#prisonjustice

For nearly two decades, criminal justice reform advocates have been fighting to fix a persistent and egregious flaw in the US prison system: the frequently exorbitant cost of inmate phone calls, which can run up to $17 for a 15-minute local phone call. A confluence of market failures, political intransigence, and public indifference has created a broken billing system that veteran Federal Communications Commission official Mignon Clyburn has called “the greatest, most distressing, type of injustice I have ever seen in the communications sector.” 

Last Thursday, a bipartisan group of US senators introduced a bill that aims to restore federal authority to crack down on what prison reform advocates call the “usurious,” “abusive,” and “exploitative” business practices of a small handful of companies that dominate the $1.2 billion US prison phone industry.  . . . . . .

For Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who introduced the Inmate Calling Technical Corrections Act of 2018, addressing the problem of predatory prison phones rates is a practical, as well as moral, imperative. Numerous studies dating back decades have shown that family contact and communication reduces recidivism, making society safer and saving taxpayer money.

“Our bipartisan legislation will help make sure that prison telecommunication rates are fair so family members can more easily afford to stay in touch with incarcerated loved ones, improving the odds that rehabilitated offenders will be able to become productive members of society upon their release,” Duckworth said in a statement announcing the bill.

Something I learned from this weeks readings is that people actually consider getting rid of prisons. This is a very difficult issue to talk about because on one hand it doesn't make any sense at all to let murderers and rapists run free and the other hand it makes sense that prisons don't actually do any corrections or rehabilitation. Most people who are jailed turn around and get put back in jail within three years of being released. Like I mentioned in our facilitation, Taystee from Netflix original series "Orange Is The New Black" got placed back in prison three months after she was released because what she didn't realize is that her parole officer was going to be "up her ass like the KGB" and pretty much watch every move that she makes. First time she fucks up, BAM. Right back into prison. It's like they want them back in prison and not let them have a life. Being in prison, correctional officers don't care about anyone but themselves according to Jeff Smith, a real former inmate. You can also see this in OITNB. All they care about is themselves and not getting in the paper. Prisons offer nothing to help these people actually turn around.

I also learned that prison justice is also a feminist issue because women are not treated the same way as men. In the Women Behind Bars book that we read, the article "Problems With Women In Prison" mentions that women are usually locked up 75-100% of the time in county jails and co-ed prisons because prisons are built for men and when a women is placed in jail, the prison just simply has to "make do" for them (Velimesis, 6). Also what you hear about a lot is women getting raped in these prisons (even just women prisons) by their correctional officers (which is also seen as OITNB). Women are treated just as bad on the inside (if not worse) than the outside making this a feminist issue as well.

Last night we had the utmost joy of being part of a collaboration that brought Angela Davis to this land. 

Please take couple of seconds to add your name to this community sign-on letter to the FCC. We are asking that videophones, captioned telephones and other auxiliary aids be a mandatory provision of prison telephone providers

ASL Video Description: