Erick FernandezDec 23, 2022
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.
Show threadTwinkle Twinkle
@ErickFernandez WAIT! They were charging incarcerated folks more? If so, how is that legal?
Dec 23, 2022 at 8:29amWeb
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!