Ministry of Justice wants lower prices and more competition in prison telecommunications

Digital inclusion

The Justice Department says the status quo is hurting low-income families

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2024 – The Justice Department on Monday supported a Federal Communications Commission initiative to improve communications options for incarcerated individuals.

The Department of Justice comment letter came as the Federal Communications Commission wondered how to implement the Martha Wright-Reed Act – legislation requiring reasonable rates for telephone calls from prisons.

The legislation, passed in January 2022, mandates the FCC to expand its authority over prison communications. The law requires the FCC to set “just and reasonable rates” for incarcerated individuals.

Chairman of the FCC in February 2023 Jessica Rosenworcel comment requested on how the committee should implement the legislation. In particular, she asked for advice on the approach to setting tariffs, managing safety and security costs and the commission’s authority in the area of ​​regulation of interstate communications.

The Justice Department praised the FCC for using the policy to ensure affordable telephone communications for prisoners. However, the department pointed to a number of ways the commission could reduce phone costs for prisoners and families by increasing competition.

The department pointed to the dominance of communications services by a select few companies as the biggest barrier to tackling this problem. Two providers, Securus and Global Tel*Link Corporation, control a majority of the market for inmate communications services, the letter said.

The department also called on the FCC to reconsider whether prison facilities should receive commissions as part of service fees. The department argued that these committees could incentivize prisons not to select the most cost-effective provider. Selecting a bidder with a higher commission payout may result in more expensive calls for incarcerated individuals.

More more communication with loved ones can improve the emotional and psychological state of incarcerated individuals and their families, the department argued. The department complained about the poor quality of prison phone calls, claiming that about a third of families have gone into debt because of prison phone costs.

The Justice Department also proposed that the commission prevent providers from circumventing regulations by forcing unregulated services on customers, such as electronic messaging. Unlike telephone communications, electronic messages are not subject to rate regulation, the department argued.