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 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 threadTakemusu
@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!
Dec 23, 2022 at 6:35pmWeb