NATIONAL — A new report by Worth Rises finds that eliminating communication fees in prisons and jails is already producing measurable benefits, including stronger family connections, reduced financial strain and improved reentry outcomes for incarcerated people and their loved ones.
A report by Worth Rises examines the impact of eliminating communication costs in prisons and jails, finding that free communication policies “strengthen families, increase economic mobility, reduce facility violence, and improve reentry outcomes.”
Worth Rises is a national nonprofit organization that focuses on dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of incarcerated people and their family members. A virtual press briefing hosted by Worth Rises on May 5 will highlight its new report, Critical Connections: The Power of Free Communication in Prisons and Jails. The study is the first comprehensive analysis examining data from six prison systems and more than a dozen local jails.
According to the report, policies that eliminate fees for phone calls and other forms of communication in prisons and jails have already removed financial barriers for approximately 330,000 incarcerated people and their families across the United States. Researchers found that these changes have resulted in significant financial savings. Families impacted by incarceration have collectively saved an estimated $622 million as a result of free communication policies.
The Fines and Fees Justice Center reports that families of incarcerated people pay billions annually through fines and fees, bail premiums, and commissary and communication costs. The organization notes that these costs often exceed what families can afford and that commissary and phone vendors now represent a larger industry than private prisons.
The report also documents a substantial increase in communication between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. It states that nearly 600 million additional calls have been made, totaling approximately 6.4 billion minutes of connection.
According to Worth Rises, these increases in communication have had wide-ranging effects. The report states that free communication policies have “fundamentally transformed individual rehabilitation and family stability.”
In addition to its findings on communication and outcomes, the report highlights the financial structure of the corresponding communications system. Worth Rises identifies the industry as a $1.5 billion market that has historically generated profit by charging incarcerated people and their families for phone calls and other forms of communication.
Worth Rises argues that eliminating these costs exposes the broader impact of this system, particularly on families who have long faced financial burdens in maintaining contact with incarcerated loved ones.
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, prisons and jails often restrict communication rather than support it. The organization states, “Rather than encouraging people in prison to stay in contact with their loved ones, prisons and jails frequently restrict communication and even partner with private companies to exploit families trying to stay in touch. We’re exposing these abusive practices and fighting back.”
The upcoming press briefing, scheduled for May 4, will provide an overview of the report’s key findings and broader implications. The event will also feature speakers from Worth Rises, including Bianca Tylek, executive director, and Peter Mayer, director of research and data innovation, who will discuss the study’s results and its significance for prison and jail communication policies.
Individuals directly impacted by incarceration, including Michael Tineo and Dr. Brashani Reece, the wife of an incarcerated person, will also participate as speakers.
According to the announcement, the briefing will include key findings and will be followed by question-and-answer sessions to better understand the research.
Members of the media who attend will receive a press kit containing a digital copy of the report, as well as testimonials and images of incarcerated individuals, their families and correctional staff.
Worth Rises envisions a society in which no entity profits from incarceration. The report is intended as a tool for reforming the correctional system nationwide by analyzing the effects of free communication policies and how they impact incarcerated individuals and their families.
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Honestly, I don’t see why they wouldn’t be allowed free use of phones (during whatever period they’re allowed to use them).
This is probably among the LEAST of the costs of incarceration.
Overall, it seems to me that incarceration can be drastically re-designed to incentivize rehabilitation – to the point at which some prisoners are in “better shape” (for themselves and society) than when they entered the system.
At which point, they might be viewed as an asset to society – rather than a detriment/problem upon release.
Companies like Global Tel Link make a fortune off incarcerated people. And yes, prisons are starting to bring back education and programming. You should check out what San Quentin does, but increasingly they are not alone.
Good to hear, regarding the latter.
There are people in prison with innate talents, and it’s just going to waste (for themselves and others).
I increasingly think that punishment is not a useful goal (though it’s still a deterrent – and perhaps makes victims “feel better” – though I’m less sure of the latter, as well).