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Unlikely coalition targets prison phone call rates
FierceTelecom ^ | 5/18/2011 | Chris Rizo

Posted on 05/18/2012 7:00:08 PM PDT by bizlawnews

Decrying the "exorbitant rates" for telephone calls placed from most state prisons and correctional institutions, a broad coalition of civil-rights groups and conservative leaders called Friday on the Federal Communications Commission to examine the harm caused by interstate prison phone call rates.

Pressing the FCC to protect prisoners and their families from "predatory" fees is an unlikely coalition that includes progressive groups--the ACLU, NAACP, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights--and national conservative leaders, including American Values president Gary Bauer, the Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition, and Galen Carey of the National Association of Evangelicals.

(Excerpt) Read more at fierceenterprisecommunications.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: fcc; politics
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1 posted on 05/18/2012 7:00:12 PM PDT by bizlawnews
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To: bizlawnews

1 5 minute call per month (if new violations.

No TV, internet or radio other than Christian religious channels.

Food MRE’s

Work 10 hours in field to grow their own food.

Wear Pink


2 posted on 05/18/2012 7:08:29 PM PDT by stubernx98 (cranky, but reasonable)
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To: bizlawnews
"Poor and Black disproportionately affected"....

Same ol'/Same ol'......

3 posted on 05/18/2012 7:25:38 PM PDT by traditional1 (Don't gotsta worry 'bout no mo'gage, don't gotsta worry 'bout no gas; Obama gonna take care o' me!)
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To: bizlawnews
"Unreasonably high prison phone rates unjustly punish the families of people who are incarcerated, and contribute to rising recidivism rates by deterring regular telephone contact with family members and loved ones"

I don't know about recidivism rates, but denying access to a parental with tyrannical phone rates and doing damage to a child I will stand against.

The keyword here is "families". There are a bunch of reality shows on dealing with prisons that do NOT focus on the harm done to children.

To a small child, just hearing their mom or dad tell them they love them on a regular basis, even if they don't really understand why that parent isn't with them, will work miracles.

4 posted on 05/18/2012 8:02:17 PM PDT by bigheadfred (SHUT UP OBIWAN)
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To: bigheadfred

You have got to the core of the issue. Burdening communications between those incarcerated and their families with excessive telephone charges is contrary to humane principles and the public interest. Defending family values must include consideration for families impaired by jail or prison.


5 posted on 05/18/2012 8:24:07 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: Rockingham

Right. Do not force children to “do the time”. Pretty sure they don’t deserve that.


6 posted on 05/18/2012 8:30:20 PM PDT by bigheadfred (SHUT UP OBIWAN)
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To: bizlawnews

What will they whine about next? They murdered or robbed/burgled or sold dope to kids to get in there. Do they deserve to sit on a free phone line with long distance calls paid for by YOU and be rewarded with talking to the families on the phone all day long? lol

In the jails, people usually don’t make but one or two phone calls before they’re bailed out, or get a personal bond if they have a job, and there is no HUGE burden on their families.

The jail sitters will steal each other’s PIN numbers and steal phone calls from each other that has to be credited off their accounts. They will sit there all day until they figure out the code that let’s them bypass the system. And the first time their girlfriend pisses them off, they rip the phone off the wall that costs about $400 to replace plus the cost of replacing the the phone plugs by technicians hired by the county, state, or prison.

And a great majority of their families are living “high” off the hog on their drug money as they sit incarcerated. The first thing you hear is their family demanding to know where their stash of money is, “so we can get you out”, lol And they’re dumb enough to tell them. Remember this is not the best of society you are dealing with here.

Recidivism is nothing but a new buzz word invented by the liberals. The return rate to lock up is abysmally high, including the members of their families. And I cannot tell you how many of them pay for the phone calls with their EBT cards from the government, ADF, and particularly granny with her SS card. Granny’s selling it to them at double the rate, lol (They can go online and prepay their calls and also get a better rate without operator service.)

As for the juvenile facilities, the rate of the calls is pretty normal (Much less than in jails/prisons). And at juvenile facilities the youth is on a step plan. In the first step, they only get one call a week, which is less than $5.00. Their calls are limited to certain days, length of call, times, and number of calls, and WHO they can call is limited. Their first call to home is free. Plus the many times if the families WON’T pay for their calls, the counselors will bring them into their office for free calls. They go to school and to group therapy most of the day and have no time to chat with their friends or their families. They’re usually there for 60 days. They too are incarcerated for a reason.

This is just another demand for FREE STUFF. Tell me why I, the city, or the county, state or the company providing their phone service should have to pick up this tab for them.


7 posted on 05/18/2012 9:38:52 PM PDT by RowdyFFC
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To: bigheadfred

I have listened to many of these calls, and if you think that is what is going on on the phone, you would be appalled at reality. There are the many times these children would be better off not talking to their friends and family.


8 posted on 05/18/2012 9:41:11 PM PDT by RowdyFFC
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To: bizlawnews
I've finally found a cause I can fully embrace:

"Decrying the "exorbitant rates" for telephone calls placed from most state prisons and correctional institutions

I've got meaning in life!
9 posted on 05/18/2012 9:48:55 PM PDT by Jay Santos CP ("Idiocracy"... It's no longer just a movie.)
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To: bigheadfred

And when prisoners finish their time, it is better for them and us that they and their families suffered less and learned more through the experience.


10 posted on 05/18/2012 9:53:41 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: RowdyFFC

“And a great majority of their families are living “high” off the hog on their drug money as they sit incarcerated. The first thing you hear is their family demanding to know where their stash of money is, “so we can get you out”, lol And they’re dumb enough to tell them. Remember this is not the best of society you are dealing with here”

Really....I am the father of two boys, Cain and Abel so to speak. One is a hard working educated young man the other is a ex-con. No excuses for my one son’s actions he made bad decisions. However, to speak to him maybe four times a year cost ME a hundred dollars. I do not have a stash of drug money nor do I get his SSI etc... I work, I am retired military and my money is hard earned and this is a rip off specifically preying on the families not the criminal. They target the family and pay the States a lot of money to get the contract. I was not not convicted of a crime so why is it somehow fair to punish me because for my sons crimes?


11 posted on 05/18/2012 10:34:05 PM PDT by OldGoatCPO
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To: RowdyFFC
I wonder how many people would be in prison, if everyone who has done anything that is illegal, was caught while doing it. How many people have not driven with a little too much alcohol in their blood and where would they be if they had accidentally killed someone under the influence? Thousands and thousands of people leave bars everyday over the legal limit and can thank God that they haven't gotten into trouble. How many people have used or even sold to their friend marijuana or drugs in their youths, or tried shop lifting, even once? And the list goes on, if a person really thought about how many times in their life they did something that may have been illegal, but thankfully, were not caught.

Many people belong in prison, but few would not be there if all was known. The point I am making is maybe so many of us shouldn't seem quite so self righteous, remember that, but by the grace of God, there goes I, and try to muster up a little more compassion for those who legally have failed, but been caught at it. They are all not all bad, and some of them are fairly decent people who got caught doing that one bad thing. There are even a very few that are in prison who really aren't guilty of the crime that they have been accused of, though of course, by far most are.

12 posted on 05/18/2012 11:37:28 PM PDT by Bellflower (The LORD is Holy, separated from all sin, perfect, righteous, high and lifted up.)
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To: Bellflower

Your point is rather moot since people who are not caught, are not in prison, but should be? WTH?

I have plenty of compassion for the needy who’ve never committed crimes but lost the jobs, or became ill and thus their homes and deserve a hand up.

I have plenty of compassion for the children whose families use them for ‘horses’ to sell their drugs or steal. Who after 60 days have to go right back into the same situation with no hope in sight. Their families are not victims, but the perps, which is the majority of cases.

I am speaking to habitual criminals and their families who helped put them there and routinely wind up there themselves. Which is the majority of inmates, who ARE guilty.

And just for your information, it is NOT the service provider who sets the rates, it is the city, county, or state facilities that set their rates depending on how much money THEY want to bring in to support their facilities. I can set their rates at as low as 2 cents a minute and still make plenty of money on the volume of calls rather than price gouging.


13 posted on 05/19/2012 4:35:44 AM PDT by RowdyFFC
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To: OldGoatCPO

And the same to you. Just for your information it is the city, county or state facility that sets their rates dependent on how much THEY want to make to support the facility. AGAIN, I can set their rates as low as 2 cents a minute and still make plenty of money off the volume of calls rather than price gouging.

And AGAIN, you are the exception, rather than the rule. The many times the families are also the perps who helped put them there.


14 posted on 05/19/2012 4:46:00 AM PDT by RowdyFFC
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To: Rockingham; bigheadfred

At the heart of this issue are friends/family of elected Democrats who get the monopolies on phone calls out of prisons. Liberalism is all about the money.


15 posted on 05/19/2012 4:55:11 AM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: 1010RD

Funds that are raised by non-budgeted fees and charges are often spent for broad purposes at the discretion of administrators and with weak auditing. Abuses are all too easy.


16 posted on 05/19/2012 5:46:51 AM PDT by Rockingham
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To: OldGoatCPO

So refuse the calls! Perhaps having it driven home that even your own family doesn’t think you’re worth what it costs might straighten some out.


17 posted on 05/19/2012 7:57:21 AM PDT by Fire_on_High (WTB new tagline, PST!)
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To: Fire_on_High

Spoken like someone who has never dealt with this.


18 posted on 05/20/2012 9:49:45 AM PDT by OldGoatCPO
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To: RowdyFFC

SO your theory is punish the exceptions of which you possess no knowledge of how many family members of convicts nationwide are the exception. Your opinion is based on some mythical concept that lacks any empirical data. Prison phone systems are a scam I know this because I have dealt with them. DO you think they returned the unused funds I had to deposit in advance. Not a chance. Prisons are broke this is another way to gouge honest hardworking family members. By the way for the record I come from very large family, I have 4 children of my own, my son is the only criminal in our entire family. Yet we all pay exhorbinant prices to talk to him a few times a year.


19 posted on 05/20/2012 9:59:39 AM PDT by OldGoatCPO
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To: OldGoatCPO

Yes, yes I have. Every time the idiot ex gets himself locked up for something stupid he tries to call and whine to me. Call refused. No hesitation and no regrets.


20 posted on 05/20/2012 12:11:21 PM PDT by Fire_on_High (WTB new tagline, PST!)
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