After years of paying excessive rates to communicate with incarcerated loved ones, Louisiana families will soon find relief. Starting today, the Federal Communications Commission will implement nationwide regulations establishing just and reasonable charges for calls to and from incarcerated individuals. PSC Commissioner Foster Campbell says in Louisiana, call rates will drop from 25 cents per minute to as low as 6 cents.
“These people have been taken advantage of. Unscrupulous operators have charged the hell out of these people for years and made thousands and thousands of dollars and now they are reducing the rate in the United States, which is a good thing.”
Campbell highlighted the long-standing issue, saying Louisiana families have for years been charged outrageously high rates and unauthorized fees.
“If you have a child or anybody in prison, they don’t have any money so the parents have to pay to be able to talk to them. They couldn’t have a nice conversation because prison phones have made millions off the people operating them.”
An investigation led by Campbell in 2011 revealed that the rates for inmate phone calls in Louisiana averaged 30 times higher than those for calls made outside correctional facilities with Sheriff’s receiving 40 to 50- percent commissions from inmate phone calls. Campbell says with the new law it’s a great day.
“Congress did it. Biden signed it into law, and it’s a great day. These people can talk to the outside. They can talk to their children.”
These changes aim to alleviate the financial burden on families while ensuring fair communication costs.
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