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Prison Phone Justice
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Historical Wisconsin State Prison phone rates and kickbacks

Same-state long distance rates

Year Collect Prepaid Debit
2017 0.12/min<br>$1.80/15 minutes 0.12/min<br>$1.80/15 minutes N/A
2016 N/A N/A N/A
2015 N/A N/A N/A
2014 N/A N/A N/A
2012 N/A N/A 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
2017 0.18/min<br>$2.70/15 minutes 0.18/min<br>$2.70/15 minutes N/A
2016 N/A N/A N/A
2015 N/A N/A N/A
2014 N/A N/A N/A
2012 N/A N/A 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
2017 0.12/min<br>$1.80/15 minutes 0.12/min<br>$1.80/15 minutes N/A
2016 N/A N/A N/A
2015 N/A N/A N/A
2014 N/A N/A N/A
2012 N/A N/A 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
2017 $625,586.27 Embarq (CenturyLink)
2016 $1,141,636.47 Embarq (CenturyLink)
2015 $983,429.81 Embarq (CenturyLink)
2014 $849,595.74 Embarq (CenturyLink)
2012 $2,344,085.34 Embarq (CenturyLink)
2011 $2,171,279.29
2010 $2,052,346.15
2009 $2,039,339.45

Historical source documents

State DOC Rates

State DOC Contracts

State DOC Commission Data

 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

Telecoms Exploiting Legal Loopholes to Price Gouge Prisoners and Their Families

Loaded on May 1, 2023 by Jacob Barrett published in Prison Legal News May, 2023, page 52
Filed under: Telephone Rates, Private Phone Contractors, Securus, Global Tel*Link Corp. Location: United States of America.

by Jacob Barrett

According to a report published by the Prison Policy Initiative (PPI) on December 15, 2022, for-profit telecom companies are using loopholes in the law to price-gouge prisoners and their families on the cost of phone calls and video visits.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has slowly set ...

California Makes Calls Free for Juvenile Detainees, Prohibits Telecom Kickbacks to Prisons and Jails

Loaded on April 1, 2023 by Benjamin Tschirhart published in Prison Legal News April, 2023, page 43
Filed under: Telephone Rates, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders, Kickback Scheme. Location: California.

by Benjamin Tschirhart

On September 29, 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed S.B. 1008 into law, barring government agencies in the state from collecting any part of the revenue from providing calls in prisons and jails. It also makes calls completely free at juvenile detention facilities.

State law already ...

Welsh Prisoner Used Phone Hidden in Rectum to Snag Guards with “Flirty” Calls

Loaded on Feb. 7, 2023 by Jo Ellen Nott
Filed under: Staff-Prisoner Harassment, Guard Misconduct, Cell Searches, Cell Phone Access. Location: United Kingdom.

by Jo Ellen Nott

A former guard and a former nurse at a prison in the United Kingdom – who both fell for “flirty” calls on a contraband cellphone from a “Romeo inmate,” British tabloids proclaimed – are now paying for their involvement with the convicted drug dealer. The one-time ...

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 ...

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