Incarcerated People's Communications Services; Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act; Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services

Key Points

• 1The regulation caps the rates that prisons and phone companies can charge for calls made by incarcerated people, making it cheaper for inmates to call family and friends
• 2It applies to interstate calls (calls between different states), which tend to be the most expensive for incarcerated people
• 3The rule implements the Martha Wright-Reed Act, a law named after a woman whose family struggled with high prison calling costs
• 4Phone companies and correctional facilities must comply with the new price limits, which take effect according to a schedule set by the FCC
• 5Families of incarcerated people should see lower phone bills when their loved ones call from prison or jail

Key Dates