Congress Must Pass Prison Phone Justice Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mattie Goldman, [email protected]

WASHINGTON — Jesselyn McCurdy, executive vice president of government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after Senate passage of the Martha Wright Prison Phone Justice Bill, S. 1541:

“Predatory prison phone rates — which can run as high as $1 per minute — only serve to isolate incarcerated people from their families and loved ones while companies profit off their pain. No one should have to choose between connecting with a loved one and paying for necessities like food, rent, and health care. Lowering rates will relieve this burden for incarcerated individuals and allow them to maintain relationships outside of prison — further reducing recidivism. We applaud champions in the Senate for taking the long overdue, commonsense step to eliminate this predatory practice. Now the House of Representatives must take the Senate’s lead and pass this potentially life-saving legislation before the end of the 117th Congress.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 230 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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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