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Historical Texas State Prison phone rates and kickbacks

Same-state long distance rates

Year Collect Prepaid Debit
2019 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes
2018 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes
2017 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes
2016 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes
2015 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2014 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2013 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2012 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2011 N/A N/A N/A
2010 N/A N/A N/A
2009 N/A N/A N/A

Interstate long distance rates

Year Collect Prepaid Debit
2019 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes
2018 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes
2017 0.25/min<br>$3.75/15 minutes 0.21/min<br>$3.15/15 minutes 0.21/min<br>$3.15/15 minutes
2016 0.25/min<br>$3.75/15 minutes 0.21/min<br>$3.15/15 minutes 0.21/min<br>$3.15/15 minutes
2015 0.43/min<br>$6.45/15 minutes 0.387/min<br>$5.80/15 minutes N/A
2014 0.43/min<br>$6.45/15 minutes 0.387/min<br>$5.80/15 minutes N/A
2013 0.43/min<br>$6.45/15 minutes 0.387/min N/A
2012 0.43/min<br>$6.45/15 minutes 0.387/min<br>$5.80/15 minutes N/A
2011 N/A N/A N/A
2010 N/A N/A N/A
2009 N/A N/A N/A

Local rates

Year Collect Prepaid Debit
2019 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes
2018 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes 0.06/min<br>$0.90/15 minutes
2017 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes
2016 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes
2015 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2014 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2013 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2012 0.26/min<br>$3.90/15 minutes 0.234/min<br>$3.51/15 minutes N/A
2011 N/A N/A N/A
2010 N/A N/A N/A
2009 N/A N/A N/A

Kickbacks

Year Kickbacks paid Companies Notes
2019 $6,760,593.15 CenturyLink
2018 $6,760,593.00 CenturyLink
2017 $6,760,593.15 CenturyLink
2016 $0.00 CenturyLink
2015 $6,760,593.15 CenturyLink
2014 $6,760,593.15 CenturyLink
2013 $6,760,593.15 CenturyLink
2012 $6,760,593.15 CenturyLink
2011 $5,673,568.00
2010 $4,276,006.00
2009 $224,228.00

Historical source documents

State DOC Rates

State DOC Contracts

State DOC Commission Data

County Contracts

 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

FCC Backtracks on 2024 Order to Cut 
Prison Phone and Video Rates by Half

Loaded on Aug. 1, 2025 published in Prison Legal News August, 2025, page 19
Filed under: Telephone Rates, Video Visitation, Private Phone Contractors, Securus. Location: United States of America.

On June 30, the Federal Communications Commission announced a two-year postponement of a rule to lower the price of phone and video calls in prisons and jails. As PLN reported, the FCC voted in 2024 to approve the regulation, which was set to go into effect nationwide later this year ...

HRDC Collaborates on Prison Telecom Cost Report 
to Washington Lawmakers

Loaded on Aug. 1, 2025 by Chuck Sharman published in Prison Legal News August, 2025, page 39
Filed under: Electronic Tablets, Telephone Access, Telephone Rates. Location: United States of America.

A report on prison telecom costs presented to state lawmakers in Washington on December 13, 2024, showed dramatic decreases nationwide in the price of calls from prisons and jails over the past decade. A similar drop was not found in rates for e-messages sent from lockups. Data provided by the ...

Free Calls in Massachusetts Lead to 
Defunded Prison Programs

Loaded on July 15, 2025 published in Prison Legal News July, 2025, page 10
Filed under: Telephone Access, Telephone Rates, Private Phone Contractors. Location: Massachusetts.

In December 2023, Massachusetts became the fifth state to provide free phone calls in its prisons and the first in all local jails. Video calling and e-messaging were also made available at no cost [See: PLN, Mar. 2024, p. 15]. Those progressive reforms were the culmination of years of ...

JPay Loses Bid to Revoke Class Certification in Washington Prisoners’ Challenge to Crummy Products and Service

Loaded on July 15, 2025 published in Prison Legal News July, 2025, page 14
Filed under: Electronic Tablets, Computers, Telephone Rates, Securus. Location: Washington.

Over five years ago, in May 2020, Washington prisoners Michael Linear and Lonnie Burton filed a complaint in state court against prison telecom JPay LLC, which held the exclusive contract with the state Department of Corrections (DOC) to provide prisoners their “sole means of access to any electronic content, email, ...

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