Alabama fights against reducing prison phone rates: ‘We need that connection,’ inmate’s sister says
Alabama fights against reducing prison phone rates: ‘We need that connection,’ inmate’s sister says
@OCD_bylines 
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is one of 14 Republican attorneys general who have joined a lawsuit aimed at blocking federal price caps on telecommunications services in prisons and jails.
In a filing on Monday, the attorneys general argued that the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rule to limit phone call charges represents an “abuse of discretion” and is “contrary to law.”
In July, the FCC adopted a rule to reduce phone and video call rates for incarcerated individuals. The commission highlighted the significant cost reductions expected from this change.
“The Federal Communications Commission today voted to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated individuals and their families for decades,” the FCC stated. “Under the new rules, the cost of a 15-minute phone call will drop to $0.90 from as much as $11.35 in larger jails, and from $12.10 to $1.35 in smaller facilities.”
The states contended that lowering communication costs would negatively impact revenue for prisons and jails. Earlier this year, two lawsuits filed in Michigan allege a kickback scheme between county governments and prison phone companies.
In Alabama, the Department of Corrections has a contract with Securus Technologies to handle telecommunications. According to the company's website, most prisons and jails in Alabama charge $4.95 for remote sessions with family or attorneys. However, some facilities, like the Etowah County Jail, charge as much as $7.60 for 20-minute sessions.
A spokesperson for the FCC stated, “The moral and legal authority to stop these predatory rates that harm families and contribute to recidivism is on the side of the FCC’s bipartisan action.”
Wendy Henderson, whose brother has been incarcerated in Alabama for over 11 years, expressed frustration over the high costs of communication, stating that the state should focus on more critical issues rather than prison phone rates.
