Cliff Burton's NotesDec 23, 2022
Erick Fernandez
For a year and a half I have been advocating for the passage of federal legislation that would regulate the prison telecom industry and the prices these corporations can charge families with incarcerated loved ones. It was an uphill climb and especially as we got closer to the end of the 117th Congress, but it passed the Senate on 12/21 and passed the House on 12/22.
May this bill be a step towards greater phone justice for families that have incarcerated loved ones.
Dec 23, 2022 at 2:09amMastodon for iOS
Show threadHammancheezDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez holy shit bro that is HUGE
Show threadErick FernandezDec 23, 2022
@hammancheez thank you! 🙏🏽🙏🏽
Show threadChristineDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez that's great!!💜
Show threadLiberalFishDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez This is awesome! Thank you so much for your advocacy!
https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/22/the-fcc-can-finally-hammer-predatory-prison-phonecall-companies-thanks-to-just-passed-bill/
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Show threadLauraRBelinDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez Does this only affect federal prisons, or all prisons?
Show threadErick FernandezDec 23, 2022
@LauraRBelin all prisons! Which is why it was important. Some states (Connecticut last year and California this year) made calls from prions and jails free, NYC made calls free in 2019, but it’s kind of the Wild West. Having more regulation to put a cap on these rates was needed.
Show threadCliff Burton's NotesDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez Seems an important mental health intervention.
Show threadStatmonkey 🙊Dec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez Wow, this is huge. Thank you for your efforts to lessen injustice.
Show threadTown vs. Beagle KillerDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez Wonderful thing you've done here. Prisoners need to keep their connections to have better mental health!
Show threadMs. LegaleseDec 23, 2022

@ErickFernandez

Thank you for of all your hard work. This is great news. :)

Show threadJoe ❌👑Dec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez So great that something was done about this. The astronomical phone rates cut prisoners off from their families, leaving no one for them to talk to but fellow convicts.
Show threadanubis2814Dec 23, 2022
@not2b @ErickFernandez Its disgusting this was ever allowed in the first place, forcing them to pay insane amounts for what is essentially free to us.
Show threadJoe ❌👑Dec 23, 2022
@anubis2814 @ErickFernandez I'm old enough to remember the 80s, when long distance rates were astronomical and couples who were separated by more than 30 miles or so were paying a hundred a month or more (in 80s dollars!) to keep in touch. But some of the prison phone rates are even worse than that, and prisoners make far less than minimum wage if they work inside, and their families are often impoverished.
Show threadTakemusuDec 23, 2022
@not2b @anubis2814 @ErickFernandez You can’t call imprisoned people, they can only call YOU and they can only call collect. Collect calls are the most expensive call. Depending on prison telco there’s a per call charge (most $6-10 per call) + the high per minute charge. Most mobile phones can’t get collect calls so this forces families to keep an expensive land line. It’s a huge penalty on the family of the imprisoned often costing hundreds a month.
Show threadAlaricDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez such an important battle against cruelty and greed. Thank you so much. May those who profited never find peace.
Show threadTakemusuDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez Thank you! This is huge. I’m retired from AT&T now but I remember the huge bills on accounts of families of imprisoned people. Hundreds, even thousands of dollars a month. The lengths they’d have to go to speak to a loved one; forwarding calls from another line once theirs was restricted. Mobile phones are unavailable in prison. Prison telcos have a monopoly. This penalty hurts the families the most. Thank you.
Show threadDeb4+ aka Deborah DT 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Dec 23, 2022

@ErickFernandez

Thank you, this sounds wonderful. Will this only impact federal prisons? or include state prisons? and county/city jails?

All would be best of course, and not sure that could be done.

