NY Court of Appeals to Review Overbilling of Inmate Collect Calls
Posted on Fri Jul 14, 2006 at 10:31:49 AM EST
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by TChris
Inmates are frequently forced to make collect calls if they want to talk to family members. Shockingly, jail and prison authorities are happy to sign contracts that permit telephone carriers to charge outrageous tolls for those calls, on the condition that the jail or prison gets a kickback from the overcharging. Burdening the ability of inmates to stay in touch with their families so that the government can turn a profit is ultimately counterproductive because it inhibits rehabilitation, as TalkLeft noted in this story about a lawsuit that tried to end the practice in New York.
The lawsuit, filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights, was dismissed, and that dismissal was affirmed on appeal. There's still reason to hope for a just outcome, however, as the New York Court of Appeals has agreed to hear the case.
"This is important news" explained Rachel Meeropol, a Center for Constitutional Rights attorney representing plaintiffs in the case. "Family members of prisoners live hours away from where their loved ones are incarcerated, and spend hundreds of dollars a month keeping in touch by phone. Hopefully the court will do the right thing, and finally put an end to this unjust contract."
The rates under this contract charge family members 630% more than typical consumer rates to talk with loved ones in New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) prisons. New York State gets a 57.5% kickback on the phone company's profits.
An effort to solve the problem legislatively died in the state Senate.
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