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Chairwoman Rosenworcel Looks to Implement the Historic Martha Wright-Reed Act
July 1, 2024 - WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission will vote to end exorbitant phone and video call rates that have burdened incarcerated people and their families for decades. With the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, Congress empowered the FCC to close the final loopholes in the communications system which has had detrimental effects on families and recidivism rates nationwide.
The Act removes the principal statutory limitations that had prevented the Commission from setting comprehensive just and reasonable rates for incarcerated people’s communications services (IPCS)—namely, limits to the Commission’s ability to regulate rates for intrastate calls and video communications. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today shared proposed final rules with her colleagues for their consideration at the Commission’s next Open Meeting that will implement the Act, which was signed into law on January 5, 2023.
“Our communities benefit from incarcerated people staying connected to their loved ones,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “This agency has long worked to end these practices. Now thanks to the inspired leadership of activists like Martha Wright-Reed, legislators like Senator Tammy Duckworth, and regulators like my former colleague Mignon Clyburn, we put to practice the call a bipartisan Congress made clear—that everyone deserves communications with just and reasonable rates and practices, including those who are incarcerated and their families.”
“For far too long, too many families were forced to spend outrageous amounts of money simply to speak on the phone with their loved ones in correctional facilities, denying children the comfort of hearing their parents’ voices and preventing spouses from being able to say a simple ‘I’m here for you’ to their partners,” said Senator Duckworth. “By announcing this vote, the FCC is on the verge of taking historic action to finally implement my Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act so we can start lowering prison phone rates and end the predatory status quo that enabled prison telecom providers to gouge the families of incarcerated people. I’m proud to have led the charge to enact this law and look forward to seeing it bring families closer, save taxpayers money and help make our communities stronger.”
The proposed rules would significantly lower existing per-minute rate caps for out-of-state and international audio calls from any type of correctional facility, and apply those rate caps to in-state audio calls. And, for the first time, the proposed rules would establish interim per-minute rate caps for video communications, including video visitation. The proposed rules would also lower the overall prices consumers pay by eliminating the ability to impose separate ancillary service charges.
The proposed rules will have a significant impact on phone call rates experienced by incarcerated persons and their families. For example, if adopted:
· Callers in large jails using a single call service option to make a 15-minute audio call will, under the new rules, pay $0.90 rather than as much as $11.35 using the rate caps and charges in effect today.
· Callers in a small jail using a single call service to make a 15-minute audio call will pay $1.35 rather than $12.10 they would pay today.
· Video calls under the new lowest video rate cap ($0.11/minute) would cost consumers $2.75, as compared to one regional jail system in Virginia where video call users are charged a flat rate of $15 for up to a 25-minute video call, an effective rate of at least $0.60/minute.
The rules will be voted on at the Commission’s July 18 Open Meeting. The draft of the proposed rules will be published tomorrow on the Commission’s website at https://www.fcc.gov/july-2024-open-commission-meeting.
Source: FCC
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