Press Call: Left, Right, and Center Urge FCC to End Practice of Predatory Prison Phone Rates
WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, May 18th, at 10:30 AM EST, an unprecedented collection of civil rights groups and conservative leaders is hosting a press call to release a joint letter to the Federal Communications Commission calling for prison phone rate reform and an end to predatory phone rates.
Prisons extract commissions from telephone companies in exchange for service contracts. These extra fees are passed on to prisoners’ families in the form of predatory rates for a captive audience. Phone calls placed from within prisons can result in charges of $10-17 for a 15-minute call or $250 per month for a weekly one-hour call.
These costs undermine the maintenance of relationships with loved ones and result in a higher rate of recidivism.
The joint letter, to be released on Friday morning, is signed by such conservative leaders as Gary Bauer and David Keene, as well as civil rights groups like The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza, and the National Organization for Women.
WHO:
- Wade Henderson, president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
- David Keene, former chairman of the American Conservative Union
- amalia deloney, associate director of the Center for Media Justice and an expert on policy and advocacy surrounding prison phone rates
- Lee G. Petro, Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP, pro bono counsel representing Martha Wright, an FCC petitioner and mother of a prisoner
WHAT: Press call with conservatives and civil rights groups urging the FCC to end predatory prison phone rates.
WHEN: Friday, May 18th, 10:30am EST
CALL-IN INFO: 800.895.0231 — Verbal Passcode: “Phone”