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Prison Phone Justice
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Rhode Island State Prison phone rates and kickbacks

Rhode Island ranks 2nd in the nation for the affordability of a 15 minute call.

Kickbacks paid

None!

Cost of a 15-minute Intrastate Call

Collect Prepaid Debit
Same state $0.44 $0.44 $0.44
Local $0.44 $0.44 $0.44

Detailed rates

Collect Prepaid Debit
Same state 0.029/min 0.029/min 0.029/min
Local 0.029/min 0.029/min 0.029/min

Phone service providers

Data current as of 2019-2020

Historical Data for Rhode Island

Primary source documents

State DOC Rates

State DOC Contracts

Legislation

 Prison Phone Justice Articles and Documents

2021

Sonoma County Jail Inmate Telephone and Commissary - Grand Jury Report 2020-2021

September: Letter to Governors Cuomo and Hutchinson Regarding Affordable Prison Communication Services

April: California Public Utilities Commission - Ruling Denying PPI Motion to Compel GTL to Respond to Data Requests 4-27-21

March: Comments of Prison Policy Initiative Before the Iowa Utilities Board 03-18-2021

2020

August: 

FCC Public Notice Re Acquisition of Legacy Inmate Communications by Global Tel Link 2020

Agreement between the City and County of San Francisco and Global Tel*Link

July: Report and Order on Remand and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Federal Communications Commission, 2020

April: Letter to FCC - Protect Incarcerated People, 2020

April - Covid-19:

Letter to US Conference of Mayors - COVID-19 phone costs, 2020

Letter to National Governors Association - COVID-19 phone costs, 2020

Letter to National Sheriffs' Association - COVID-19 phone costs, 2020

February: 

Edovo - Section J Rates and Fees

Securus - J Section Rates and Fees

ICSolutions - Section J Rates and Fees

Jaunary: GTL - Section J Rates and Fees

2019

Highest 2019 Reported Charge for a 15-Minute Call by Facility Location

October: HRDC joins application to file amicus brief in re county inmate telephone services case in CA, HRDC files joint amicus brief

April: HRDC press release on Securus/ICSolutions merger

2017

August: HRDC accuses FCC chairman of having conflict of interest

2016

April: PLN criticizes non-disclosure of Securus employee at FCC hearing on cell phones

January: HRDC's FCC comment mentioned regarding price gouging prisoners' families, Comment regarding prison reforms, HRDC's letter to the FCC mentioned regarding VA DOC's phone rate reduction

2015

October: FCC reforms applauded by HRDC's Campaign for Prison Phone Justice, HRDC's FCC comment on corruption in prison phone industry profiled

January: HRDC's FCC comments mentioned in article on video visitation

2014

November: PLN mentioned in article about FCC action on prison phone rates

October: FCC Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

September: HRDC comment to FCC regarding WA phone rates, FCC Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

January: HRDC response to PayTel comments, HRDC response to FCC caps on prison phone calls

2013:

December: Prison Legal News cover story on the prison phone industry, HRDC comment to FCC on Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

September: PLN/HRDC mentioned in article on FCC prison phone order

April: HRDC reply comment to FCC on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

March: HRDC comment to FCC on Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

January: PLN's research on prison phone rates cited in article on FCC hearing

2012

December: FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

October: HRDC response to Global Tel comments 

2011

April: Prison Legal News cover story on the prison phone industry

2007

ApriL: HRDC initial comment to FCC 

 

 

 PLN Coverage of Prison Phone Justice

New York City Jails Admit Illegally Recording Over 2,200 Attorney-Client Phone Calls

Loaded on Nov. 30, 2022 by Anthony Accurso published in Prison Legal News December, 2022, page 46
Filed under: Attorney Calls, Recorded Calls. Location: New York.

by Anthony W. Accurso

On the last day of 2021, the New York City Department of Correction (DOC) revealed a stunning privacy breach: Over 500 detainees in city jails had their calls to their attorneys recorded. Worse, the recordings were then turned over to prosecutors.

The Constitution guarantees the privacy ...

Maine Caps Price of Phone Calls in State Prisons and Jails

Loaded on Oct. 31, 2022 by Benjamin Tschirhart published in Prison Legal News November, 2022, page 17
Filed under: Telephone Rates. Location: Maine.

by Benjamin Tschirhart

On April 15, 2022, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) approved H.P. 853, a new law capping the cost of calls in state prisons and county jails. Effective October 1, 2022, calls may not exceed the federal rate of twelve cents per minute in prisons and twenty-one cents ...

The Catalog of Carceral Surveillance: Tablet Advertising That Can Also Issue Discipline

Loaded on Oct. 31, 2022 by Dave Mass published in Prison Legal News November, 2022, page 28
Filed under: Telephone Access, Telephone Monitoring, Securus. Location: United States of America.

by Dave Maas

Imagine you’ve been arrested and are sitting in county lock-up. You need to make arrangements for bail, a lawyer, and a caretaker for your kids or pets. Maybe you need someone to bring your prescription or you need to talk to your AA sponsor. On top of ...

California Court Sides With Securus in Challenge to CDCR Contract, Dealing Only Temporary Setback to GTL

Loaded on Sept. 1, 2022 by David Reutter published in Prison Legal News September, 2022, page 32
Filed under: Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Telephone Rates, Securus, Global Tel*Link Corp. Location: California.

by David M. Reutter

On September 10, 2021, a California court set aside an award by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) of a contract to Global Tel Link Corporation (GTL) for telecommunications services for California prisoners.

The ruling disrupted GTL’s rollout of new tablets to state prisoners ...

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