economic crisis, the decision is a travesty.

Last week, Federal Communications Commission chair Ajit Pai issued a strongly worded statement, lamenting the limitations of the FCC to regulate what he called “egregious” prison and jail phone call rates and urging states to do so themselves. The statement marks a stark shift for the conservative, pro-industry commissioner that illustrates the gravity of the harm these rates cause families.

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