Historical Vermont State Prison phone rates and kickbacks

Same-state long distance rates

Year	Collect	Prepaid	Debit
2019	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes
2018	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes
2017	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes
2012	1.13 + 0.14/min<br>$3.23/15 minutes	0.90 + 0.09/min<br>$2.25/15 minutes	0.45 + 0.09/min<br>$1.80/15 minutes
2010	N/A	N/A	N/A
2009	N/A	N/A	N/A

Interstate long distance rates

Year	Collect	Prepaid	Debit
2019	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes
2018	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes
2017	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes	0.069/min<br>$1.04/15 minutes
2012	1.13 + 0.14/min<br>$3.23/15 minutes	0.90 + 0.09/min<br>$2.25/15 minutes	0.45 + 0.09/min<br>$1.80/15 minutes
2010	N/A	N/A	N/A
2009	N/A	N/A	N/A

Local rates

Year	Collect	Prepaid	Debit
2019	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes
2018	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes
2017	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes	0.039/min<br>$0.58/15 minutes
2012	1.13 + 0.06/min<br>$2.03/15 minutes	0.90 + 0.05/min<br>$1.65/15 minutes	0.23 + 0.05/min<br>$0.98/15 minutes
2010	N/A	N/A	N/A
2009	N/A	N/A	N/A

Kickbacks

Year	Kickbacks paid	Companies
2019	$165,691.68	GTL
2018	$165,691.68	GTL
2017	$165,691.68	GTL
2012	$482,292.11	PCS (GTL)
2010	$467,295.94
2009	$303,160.50

Historical source documents

State DOC Rates

State DOC Contracts

State DOC Commission Data

Prison Phone Justice Articles and Documents

2019

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

NBA Owner Capitalizes on Mass Incarceration; Players Silent

Loaded on Dec. 1, 2020 by Matthew Clarke published in Prison Legal News December, 2020, page 12

Filed under: JPay, Inc., Seizure of Prisoner Funds, Telephone Rates. Location: United States of America.

by Matt Clarke

Members of National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) maintained their place at the forefront of the movement for racial justice even while encapsulated in the National Basketball Association (NBA) bubble during the 2020 championship playoffs. The basketball court inside the Disney World bubble was proudly emblazoned with “Black ...

Cost of Communicating with Prisoners Breaking Family Budgets During Pandemic

Loaded on Dec. 1, 2020 by David Reutter published in Prison Legal News December, 2020, page 20

Filed under: COVID-19, Telephone Rates. Location: Louisiana.

by David M. Reutter

For those with loved ones in prisons, the coronavirus pandemic has increased the desire for communication to ensure the well-being of the imprisoned. The exorbitant cost of such calls is straining already-stretched budgets.

Most prisons have curtailed visitation, leaving families to communicate via phone calls, video ...

Federal Judge Approves $25 Million Class Action Settlement Against Global Tel*Link

Loaded on Dec. 1, 2020 by Derek Gilna published in Prison Legal News December, 2020, page 24

Filed under: Private Prisons, Telephone Rates, Class Actions. Location: New Jersey.

by Derek Gilna

On October 22, 2020, New Jersey federal district court Judge William J. Martini ended a seven-year class action brought by New Jersey Department of Correction (DOC) prisoners complaining of excessive phone fees levied by Global Tel*Link (GTL), approving a settlement fund of $25 million. Prisoners had alleged ...

$225,000 Windfall in Lehigh County, Pa. But Officials Don’t Cut Jail Phone Costs

Loaded on Nov. 1, 2020 by David Reutter published in Prison Legal News November, 2020, page 36

Filed under: COVID-19, Telephone Rates. Location: Pennsylvania.

by David M. Reutter

Renegotiation of its jail telephone contract netted Pennsylvania’s Lehigh County an unbudgeted $225,000 windfall. Mark Pinsley, the county comptroller, urged county officials to put that “revenue back into efforts to aid those held in the county jail.”

Pinsley’s March 5, 2020, letter noted that research shows ...