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Prison Phone Justice
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Washington State Prison phone rates and kickbacks

Washington ranks 27th in the nation for the affordability of a 15 minute call.

Kickbacks paid

$3,856,229.00 paid in 2017.

Percentage of call cost going to kickbacks: 56%

Cost of a 15-minute Intrastate Call

Collect Prepaid Debit
Same state $1.65 $1.65 $1.65
Local $1.65 $1.65 $1.65

Detailed rates

Collect Prepaid Debit
Same state 0.11/min 0.11/min 0.11/min
Local 0.11/min 0.11/min 0.11/min

Phone service providers

Notes

Data current as of Jan 2019

Data current as of 2017-2018

Historical Data for Washington

Primary source documents

State DOC Rates

State DOC Contracts

State DOC Commission Data

County Rates

County Contracts

Court Rulings

Legislation

Administrative Rulings

 Prison Phone Justice Articles and Documents

 2019

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

Major Prison Telecom Merger Canceled; Victory for Campaign for Prison Phone Justice!

Loaded on May 3, 2019 published in Prison Legal News May, 2019, page 58
Filed under: Private Prisons, Telephones, Telephone Rates. Location: United States of America.

The prison phone industry, which provides telecom services for prisons, jails and other detention facilities, has a long and sordid history of exploiting prisoners and their families by charging exorbitant phone rates and fees. [See: PLN, Dec. 2013, p.1; April 2011, p.1]. Over the past decade the industry ...

Prison Policy Initiative Issues Report on State of Prison Phone Justice

Loaded on May 3, 2019 by Matthew Clarke published in Prison Legal News May, 2019, page 54
Filed under: Statistics/Trends, Telephones, Telephone Access, Telephone Rates, Attorney Calls. Location: United States of America.

by Matt Clarke 

On February 11, 2019, the non-profit Prison Policy Initiative (PPI) issued a report on the “State of Phone Justice,” noting progress on reducing state prison phone rates but fewer reforms in local jails, where high rates and fees persist.

Since the Federal Communications Commission ...

Cell Phones Sold in Commissary at South Carolina Jail

Loaded on May 3, 2019 by Scott Grammer published in Prison Legal News May, 2019, page 41
Filed under: Commissary, Cell Phone Access. Location: South Carolina.

by Scott Grammer

There is a surprising item for sale in the commissary at the Union County Jail in South Carolina: cell phones. The $100 phones can be used to text and make calls between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., but do not have Internet ...

Federal Circuit Upholds BOP Guard’s Termination Despite 1,265-Day Delay

Loaded on April 22, 2019 by Mark Wilson
Filed under: Telephones, Guards/Staff, Employee Litigation, Guard Unions, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights. Locations: Maryland, Texas, United States of America.

by Mark Wilson

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the termination of a federal prison guard, finding that he waived any claim of prejudice from a 1,265-day delay between commencement of the investigation and termination.

Leonardo Villareal was employed as a Bureau of Prisons ...

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