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Prison Phone ServicePrice-Gouging on Prisoner Telephone Call$Many studies conclude, and correctional professionals know that a prisoner's ability to maintain family ties and connections with the community are key to a successful transition from incarceration back into public life. Telecommunications services, which are increasingly integral to human interaction, are especially important to prisoners who are separated from family and friends. This is especially so for about two-thirds of the incarcerated population who have various degrees of difficulty reading or writing.
But because of special arrangements between correctional facilities and telephone service providers, prisoner telephone calls are unjustifiably expensive, and costs are exacerbated by policies that permit collect only calling, for example. Of course, the cost of the calls is borne primarily by the families and friends of prisoners, though few can afford the extortionate charges imposed by many telephone service providers.
These ever-escalating costs are driven by “commissions” (as high as 60% of all revenue) paid by telephone service providers to correctional facilities and agencies. In exchange, the telephone companies are allowed to provide exclusive services, thus eliminating all competition and leaving prisoners and their families no alternative to abusive policies and pricing-practices.
Although correctional administrators constantly struggle with inadequate funding, it is unseemly that they should permit profiteering from the people in their custody. This ethical quagmire of both real and perceived conflicts of interest compromises the professional integrity of correctional officials. Increasing numbers of organizations and people are engaged in a multi-faceted campaign to abolish such exploitation. Read more about these efforts in the following pages.
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