Connecticut considers making phone calls free for prisoners

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Pat Eaton-robb, Associated Press Updated 12:28 am CDT, Tuesday, May 14, 2019

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut is considering legislation that would make it the first state in the country to make telephone calls free for prisoners.

It would be following the lead of New York City, which began allowing free phone calls earlier this month.

One obstacle in Connecticut is the potential loss of the revenue generated by the calls. Currently, inmates or their families pay $4.87 for phone calls of up to 15 minutes. That's the second-highest rate in the nation.

In the 2018 fiscal year, Connecticut inmates made calls costing $13.2 million. The state took in $7.7 million for various programs from the phone calls, which are handled by a vendor contracted by the state, Securus.


Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Connecticut-considers-making-phone-calls-free-for-13842955.php

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(Short article, no more at link.)

[Flaleftist]

1. I would think being in more contact with loved ones would improve morale

and make prisoners more manageable.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I've read about this and they pay exorbitant rates

This is good news!

[Hortensis]

3. Outrageous to exploit incarcerated people this way.

I had no idea that this continued so widely after the costs of calling plummeted. This is just plain wrong, and as suggested counter to what the goals of incarceration should be. If states need to raise taxes to pay their bills, so be it.

[CTyankee]

8. I don't think "exploiting incarcerated people" is a major concern of most people...

their reasoning is that these folks broke the law and I have no tears for their being charged for phone calls."

This is short sighted. It seems to me that there are real benefits to having incarcerated people have more emotional support from friends and family members. That will go a long way toward their emotional health and eventual rehabilitation.

[Hortensis]

10. You bet. Adequate social support systems are critical

to success on the outside, and of course emotional health.

I grew up in the 1960s-70s. There were many problems carried over from earlier eras then, and new ones developed, of course, but liberalism was still dominant and we thought they would be addressed because the movement had been and still was toward further enlightenment. We didn't foresee the change to... going on 50 years! of conservative domination of society and government and what it would do to the nation we inherited.

[ToxMarz]

4. Free would be good, but even making them cost what a normal phone call costs

would seem the way it should have been to begin with. Nobody would really be worried about making them free.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. I'm fine with these phone calls being free. It helps strengthen social ties, and takes on small part

of the profit motive out of incarceration.

[marble falls]

6. Stop overcharging for inmate calls. In every state.

[El Mimbreno]

7. Another parasitic racket

Exorbitant phone charges from jails, usually collect, are just another example of taking advantage of those less fortunate.

[Cold War Spook]

9. I use Securus Technologies.

My step-son is a prisoner in Florida. He calls me and the charge is $0.14/minute or $2.10/15 minutes. There is no connection charge. They also have email for $0.35. I pay for his phone call and emails and send him $75.00/month. He is just about totally physically disabled now not due to being in prison. Thankfully, some of the bikers he used to know but did not run with, take good care of him. Under the new law in Florida, he should be coming home in July.