[Ppnews] NY Fixing the Scam on Collect Calls

[Political Prisoner News]

Editorial
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/27/opinion/27fri4.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Fixing the Scam on Collect Calls

Published: July 27, 2007

New York’s Gov. Eliot Spitzer set an important 
example earlier this year when he abandoned the 
longstanding practice of charging prisoners 
bankrupting fees for collect calls. Telephone 
rates in New York have since dropped by about 
half. Those rates are likely to fall further now 
that Mr. Spitzer has signed a bill requiring the 
state to consider the cost of inmate phone calls 
when it negotiates the next contract for prison telephone services.

That’s a far cry from how business is done 
elsewhere. In most states, contracts are awarded 
to the company that pays the state the largest 
“commission” for such calls ­ essentially a 
legalized kickback. The states and the companies 
both rack up the cash because inmates are only 
allowed to make collect calls while the person 
who accepts the call is charged a massive 
premium, sometimes as much as six times the going rate for regular calls.

This amounts to a hidden tax on inmates’ 
families, who tend to be among the country’s 
poorest. It also weakens family ties, making it 
harder for inmates to make successful transitions to outside life.

Even at a reduced price, the collect-call-only 
approach is not the only option. The federal 
prison system uses a more affordable debit 
calling system, in which inmates use money from 
computer-controlled accounts. New York and other 
states should adopt the debit system. No families 
should have to choose between putting food on the 
table or accepting a collect call from a loved one behind bars.
**********************************************************************************************************
center  for  constitutional   rights

I’m writing you today to share an important and 
exciting CCR victory on behalf of New York State 
prison inmates and their families and to let you 
know about 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DbJuA3S4asGGUR%2F1uOsJRjGO1hY8nW1D>today’s 
New York Times editorial on our success.

Since 1999, CCR has been fighting in the courts 
and on the ground to end the exploitative 
telephone contract between the New York State 
Department of Correctional Services and 
MCI/Verizon. 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tx2M7P96rw9q9dDd82w7QjGO1hY8nW1D>This 
year, we won.

For families to stay in touch with their loved 
ones in prison, they must accept collect calls 
from a monopoly provider that until recently cost 
630 percent more than regular consumer rates. For 
ten years, New York State took a 57.5 percent 
kickback commission on the profits.

All the research shows that staying in touch with 
family and community is the single most important 
factor in a prisoner’s successful reentry when 
they get out. Yet more than forty states have a 
similar policy gouging prison families for profit 
and, as a result, keeping families apart. After 
our amazing success this year, New York State 
will no longer be among them, and we’ll be 
working to end the practice across the country.

We launched the 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tBPyow8hCpXlSFRSzDVXvjGO1hY8nW1D>New 
York Campaign for Telephone Justice in 2004 after 
we began to hear from families that they were 
being forced to choose between putting food on 
the table and speaking to their loved ones due to 
monthly phone bills in the hundreds of dollars. 
Working with prison family organizations like 
Prison Families of New York, Inc. and Prison 
Families Community Forum, we coordinated an 
extensive campaign that involved grassroots 
organizing, numerous lawsuits, media outreach, and legislative advocacy.

<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2lDkQ3EVkMIHSgMTFdarTTGO1hY8nW1D>And 
after three years of tireless work, we won!

In January 2007, newly-elected New York Governor 
Eliot Spitzer agreed to eliminate the State’s 
57.5 percent kickback commission and reduce the 
prison telephone rates by 50 percent; more savings are due in September.

In June 2007, the New York State Legislature 
passed our Family Connections Bill and made it 
law that the State will not profit from any 
future prison telephone contract and that any 
future contract instead must “prioritize the 
lowest cost to the consumer.” (Previous contracts 
were awarded based on which bid would provide the 
highest commission for the State.) Last week, 
Governor Spitzer signed the bill into law.

We’re not finished yet – we continue to fight the 
legal battle with our case 
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oV5J5m8avqzMdbWYfB57ETGO1hY8nW1D>Walton 
v. NYSDOCS and MCI, which seeks a court judgment 
that the State’s commission is an illegal and 
unconstitutional tax. A victory in the case would 
prevent future legislatures from creating similar 
contracts and would compensate affected families 
for the years that they’ve overpaid to remain 
connected to their loved ones. We argued the most 
recent round in June and are awaiting a decision.

Due to overwhelming positive response from 
organizers and prison families in other states, 
CCR plans to work with grassroots groups across 
the country to make the Campaign for Telephone 
Justice a national effort so that all families 
and inmates receive fair rates and can remain in 
touch with their loved ones. Stay tuned for more 
on this exciting new campaign.

Sincerely,

Annette Warren Dickerson
Director of Education and Outreach





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