Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds FCC Proposal to Cap Phone Rates for Inmates’ Families

Washington, D.C. – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement regarding the announcement by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn that they would ask the commission to consider a cap for all—local, long-distance and international—prison telephone rates charged to the families of inmates:

“We applaud FCC Chairman Wheeler and Commissioner Clyburn for taking a forceful stand against predatory prison phone rates. These reforms are important to the civil rights community because high prison phone rates place an unfair financial burden not only on prisoners, but also on their families and loved ones.

Since the majority of calls are to and from individuals who reside in state or federal prisons, the proposed rate cap of 11 cents per minute will make a huge difference for families who previously had to choose between talking to an incarcerated loved one and paying for necessities like food or medication. We are also pleased that the proposal limits and caps the arbitrary surcharges that represent a significant portion of all consumer payments for prison phone calls.

Excessively high phone rates strain the relationships that are essential to ensuring successful rehabilitation. This proposal, together with congressional sentencing reform efforts announced earlier today, show what’s possible when policymakers use their power to address the impact that mass incarceration has on the nation and to also provide pathways to rehabilitation.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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