A new contract between the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and the phone company Securus lowers the rates for calls from state prisons to $0.059 per minute. Meanwhile, Securus will pay Pennsylvania a commission of 35%. This means that – despite what the companies have said – a low rate of under $0.06 per minute is enough for Securus to make profit for themselves and pay the state.
Our letter to the FCC about this important evidence in support of a low rate cap is here.
As the FCC Comment Period comes to a close on Monday, January 12 at 5pm, NJAID and NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic submitted the comments below, calling for a cap on intrastate prison and jail phone rates, a ban on commissions and ancillary fees. Our recent findings include outrageous international calling rates at the three NJ county jails that house immigrant detainees, including $45 for a 15 minute call at Hudson County jail. By contrast, Elizabeth Detention Center charges $2.25 for a 15 minute call to an international landline. Get the details and more in our comments below.
Final FCC Comment Docket 12-375 by NJAID and NYU IRC
Reply comments can be sent through January 27th.