Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rob Portman (R-OH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ed Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are introducing the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, which is designed to address predatory inmate calling rates at prison facilities across the nation.
Their bill will give the FCC full authority to ensure consumers receive reasonable rates for both intra- and interstate inmate calls. The legislation also extends this standard to all forms of communication, such as video services, to reflect today’s technological advances.
“We applaud the leadership of Senators Duckworth, Portman, Schatz, Booker, King, Markey, Gillibrand, Warren, Casey, Blumenthal, Wyden, and Klobuchar to bring a bipartisan solution to this long-standing issue. The lack of competition in prison telecommunications services has plagued U.S. families for decades," said INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering. “No American should be forced to pay the exorbitant rate of $400 or $500 a month for a calling service. INCOMPAS is glad to support this legislation to give the FCC full authority to bring some much-needed relief to prison call rates.”