12mo ago

FCC closes “final loopholes” that keep prison phone prices exorbitantly high

arstechnica.com

FCC wasn't able to cap intrastate prices until Congress granted new authority.

Countdown until a conservative judge overturns this: 10, 9, 8…

13 comments

The FCC said it "voted to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades. Under the new rules, the cost of a 15-minute phone call will drop to $0.90 from as much as $11.35 in large jails and, in small jails, to $1.35 from $12.10."
The new rules are expected to take effect in January 2025 for all prisons and for jails with at least 1,000 incarcerated people. The rate caps would take effect in smaller jails in April 2025.
If this doesn't get reversed somehow, this is going to be such a monumental, positive change for so many families. It's nice to read about a win sometimes.
The lashing out from republicans will commence shortly
- They're going to say that the FCC is overstepping its bounds because it exists.
- Unconstitutional!
  We could be charging them $50 a minute.
- “Those people made their choice!”
A while ago my credit card number was stolen and the only charges were calls from prisons and I wasn't even mad.
This is the kind of news that should actually be posted on all of the ‘uplifting news’ communities, instead of ‘teen works 600 hours for minimum wage to help pay for his mother’s dialysis’ or whatever..
- This is a huge deal for human rights!
  But I have to say, isn’t it still excessive? Is there even such a thing as per minute calling anymore? For people with per minute calling, how much does it cost these days?
- !orphancrushing@lemmy.world
The game changer about this ruling is that the prisons can no longer charge their often 80% commissions on each call. This is going to make the “for profit” prisons crazy. (State prisons too).
Awesome. Do something about the slave labor prisoners have to do in some states next. Then maybe fix commissary account fees and prices. And make sure prisoners can get mail, including books, since some prisons are banning that now. Prisons are currently an insight into exactly how hard corporations would screw us all over if they had more control of our lives.
Supporting big criminal over small mom and pop private prisons again, smh
Some assclown judge from Texas no doubt

13 comments