Phone calls from prison may be getting a lot cheaper. The Federal Communications Commission will vote next week on an order to cut the rates that inmates pay for interstate phone calls.
Acting FCC Chairperson Mignon Clyburn has been a strong advocate of reducing the rates that inmates pay to call home.
"For too long, the high cost of long-distance calls from prisoners to their loved ones across state lines has chronically impacted parents and children, especially among low-income families,"Clyburn said in a statement. " Multiple studies have shown that meaningful contact beyond prison walls can make a real difference in maintaining community ties, promoting rehabilitation, and reducing recidivism."
An average collect phone call from prison has a $3.95 connection fee and rates as high as 90 cents per minute, according to advocates. That means that a typical 15 minute phone call could cost a family anywhere between $10 and $17.