Advisory: Advocates Deliver 40,000 Petitions to FCC Calling for Fair Prison Phone Rates
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What: |
Rally at the FCC to urge Chairman Genochowski to end predatory prison phone rates by passing the Wright Petition.
Phone calls from prison to families at home can cost up to 24 times a normal call.
Deliver petitions collected by Sum of Us/Prison Policy Initiative, Participant Media and the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice.
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Who:
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Families of prison inmates, advocates and prison chaplains.
Rally speakers include:
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn
Keith DeBlasio, former inmate and Director of AdvoCare, a conservative criminal justice advocacy organization
Lillie Branch-Kennedy, mother of current inmate
Mark Ehrlichmann, Embracing Lambs Ministries
Reverend Dr. Sean McMillan, Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Geoffrey Blackwell, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ
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When:
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Thursday, November 15
11:15: Registration and interview availability
11:30: Press conference
12:00: Rally
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Where:
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FCC, 445 12th Street Southwest, Washington, DC |
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Why: |
Current prison phone rates do not reflect the cost of service – 60 percent of costs go toward commissions for corporations and prison agencies.
More than 2.7 million kids in the United States have a parent in prison and rely on phone calls to provide stability, comfort and a sense of normalcy.
Studies also show that keeping inmates and their families connected helps prevent the cycle of repeat offenders -- which prevents crime and saves communities money.
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The Campaign for Prison Phone Justice is a national effort challenging prison phone kickbacks and the U.S. Prison Telephone Industry. The campaign is jointly led by: Media Action Grassroots Network, Working Narratives and Prison Legal News.