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U.S. Congress - Ellison-Rush FCC Prison Phone Rate Cap Letter, 2017

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February 16, 2017
The Honorable Ajit Pai
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Pai:
We write to express our disappointment with the decision made by the FCC to end the
defense of intrastate rate caps for incarcerated individuals.
Prior to the caps on prison phone rates, making calls to loved ones was a financial burden
for many Americans who are paying upwards of $1.50 per minute. Most families depend
on these phone calls to maintain the vital relationships their incarcerated loved ones will
depend on when they are released. In fact, 70 percent of incarcerated people kept in
contact with their loved ones over the phone, rather than in person.’
In 2012, the FCC placed a limit on what companies could charge for interstate phone
calls. However, this limit does not apply for phone calls made within a state, intrastate
calls, which can still be too high and represent the bulk of phone calls made from
correctional facilities. Capping rates for calls within a state is an essential piece in fixing
our nation’s broken incarceration system.
Evidence suggests that greater connection to family and loved ones leads to lower rates of
recidivism. Maintaining access to telecommunication is particularly important for
millions of American families as of 2015, 2.7 million children in the United States have
an incarcerated parent.2
Affordable phone calls are important for keeping our families strong and our
communities safe. We urge you and Commissioner O’Reilly to reconsider your decision
on this matter.
Sincerely,

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Keith Ellison
Member of Congress

Bobby Rush
Member of Congress

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Mignon Clybum, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Michael O’Reilly, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

[1] https:ffecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1 0113804521 853/Comments%2Oof%20ICS%2oAdvocates
%20-%2OAs%2oSubmitted.pdf
[2] https://www.prisonpolicyorg/reports/prisonvisitshtml