Senators praise FCC for prison calling proposal

A mostly Democratic group of senators sent a letter Thursday praising a Federal Communications Commission proposal — expected to be considered this month — to limit the amount of money that inmates are charged for phone calls.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler signed by 14 Senate Democrats and presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), they said that “it is of utmost importance that the FCC move forward with its proposal to curb intrastate calling rates for inmates.”

{mosads}Among the Democrats on the letter are Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) and Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.).

“The current proposal is a critical step forward in ensuring fair and just calling rates for incarcerated individuals,” they said.

“We applaud the FCC’s discouragement of commissions paid by phone providers to institutions and continued oversight of this matter,” they said. “We also are encouraged by the Commission’s decision to review the market again in a few years, including a review of potential abuses in the video visitation telecommunication services market.”

The proposal would build on an earlier order, approved in 2013, that capped the rate prisoners could be charged for some calls. If the new plan is approved, most inmates around the country won’t pay more than 11 cents per minute on a call. It will apply to calls within states, between states and internationally.

The order would also block or limit other fees.

Reforming the prices paid to inmate calling services has been a priority of Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. She said in announcing the proposal last month that the order would help inmates stay in touch with the world outside of prison or jail, which supporters contend can help reduce the rate at which inmates return to prison once they are released.

“This action will protect some of society’s most vulnerable people from being taken advantage of, while strengthening families,” Clyburn said in a blog post.