Show threadThe ClericDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez best news I've heard all day!
Show threadTwinkle TwinkleDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez WAIT! They were charging incarcerated folks more? If so, how is that legal?
Show threadTakemusuDec 23, 2022
@Legs_for_days @ErickFernandez They don’t charge the incarcerated. They charge families of imprisoned. Imprisoned people can only call collect. You can’t call them. Cell phone’s aren’t allowed. And collect calls are monstrously expensive, prison collect calls the worst. This forces the families to pay hundreds of dollars a month to keep in touch. It’s really a punishment on the family in my view.
Show threadTwinkle TwinkleDec 23, 2022
@RoverStoker @ErickFernandez I understand why they don’t want prisoners to have phones. I didn’t realize how exorbitantly expensive collect calls were.
Show threadTakemusuDec 23, 2022
@Legs_for_days @ErickFernandez It’s a sad, cruel, greedy practice. I’m retired from “the phone co” now but it was common for families to face phone bills in the hundreds of dollars a mo for these calls alone. It’s like a penalty on the family who often can’t afford it. I am thankful it’s over.
Show threadwhyJoeDec 23, 2022
@Legs_for_days @RoverStoker @ErickFernandez It's everything. These companies, like Securus and Global Tel Link, charge fees on top of fees on top of crazy rates in order to have accounts for people to make calls from. But they also are in the business of: exorbitant fees on money/debit accounts people must use in prison, exclusive rights to sell basic goods at insane prices, huge markups on payments to post-release govt fees, etc. They are rolling in $.
Show threadErick FernandezDec 23, 2022
@whyJoe @Legs_for_days @RoverStoker 100%. Phone rates are just a sliver of the larger apparatus that’s stripping wealth from these families.
Show threadTakemusuDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez @whyJoe @Legs_for_days Erick, When I was a CSR you’d see this huge cost cascade through families. The partner of the incarcerated accepts the calls till they can’t afford to or the line’s restricted or suspended. G’ma takes & fowards to collect calls till HER line is restricted etc. The costs can financially ruin entire families. I hated to see it. Thank you for your bill.
Show threadwhyJoeDec 23, 2022

@RoverStoker @ErickFernandez @Legs_for_days It's interesting to hear that perspective. I used to help a friend who was in that circumstance and I would be putting $100 in their Securus account so often, and they didn't talk all that much. There's no way she would have been able to stay in touch, since of course they lost so much of their income.

The prisons/state etc get kickbacks fron these companies too, right?

Show threadTakemusuDec 23, 2022
@whyJoe @ErickFernandez @Legs_for_days This may have changed; I retired in ‘18. At the time I was only aware of the horrific, cruel high costs on the account of the person receiving the call. It never occurred to me incarcerated people might have to also pay to make the call. I’m not surprised though.
Show threadwhyJoeDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez @Legs_for_days @RoverStoker Oh and I add my thanks to you!
Show threadTakemusuDec 23, 2022
@Legs_for_days @ErickFernandez I think we don’t make collect calls anymore … ever. Pay phones are extinct. 🦕🦖The days of calling home collect from a pay phone (DAE use fake names w each a code for “I’m OMW home” “Pick me up” or “It’s a boy/girl!”) are gone. We all used to be aware coll calls are expensive. The private prison industries maximized the costs and till now imprisoned AND their families paid the cost or no contact. Now finally, over, DONE!
Show threadPamGinexDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez This will make a significant difference for so many! Thank you for your advocacy.
Show threadJulieEmeryDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez Congratulations and thank you for all your hard work!
Show threadBrett ADec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez That is excellent news. It is going to be a long climb out to a just system, but each step is a win.
Show threadKimberlyDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez That’s great. Thank you for all you do! There needs to be more people like you who get involved!
Show threadJonathan RDec 23, 2022

@ErickFernandez

Nice to have some good news!

Very glad to hear about this bill chipping away at these terrible practices taking advantage of literally captive "customers".

Show threadJonathan RDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez Can you please post a link to the role call votes (if there were such). I'd like to thank my senators (or chastize them) as the case may be.
Show threadErick FernandezDec 23, 2022
@Give_A_Damn it actually passed via unanimous consent in the Senate and on suspension in the House, so it was a voice vote in both cases!
Show threadJonathan RDec 23, 2022
@ErickFernandez
Thanks